Kyle Larson, heading into the summer stretch, was easily a title favorite. With 3 wins after the Coke 600 heading into June, he was 2nd in points, 30 behind teammate William Byron. Now, after Dover, he’s 4th in points, tied with Denny Hamlin, who beats him on total wins. He is behind a pair of his teammates now.
What Caused This Downturn: Should Larson’s Fans Be Worried?
Larson hasn’t won since the summer heat hit us all like a laser beam. He has been passed by more consistent drivers like Chase Elliott, who leads the points after snapping a 44-race winless streak at EchoPark Speedway. It is not purely a lack of wins that should be worrying Larson’s fans. His results, in general, have been lacking for the driver who’s supposed to be better than Max Verstappen. Having only 2 top fives and 4 top tens since June. Only one race separated him from a run of four straight top tens that included two of his three wins this season!
Even After His 4th At Dover, It Is Still Only His Second Top 10
Looking at Larson’s previous summer stretches, this stretch is not shocking. Since the Next Gen era, every Larson stretch from the 600 to the 20th race of the season has seen similar numbers. In 2024, in the same exact stretch, he also had 4 top tens and 2 top fives. A huge difference from 2025 is that he won at Sonoma during this stretch. In 2022, he only earned 2 top tens (both of which were top fives) during the same stretch.
Why Does He Struggle So Much During This Stretch Of the Season?
Two of the tracks in his top ten worst tracks are in this stretch of races. The Chicago street circuit (which contrasts with his form at Chi Town’s old track, Chicagoland, which is his second-best track) and Atlanta, with Sonoma not being far off, are 12th despite his two wins at his home state track. It doesn’t help that his Mexico City debut this season went poorly, starting 6th but ending the race 30 spots off his starting spot. Dover is where Larson starts his turnaround. It is his third-best track.
So, What Can We Expect From the Rest Of the Summer?
We have two of his better tracks coming up with Richmond. It is his eighth-best track where he was twice already. Gateway, his fourth-best track on average, where he has an impressive 8.7 average finish in his three starts. Plus Indy, where he’s the defending champion. In all but one of his starts, he didn’t crash out. Plus, Iowa, where he earned a pole in his first time there. That showcased his potential at the “Green Mile.”
This Is What Makes the Summer Stretch So Exciting!
It is by far the most diverse part of the schedule with all sorts of unique offerings. Meaning even champions like Larson, who mastered most of NASCAR’s usual tracks, can stumble across challenges he’s yet to conquer. And where other drivers like SVG get a chance to shine, where he otherwise might not.
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