William Byron was clear about his main goal at Bristol: moving forward in the NASCAR playoffs. “Really, all tonight was about was advancing, and we did that, so proud of that for sure,” he said after a challenging race where he had to rely on strategy more than sheer speed. While Kyle Larson dominated the race, leading an incredible 462 out of 500 laps, others struggled to keep up. The performance of Goodyear’s tires didn’t help either, and Denny Hamlin couldn’t resist taking a dig at Rick Hendrick’s drivers, hinting that they didn’t seem to push as hard as they could have.
Hamlin, driving the No. 11 Toyota, did what he needed to advance to the next round, but he wasn’t happy with what he saw from the competition, especially the Hendrick Motorsports team. To Hamlin, it looked like their drivers were more focused on accumulating points and staying above the elimination line rather than truly battling for the win.
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race was a far cry from the action-packed Food City 500 in the spring, which had everyone talking about the intense tire wear that made for an unpredictable race. In the fall race, however, Larson’s dominant performance allowed his teammates, like William Byron and Alex Bowman, to cruise through without taking many risks, at least according to Hamlin.
In a recent episode of his podcast, *Actions Detrimental*, Hamlin didn’t hold back his frustration. “William Byron, Alex Bowman… we’re happy, we’re running 10th, 7th… But they were not gonna push it,” he said. Hamlin speculated that if Byron had pushed just a little harder, he could have gained significant ground. “Byron could go get a tenth of raw speed if he wanted to. He could gain 4-5 spots with that, but if he knows everything gets reset, why bother?” Byron ended up 17th after starting third, while Bowman, who began the race in first, settled for ninth.
While it’s bold to suggest that the Hendrick drivers were just playing it safe to collect points, Hamlin admitted, “That would be a strong accusation to make.” Still, he observed that only a handful of drivers were truly going all-out, willing to risk it all for the win. Hamlin noted, “You’re only gonna see this wild drama from about 4 to 5 guys at every cutline. The rest know their points are gonna reset, so why push?”
Despite Hamlin’s frustrations, there was no denying that Kyle Larson had the best car on the track. Larson’s performance at Bristol was nothing short of spectacular, and he’s now in the conversation for his second championship. He didn’t just win the race; he dominated every stage and led the most laps, breaking records along the way. Larson led 462 laps, surpassing Kyle Busch’s 400-lap record from 2008 and setting a new record for most laps led by a Hendrick Motorsports driver at Bristol.
Even Hamlin had to give credit where it was due, saying, “I think… they were just the best car, best driver on that day.” His crew chief, Chris Gabehart, echoed that sentiment, acknowledging that their team couldn’t match Larson’s performance. “We didn’t have the margin that Larson or Bell or some of those other guys had,” Gabehart admitted.
Larson’s win at Bristol was his fifth of the season, and it secured his place in NASCAR’s top 30 all-time winners, tying him with Carl Edwards and Rex White with 28 career wins. After the race, Larson was full of praise for his team, saying, “Man, that was just great execution all weekend by the team. Practiced good, qualified good, and yeah, just had a great car. Thanks to the whole (number) five team, you’re the best in the business.”
With Larson firing on all cylinders, Rick Hendrick might be the happiest team owner in NASCAR as the season progresses. His drivers, especially Larson, are showing the potential to bring home another championship. Although Hamlin’s criticisms of Hendrick’s strategy are valid in the context of this race, the bigger picture is still wide open.
As we move into the Round of 12, the competition will only get tougher. Hamlin, Larson, and the rest of the playoff drivers will need to bring their A-game if they want to keep advancing. While some might be content with playing it safe, others, like Hamlin, believe in pushing hard at every opportunity. It’s anyone’s guess how the playoffs will unfold, but one thing is for sure: it’s going to be a thrilling ride.
For now, all eyes are on Larson as he continues his quest for a second championship, but the battle is far from over. Let’s see how the next round shakes out.
Denny Hamlin Struggles with 7 Tough Accusations After Discovering Why He Couldn’t Take on Kyle Larson
