By Sarah Talker,Total Apex Sports

Copyright yardbarker

If you’re a fan of Hendrick Motorsports, New Hampshire Motor Speedway probably gives you a bad taste in your mouth. For the better part of a decade, the powerhouse team has shown up at the “Magic Mile” and performed a disappearing act. It’s been flat, uninspired, and frankly, a little baffling for a team of this caliber.

With the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs heating up, Sunday’s race at Loudon isn’t just another stop on the calendar. For the Hendrick trio of William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Larson, this race could very well be the tipping point that decides whether they’re serious championship contenders or just playoff filler. The pressure is on, and history is not on their side.

Why Hendrick Is Feeling the Pressure at the Magic Mile

Let’s just lay the cards on the table. Since the Next Gen car debuted on the track in 2022, Toyota has dominated New Hampshire. They’ve swept every race, won every single stage, and led a staggering 83% of the laps. Hendrick Motorsports? Zero wins. Zero stage victories. As a manufacturer, Chevrolet has led a paltry 84 laps here in that same period. For NASCAR’s winningest organization, those numbers are a tough pill to swallow.

The team’s struggles here feel personal. This isn’t just about one bad race; it’s a pattern of underperformance at a track that demands precision and a perfect setup. As the Round of 12 kicks off, a bad day at Loudon could put Byron, Elliott, or Larson in a deep hole from which they might not be able to recover. A win, on the other hand, punches a ticket to the Round of 8 and lets them breathe a massive sigh of relief. This race is crucial, and they know it.

Can Larson Finally Conquer His Loudon Demons?

Kyle Larson is a wheelman. He can drive anything with four wheels and make it look easy. But for some reason, Loudon has been his kryptonite. He’s got a decent average finish here, but he can’t seem to find his way to the front and stay there. In 12 starts, he’s led a total of eight laps. It’s one of the most puzzling stats for a driver of his talent.

There was a little glimmer of hope in practice, but Larson still sounded unsure. “I thought, you know, we were not bad,” he said Saturday. “Still, really loose… I think [this race is] crucial. For sure. It’s not been a historically great track for us, but I feel like we’ve made progress on the style of track anyways this year, so optimistic, but didn’t qualify good. So I don’t know.”

That “I don’t know” says it all. When a driver like Larson lacks confidence, you know the team is fighting an uphill battle. Starting 16th, he’ll need to find some of that magic that has so far eluded him.

Elliott’s Frustration Continues at New Hampshire

If Larson’s record is puzzling, Chase Elliott’s is downright frustrating. The 2020 champ has shown flashes of speed here, even leading 41 laps from the pole last year. However, he has cracked the top 10 in just three of his 11 starts. To put that in perspective, his top-10 percentage is better at the wild-card track of Daytona.

After qualifying in a dismal P27, Elliott was a man of few words. “We’ll see where everyone winds up tomorrow,” he said. “But it’ll be a new day, and hopefully we can move forward and put together a good race.” That’s the kind of quote a driver gives when they have nothing good to say. For the sport’s most popular driver, another lackluster run at Loudon would be a significant blow to his playoff momentum.

Byron’s Last Hope to Break the Hendrick Curse?

The brightest spot for Hendrick might be William Byron. The 2025 Regular Season Champion is coming in with a ton of momentum, but his stats at New Hampshire are just as bleak as those of his teammates: zero top 10s in seven starts. However, things might be turning around.

Byron was fast in practice, and after qualifying a solid fifth, there’s a sense that he might be the one to break the Hendrick curse finally. But he’s keeping his expectations in check.“You gotta crawl before you can walk,” Byron said. “Yeah, obviously a win is way out there, right? Like, if you ask me if a win is kind of on my radar here, I would say no, but then getting in the race car today, I was like, OK, that’s one step forward.

”Byron’s methodical approach could be precisely what Hendrick needs. He’s not looking to be a hero; he’s looking to execute and build on small successes. If he can turn a reasonable qualifying effort into a solid top-10 finish, or even steal a win, it would be a massive statement for the entire organization.

Final Thoughts

The stage is set for a pivotal race. For Hendrick Motorsports, Loudon is more than just a flat, one-mile track in New England. It’s a test of their resolve, a chance to overcome a glaring weakness, and a moment that could define their entire playoff run.