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Two-time Cup champion Kyle Larson reflected on his 2025 NASCAR Cup Series campaign that forced the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team to go down the “wrong way”. His comments surfaced during a recent interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.Larson was asked if he thought his failed attempt at completing the infamous Double was taking away from their winning momentum during the 2025 playoffs. It was almost as if the team was going down the wrong path, as far as its cars were concerned.“I think we got a little bit down the wrong path on our race cars, and we didn't quite realize it for a while,” Kyle Larson said, “We just lived in that slow state for a while. We were doing a good job executing, and I actually think being as slow as we were made us a better, stronger team as far as execution.”Larson didn’t bag a single top five or even a top-10 in the opening round of the playoffs, which included Darlington, Gateway (World Wide Technology Speedway), and Bristol. His first top-10 of the postseason came at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 21, 2025.Larson's performance in the next two rounds helped him make the cut for the grand finale at Phoenix Raceway. He even won the 2025 Cup Series title without leading a single lap in the coveted race and finished third behind race winner Ryan Blaney and runner-up finisher Brad Keselowski.Kyle Larson is now in his off-season. He is ahead of the 68th running of the crown jewel Daytona 500, which is scheduled for February 15. Fans can watch the 200-lap race live on FOX Sports or listen to exclusive radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.Kyle Larson thanks Hendrick Motorsports for helping him through his journey en route to the 2025 Cup Series championshipKyle Larson just wrapped up his fifth season with Hendrick Motorsports, qualifying for the playoffs every year since 2021. He is now a 32-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series, with his first win coming in March 2021 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and his most recent coming at Kansas Speedway in May 2025.Larson was thrilled with how the season ended for the No. 5 team. Thanking his boss and Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, the Elk Grove native said in a statement,“A special thank you to Mr. Hendrick and Mrs. Hendrick and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. The trust and support you've given me since day one has completely changed my life.”“Every person who turns a wrench, builds an engine, engineers our setups or drives a hauler, this championship belongs to you," Larson further continued. "This year wasn't easy. We faced challenges from the very start - losing people we cared about, moments where we weren't as competitive as we wanted to be and weekends that just didn't go our way.”With his finish at Phoenix, Kyle Larson joined Kyle Busch and Joey Logano as active multi-time NASCAR Cup Series champions. In fact, Larson is now the 18th driver to win more than one Cup Series title.
