Kevin Harvick addresses level of concern at Hendrick Motorsports following Phoenix

Hendrick Motorsports got off to a hot start in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, with William Byron taking the win in the Daytona 500 and Kyle Larson dominating the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

As for this past Sunday’s Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports was a no-show. Larson finished 14th, Byron 18th, with Chase Elliott following him in 19th and Alex Bowman rounding out the group in 20th. All four failed to lead a single lap.

While it’s just a singular race, it’s notable in that Phoenix is the host of the final race of the season, the race which determines the Cup Series champion. Should their uneven performance as a team be a concern? Kevin Harvick believes so, explaining why on his “Happy Hour” podcast this week.

“We had the different package this weekend with the aerodynamics and the tire,” Harvick said. “And I think that with the way that they ran in the first few weeks with the other package, I think they have to be concerned. The 9 and the 24 ran — I guess the 24 ran fifth, six, but he was never that car that was like the Toyotas. It was never versatile and could move around and do all the things the Toyotas could do. You took the car and put it back in 15th and he just stayed there.

“9 car, same way. 5, I mean we’re talking Kyle Larson. He ran 16th or 17th all day and we thought he was going to drive right to the front and be a contender. Didn’t move, so I think they definitely need to have some concern.”

Hendrick Motorsports among many Chevrolets to struggle at Phoenix

Chevrolets in general struggled, as Ross Chastain was the highest finisher of the car manufacturer, picking up a P6 result. Toyotas ruled the day, with Christopher Bell taking the checkered flag for Joe Gibbs Racing. Bell led 50 laps, winning the race by 5.4 seconds.

“It’s no secret that Phoenix has been a little bit of a struggle for us,” Bell said after the race. “After that first year of Next Gen — myself and Adam [Stevens], we really sat down and said that Phoenix needs to be a focus point because I didn’t feel very good there the first two races in 2022 and then in 2023, we were a little better each time and today was lights out, so today is a great day for the company.”