Kyle Larson’s Shocking Claim Rocks NASCAR: Could He Have 50 Wins?
Kyle Larson’s latest victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 30, 2025, marked his 30th career NASCAR Cup Series win, cementing his status as one of Hendrick Motorsports’ all-time greats, trailing only Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. But it was his post-race bombshell that sent shockwaves through the racing world: Larson believes he’d have 50 Cup wins by now if NASCAR hadn’t introduced the Next Gen car in 2022. The 2021 champion’s bold statement has sparked heated debate, raising questions about the car’s impact on competition and whether it’s holding back one of the sport’s brightest stars.
Larson’s frustration stems from the Next Gen car’s design, which he claims has limited his ability to dominate as he did in 2021. That year, driving the Gen-6 car, he secured 10 wins, led an astonishing 2,581 laps, and clinched the Cup Series title—a modern-era masterclass. Since joining Hendrick in 2021, Larson has racked up 24 of his 30 wins, but the switch to the Next Gen car has, in his view, curbed his potential. “I think if we still had the 2021 car, I’d have about 50 Cup wins right now,” he said post-race. Despite his 14 Next Gen-era victories—more than any other driver—Larson feels the car’s dynamics don’t suit his aggressive style as well as its predecessor.
The Next Gen car, introduced to level the playing field, brought composite bodies that are more durable than the old sheet metal ones, changing race dynamics significantly. Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier noted that these bodies can “endure more beating and banging,” especially on restarts, which have become “more aggressive and haywire.” Ryan Preece called restarts a “brutal bloodbath,” highlighting the heightened risk and chaos. This reset diminished the advantages of top teams like Hendrick, which had dominated with the Gen-6 chassis. The result? Closer competition—19 different winners in 2022 alone—but fewer opportunities for a single driver to rack up wins consistently.
Larson’s adaptability, however, remains undeniable. At Homestead, he started 14th, battled pit road damage and poor restarts, and still clinched the win by overtaking teammate Alex Bowman with seven laps to go. Bowman, who finished second after hitting the wall, admitted, “I choked that one away… saw the five coming and lost my right-front feel.” Larson’s long-run speed and resilience shone through, earning praise from Kevin Harvick: “To see Kyle Larson manage a car that’s not fast, not make a mistake, and win—that’s dangerous for the field.” This victory, his first of 2025, was especially sweet given past Homestead heartbreaks, like crashing out of the lead in 2023.
Hendrick Motorsports continues to thrive in the Next Gen era, with all four drivers—William Byron (points leader), Larson (second), Bowman (third), and Chase Elliott (sixth)—in the top six after six races. But Larson’s comments highlight a broader tension: while the Next Gen car has made NASCAR more competitive, it may also be stifling the dominance of generational talents like him. Sitting 36 points behind Byron, Larson’s focus is on the championship, but his 50-win claim has fans buzzing. Is the car holding him back, or is this just the new reality of NASCAR? The debate rages on.
