NASCAR Cup Homestead-Miami
Larson thinks he would have "about 50 Cup wins right now” without Next Gen car
Larson is one of the most successful drivers in modern NASCAR, but he believes the current generation of race car is actually holding him and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team back.
Nick DeGroot
Edited: Mar 25, 2025, 1:26 AM
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Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Photo by: Chris Graythen - Getty Images
Kyle Larson is one of the top drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series right now, but switch from the Gen-6 to the current Gen-7 race car is something that he believes put a notable dent in his stats page.
He earned his 14th win in the Next Gen era on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which was also the 30th of his career. Only 29 other drivers have ever reached that milestone, but Larson believes that number could be far higher if NASCAR stuck with the previous chassis for a bit longer.
Leveling the playing field
"I think if we would still have the 2021 car, I would have about 50 Cup wins right now," said Larson in his winner's press conference at Homestead. "I think switching to this car has limited us from winning."
It's quite the statement, believing that he would have earned around 20 more victories in the last three years without the introduction of the current generation of car, which has leveled the playing field to some extent and made things far closer across the Cup Series field.
But if you look at the final season with the old car, Larson's claim starts to have some merit. Not only did he win the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship, but Larson also won ten races and led 2,581 laps -- that's more than 1,000 more than anyone else. The new car denied teams like Hendrick the clear advantage they had built up since the Gen-6 was introduced in 2013, providing a total reset for the sport.
But it's not like he's struggling these days either. Larson won three races in 2022, four in 2023, and a series-leading six in 2024. And his Homestead victory last weekend was his first of the 2025 season after just six races.
"I think just being with a good team and being able to adapt to new things is something you try to pride yourself on," continued Larson. "I think that's an area where the 5 team really excels and the 24 [Byron] as well. I think we probably share or are top two in most Next Gen wins. Young, adaptable drivers and teams.
"Yeah, they're difficult cars to drive, though. You have to run really hard, and I think that probably benefits a guy like myself."
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