Hendrick Motorsports Technical Director Tom Gray shared how the team incorporates AI into their race-weekend strategy. According to him, the technology plays a crucial role in pit stop calls, helping determine the best time to come in relative to competitors.A well-timed pit stop can swing the momentum of a race in several ways. Fresh tires give drivers more grip, making it easier to overtake or defend the lead, while pitting at the right moment can also place them in clean air instead of stuck behind rivals. Clean air helps preserve tire life and car balance.Speaking about using AI for their race strategies, Tom Gray said (via Kyle Dalton on X):“How do they (crew chiefs) decide when to pit in the moment... like how do they decide based on when everybody else is pitting. When is the time to gain that track position, gain clean air... to be able to optimize their tires.” [0:26]He added:“Those are the types of things that I think we're using AI in that sense. To make the right decision at the right time.”Since 2021, Hendrick Motorsports has fielded the same four-driver lineup of Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Alex Bowman. While the NASCAR team has remained a constant contender at the front of the field, its last championship came in Larson’s breakout 2021 season. Since then, the Cup Series crown has belonged to Team Penske.Now, in a season where AI is increasingly shaping strategies across industries, Hendrick’s drivers are once again making noise—Byron, Larson, and Elliott all sit at the top of the standings, with Byron’s No. 24 team clinching the regular-season championship. All Hendrick drivers enter the playoffs with a shot at reclaiming the title, including Bowman, who secured a spot on points.“They go and get it”: NASCAR Hall of Famer on Hendrick Motorsports following a disappointing race at DarlingtonNASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. weighed in on Hendrick Motorsports’ sluggish showing in the opening playoff race at Darlington Raceway. He expressed confidence that team owner Rick Hendrick will ensure a strong rebound in the coming rounds.Earnhardt Jr., who spent 10 seasons with HMS before retiring in 2017, said (via Dale Jr. Download podcast on YouTube):“I don't expect to see that to happen next week. You know why? Rick Hendrick has a unique ability to call everybody in on the carpet and ask for things to get better, and they always get better.” [48:20]“He just has a way of making everybody go grab a little bit more gear, go dig a little bit harder. When you think that there's nothing else to find, there's not another 2% or 5% to learn, they go and get it.” [50:03]During the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington, Chase Elliott led Hendrick Motorsports in 17th place, followed by Kyle Larson in 19th and William Byron in 21st. Alex Bowman, meanwhile, finished in 31st place, forcing him to settle with a 19-point deficit below the cutline.