Kyle Larson is going through one of his most inconsistent NASCAR Cup campaigns in his career. But the 2021 champion isn't letting it shake his confidence.With two races to go before the playoffs begin, Larson acknowledged the rough patch but remains focused on what's ahead."Obviously we'd like to get a couple good runs in before the playoffs. Just any bit of good momentum would be great. But this sport, especially the Cup Series is so up and down for a lot of teams that, it doesn't concern me. I guess that we've had some bad results here lately. I think our car speed has gotten better and just haven't had quite the luck or whatever you want to call it here in the last couple weeks," Larson told NBC's Dustin Long ahead of the Cook Out 400.Kyle Larson's 2025 campaign has been defined by two very different halves. Through the opening 12 races, the Hendrick Motorsports driver looked every bit like a title contender, scoring five top-fives, three wins, and leading 817 laps. But the next 12 events have told a different story. In that stretch, he's led just 56 laps, failed to win, and recorded five finishes of 28th or worse.Last week at Watkins Glen was another example. Larson showed speed early but dealt with a brake issue on Lap 6 that sent him spinning in Turn 1. The No. 5 team took the car to the garage to replace a brake line, losing 16 laps in the process. Though Larson returned and managed to set the race's fastest lap, he wound up 39th. It was a night that captured his season perfectly: flashes of pace undone by bad breaks.That run has effectively taken Larson out of contention for the regular-season championship. With teammates William Byron at 812 points and Chase Elliott at 770, Larson sits back at 727 - a gap too large to close in the final two races. His focus now shifts solely to entering the playoffs on the best footing possible.Richmond offers Kyle Larson a chance to resetKyle Larson (5) during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 practice. Source: GettyThe next opportunity comes at Richmond Raceway, where Kyle Larson has quietly built an impressive record. In his 20 career starts at the short track, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has 10 top-10 finishes and two wins in 2023 and 2017.The weekend began with mixed signals. Larson showed strong pace in practice, turning the sixth-best lap at 22.986 seconds, but qualifying didn't go to plan. He'll roll off 30th in Saturday night’s Cook Out 400 after teammate Chase Elliott led the Hendrick camp in fifth. Ryan Preece secured the pole, while Larson's No. 5 Chevrolet will have plenty of work to do under the lights.With the postseason looming and a proven track record on short ovals, Saturday’s race offers the perfect chance to show that, even in a year of ups and downs, Kyle Larson remains one of the most dangerous drivers in the field.