"We've been through a lot": Kyle Larson comments on the state of his team entering playoffs

Kyle Larson won three races in the regular season and scored 11 top-five 5 finishes. He closed out the regular season with a series of top 10 finishes at Richmond and Daytona.

And heading into the first playoff race of the season, Darlington, Larson knows what the #5 team's strengths are.

Recently, in a media availability session, the 2021 Cup champion was asked what he believed his team's strengths were, as well as the challenges he expected.

“I mean, it’s hard to pinpoint one strength because I feel like we have a lot of strengths. Speed is always one, for sure. We’ve just been through a lot throughout the summer. I think we’ve seen a lot of different things and we’re prepared for almost anything. I think we’re looking forward to the challenge of these next 10 and hopefully we can execute on a high level,” said Larson.

Peter Stratta

@peterstratta

.@KyleLarsonRacin lists a few upcoming #NASCARPlayoffs tracks as areas of slight concern for the @TeamHendrick 5 team, but says their short/flat oval pace has improved this year. #NASCAR

Kyle Larson further pointed to the "shorter-flatter" racetracks like Gateway and New Hampshire in the playoffs, which don't thrill him. Having said that, he claimed the Hendrick package was better on those types of tracks.

He remarked how, at Iowa, all four Hendrick drivers were fast. Then at Richmond, Larson claimed all four were "really good" again.

While commenting on their challenges and weaknesses leading into the playoffs, Larson mentioned that they would like to improve heading to Gateway and New Hampshire.

"I do think we’ve gotten our cars better on those places, but we still need to probably be better. We’ll see when we get to Gateway and New Hampshire," he added.

Larson has been one of the consistent performers in the ongoing season.

Kyle Larson opens up on the nature of racing in the playoffs

Ahead of the Darlington playoff race, Kyle Larson was asked whether the racing changes in the playoffs, in the sense that drivers become more desperate.

Larson believed it was otherwise, as in his opinion, racing always calms down in the playoffs. He claimed it is because every driver is conscious of where they finish and getting the best finish possible. However, when it comes to playoff races, Kyle Larson believes the intensity changes.

"Obviously, when you get to the cutoff races and stuff, maybe it might ramp up a little bit, or teams’ pit calls might get a little bit more desperate. But I feel like it kind of calms down because we’re trying to finish. Other teams that aren’t in the playoffs recognize that we’re racing for something and sometimes there’s a little bit more give and take. But it’s still ultra-aggressive. I mean, it’s Next Gen racing, but I do believe it dials back a little bit," he described.

The #5 driver also claimed that the playoffs being 10 races long "feels long." Larson clarified that it feels that way because the playoff start isn't necessarily his favorite seven weeks from the onset.

He claimed the sport "still changes a lot," and so does the momentum.