Run of dominance continues for Kyle Larson, No. 5 team

Kyle Larson‘s NASCAR Cup Series title defense began with a wreck at the Daytona 500.

One week later, he put things back in order.

It wasn’t without some controversy, which his Hendrick Motorsports team was quick to try and diffuse afterwards. But Larson’s win Sunday at Auto Club Speedway was his fifth in the last seven Cup points races dating back to last season.

Included in this stretch are four playoff wins – three in a row (Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Texas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway), then his triumph in last November’s Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Additionally, his 607 laps led and average finish of 7.3 in this stretch are tops among all drivers.

The debut of the new Next Gen car had the potential to derail the No. 5 team’s stellar run.

But while there may be bugaboos that emerge in the weeks ahead, they’ve got a win (and a playoff berth) in their pocket.

“It definitely feels good to get a win early on in the year, because going to a new car, you don’t know if you’re going to win or not,” Larson said.

However, Larson was more enthused about the different names at the front of the field Sunday.

Among them were Tyler Reddick (won both stages, led race-high 90 laps), Erik Jones (finished third, his first top five since Oct. 2020), and Daniel Suarez (finished fourth), who fought Larson for the win in the final laps.

“(Reddick) was dominant today. (Jones) was super impressive. (Suarez) there at the end. Austin Dillon and their team did a good job,” Larson said. “I mean, I look at it as Chevys were really strong today. Chase Briscoe and their team was really good at one point.

“You had some more players or some different players, I guess, than you maybe would have had in the past. That part of it is neat