The NASCAR Cup Series season is well and truly underway at this point, with six races now in the books. That afforded Kevin Harvick a chance to pick out some superlatives on the SPEED with Harvick and Buxton podcast, highlighting Hendrick Motorsports.
Harvick was asked what his most positive or negative early season takeaway has been. He didn’t hesitate.
“Oh, I think the biggest surprise to me is just where the Chevrolets are from Hendrick Motorsports,” Harvick said. “I don’t know that we’ve ever gone this far into a season and them not being in contention to win these races by dominating an event so far.”
That’s not to say there haven’t been good runs here and there. Rather, there hasn’t been a consistent week-in, week-out dominance from Hendrick Motorsports.
Chase Elliott currently ranks fifth in the points standings, while William Byron ranks sixth and Kyle Larson checks in at No. 10. Very good, just not elite like Hendrick Motorsports has proven capable of being in the past.
“When we go to Martinsville next week, I think you have to expect them to be in contention,” Harvick said. “But I think that on paper the new Chevrolet, everybody thought it was better. And the reality of the situation is getting the balance right on this Gen 7 car is very difficult to do. And they just haven’t wrapped their arms around exactly what that needs to be yet on all these different styles of racetracks.”
As a result, there hasn’t been a consistent push by Hendrick Motorsports toward the top of the Cup Series standings. That said, there are some signs that the team is getting close.
Byron has recorded three straight top-10s going into Martinsville. Larson had recorded three straight prior to last weekend at Darlington.
Could either push through with a win and start to change the narrative for Hendrick Motorsports? Harvick is ready to find out like the rest of us.
“I’m a little bit surprised that we haven’t seen a Hendrick Motorsports car dominate a race and head to victory lane yet,” Harvick said.