Kyle Larson came into Sonoma needing a miracle. The defending race winner sat 19 points behind teammate William Byron\u00a0in the championship hunt, and with Byron running like he\u2019s got something to prove, Larson\u2019s window for a comeback was getting smaller by the race. What happened next left his fans wondering if that window just slammed shut.<\/p>\n
Why Did Kyle Larson\u2019s Sonoma Race Start So Poorly?<\/p>\n
Kyle Larson hasn\u2019t been in top form lately in the 2025 season. While he has managed three top 10s in the last six races, he hasn\u2019t led a single lap\u00a0in those races. The Sonoma race offered an opportunity to bounce back and maybe take the points lead, now that the regular season championship is in question.<\/p>\n
However, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver did not have the best start to his race, leaving fans frustrated.<\/p>\n
Entering the 1.99-mile road course, Larson was third in the points table, 19 points behind points leader and teammate William Byron. While 19 points isn\u2019t a lot, Byron has been in top form, so trying to take that lead from him in Sonoma wasn\u2019t going to be a walk in the park.<\/p>\n
Still, Larson managed to get a P11 start in qualifying, and coming in as the track\u2019s defending winner, fans hoped for him to get a good finish in the race. However, things went south quickly after the race was green-flagged. Rather than climbing positions, the No. 5 dropped down, having some car troubles.<\/p>\n
Read More: \u2018Haven\u2019t Been as Sharp\u2019 \u2013 Kevin Harvick Digs Into the Quiet Collapse of Kyle Larson\u2019s NASCAR Momentum<\/a><\/p>\n The No. 5 team wrote in an X post,<\/a> \u201cLarson slipping back in the runner order, Crew Chief Cliff Daniels getting a plan together to fix up their No. 5 @HendrickCars Chevy on a pit stop. Currently 19th.\u201d [CAN\u2019T VERIFY \u2014 NEED TO MANUALLY VERIFY | Google: | StatMuse: | Perplexity: ]\n<\/p>\n Larson slipping back in the runner order, Crew Chief Cliff Daniels getting a plan together to fix up their No. 5 @HendrickCars<\/a> Chevy on a pit stop. Currently 19th.<\/p>\n \u2014 No. 5 Team (@Hendrick5Team) July 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n How Did Fans React to Larson\u2019s Early Struggles?<\/p>\n Naturally, this left fans enraged, as Larson needed to finish better than Byron to close the points gap. But Byron ran in the top five\u00a0in the race, while Larson dropped back.<\/p>\n One angry fan wrote,<\/a> \u201cSebastian is correct. This is garbage.\u201d Another fan echoing the same emotion wrote,<\/a> \u201cPack it up. Car\u2019s junk. Just zero winning speed since Charlotte.\u201d This rings true, as the last time Larson led laps was seven races ago at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Attempting the double, Larson had a P2 start to the race and led 34 laps before getting into a wreck and getting a DNF.<\/p>\n Some fans even sympathized with Larson as he continues to be in this slump. One fan wrote<\/a>, \u201cLooks like Kyle Larson is really struggling right now.\u201d Another fan wrote,<\/a> \u201cLarson is terrible today, already going to the back.\u201d Even Larson recently admitted to not being in top form lately.<\/p>\n In the pre-race interview, he said,<\/a> \u201cYeah, it\u2019s really tight. Hopefully, we can kind of get back on a run of being consistent and getting stage points. I feel like, you know, we\u2019ve still kind of been consistent. We just haven\u2019t finished as high as we have early in the year, and then we\u2019ve been missing out on stage points.\u201d<\/p>\n If things continue as they are in the Sonoma race, Larson could fall further back in the points standings. One disappointed fan already eyeing this possibility wrote<\/a>, \u201cSomeone teach Larson how to drive.\u201d<\/p>\n Larson tried to win Stage 2 over Shane van Gisbergen, who took back the lead in 17 seconds after a slight contact. But in the end, it\u2019s a road course, so anything can happen. Only time will tell where Larson finishes in the race.<\/p>\n