Heading into the 2022 season, Hendrick Motorsports were set to attempt a three-peat. Not since Jimmie Johnson has NASCAR seen a team three-peat as Cup Series Champions. With the strongest driver lineup on paper heading into the season, odds were favorable that a Hendrick driver would raise the Cup Series trophy at the end of the season. Even with a new car, it would be difficult to stop Hendrick Motorsports.
Kyle Larson – #5
2022 Stat Line: 36 Starts – 3 Wins, 13 Top-5s, 19 Top-10s, 4 Poles, Avg Fin: 14.1
Crew Chief:Â Cliff Daniels
Driver’s Points Ranking: 7; Owner’s Points Ranking: 3
Notable Results:Â Wins at Auto Club, Watkins Glenn, and Homestead; Daytona 500 Pole; Championship Four appearance for owner’s points
Heading into the season as the reigning Cup Series champion, Kyle Larson had lofty expectations for 2022. Not only did Larson win the championship in 2021, he dominated the season from start to finish. In his first year with Hendrick Motorsports, Larson collected ten wins, averaged a 9.1 finish, and only finished outside the Top-10 ten times. Impressive is an understatement.
Any season after Larson’s 2021 will seem a bit underwhelming. However, Kyle Larson was far from his dominate form in 2022. Funny how a three win season can be a let down of sorts for a driver. Not only does the stat line demonstrate the lack of domination, but his on-track presence was not equal as it was in 2021. In two of his wins, Larson’s victory was slightly overshadowed by incidents with Chase Elliott. His win at Homestead was more in line with 2021. Larson dominated the race from start to finish, leaving little doubt about who the winner was going to be.
Outside of his performance, the most notable story from 2022 season for Larson was his run-in with Bubba Wallace. After making an aggressive move in turns three and four at Las Vegas in the Fall, Larson chased his car up the track on corner exit. Unfortunately, Bubba Wallace was still racing on Larson’s right side. Wallace did not lift, which caused his car to hit the outside wall. In a retaliatory move, Wallace kept his foot in the gas and right reared Larson into the wall through the tri-oval. After the cars were done wrecking, Wallace decided to shove Larson repeated on the infield grass. While it can be argued whether Larson should have made the move, Wallace’s actions were immediately condemned by fans and the media alike.
2022 Grade: B+
Hard to imagine giving a driver only a “B+” after scoring three wins (especially considering the Next Gen car) and putting his team into owner’s Championship Four. However, Hendrick Motorsport drivers are graded on a steeper curve. Plus, Kyle Larson’s 2021 season was so dominate, a great season looks mediocre by comparison. Larson’s 2022 stat line was great by any standards. Consistently, Larson was a contender most race weekends, though he lacked to top-class speed from the year prior. It was still a great season, but missed lofty expectations.
The reason Kyle Larson is short of an “A” grade is two-fold. First off, Larson was not the best driver from his own team. That distinction shifted from Larson to Chase Elliott. Secondly, Larson did not pull the same attention as he did at any point in 2021, except for Homestead. While backing up a ten win season was going to be difficult, the expectation was that Larson would still be front and center of the NASCAR world. This was a driver who seemed to be legitimate competition to steal Elliott’s most popular driver award in 2021. In 2022, Larson returned to the shadow of Elliott, in addition to Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, and others. Outside of his run-ins with Elliott and Bubba Wallace, the spotlight stayed away from Larson.
2023 Driver Outlook
Kyle Larson looks to be a fixture of Hendrick Motorsports moving forward. That means you can pencil him in for multiple wins every season until he gives fans a reason not to expect that. He is in the best equipment, even with the Next Gen’s parity. Larson has proven he is one of the best all-around drivers in the NASCAR lineup. Outside of superspeedways, Larson has been able to put his car in victory lane at all tracks
If not for an issue at the Charlotte ROVAL, Kyle Larson would have likely made it to the Championship Four. His team did for the owner’s championship. For 2023, it would not be foolish to expect a return to the Championship Four, this time for the driver’s title. Barring another strange occurrence, an appearance in the Round of Eight is the minimum expectation for Larson and his team.
Chase Elliott – #9
2022 Stat Line: 36 Starts – 5 Wins, 12 Top-5s, 20 Top-10s, 3 Poles, Avg Fin: 12.5
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Driver’s Points Ranking: 4; Owner’s Points Ranking: 7
Notable Results:Â Championship Four appearance; Regular season champion; Most Popular Driver
After Kyle Larson’s 2021, there was a chance that Chase Elliott would be knocked off from top driver at Hendrick Motorsports. Elliott, who had quickly established himself as Hendrick’s number one driver upon call-up, took a backseat to Larson despite qualifying for the Championship Four last year. It was something to watch heading into 2022 to see who would be Hendrick’s top driver moving forward.
Now that 2022 is over, it is safe to say that Elliott still ranks at the top of the Hendrick mountain. Outside of Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott was the most consistent driver in 2022. Elliott’s 12.5 average finish ranked him atop of all the drivers. Despite this, 2022 saw a dip in Elliott’s Top-5s and Top-10s totals compared to 2021. Once again, how much of that falls on the driver/team or the Next Gen car is tough to determine. While his Top-5s and 10s were down, Elliott tied his career high in wins with five.
2022 Grade: A
Matching a career high in wins and advancing to a third straight Championship Four is tough to not reward with an “A”. Other than the wins, statistically this was a minor step back for Elliott. The only other stat that did not dip in 2022 was pole awards. However, that dip still had Elliott ranked as one of the most consistent drivers this year. Each week, Elliott’s car was toward the front, competing for wins.
The fact that Elliott’s season ranks so highly yet is his worst since 2019 speaks volumes to the issues teams faced with the Next Gen car. Parity was on display for the 2022 season. A Hendrick driver like Chase Elliott could be the most consistent driver in the field, yet still have a dip in performance.
Despite making the Championship Four, Chase Elliott’s playoff performance left much to be desired. Especially after Talladega, Elliott struggled during the most important part of the season. After his win at Talladega, Elliott only scored one Top-10 in the final five races of the season. Thankfully for him, Elliott’s strong regular season bailed him out of mediocre runs. An ill-timed move across Ross Chastain’s nose during the Phoenix finale ended Elliott’s hope for a second championship.
2023 Driver Outlook
Much like Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott’s 2023 outlook is Championship Four appearance or bust. Since his rookie season, Elliott has finished no worse than tenth in points. It would take a shocking set of events to not see Elliott advance to at least the Round of Eight. Sitting as the top driver at Hendrick Motorsports, Elliott nor his team have no excuse for not winning multiple races in 2023.
One thing to look for in 2023 is if Elliott can find his way back to victory lane at a road course. After establishing himself as a road course ringer, Elliott failed to win a race where the drivers turn left and right. His best performance came at Watkins Glenn where he was poised to win the race. Unfortunately for Elliott and his fans, Kyle Larson’s aggressive pass on the final restart took the win away.
While Elliott was unable to find victory lane at the road courses, Elliott picked up two pack racing wins at Atlanta and Talladega. The only superspeedway left to conquer for Chase Elliott is Daytona. Though he does a duel win there, winning at Daytona would be one of the final feathers that Elliott can put in his cap that is currently missing.
William Byron – #24
2022 Stat Line: 36 Starts – 2 Wins, 5 Top-5s, 11 Top-10s, 1 Pole, Avg Fin: 15.6
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Driver’s Points Ranking: 6; Owner’s Points Ranking: 6
Notable Results:Â Won inaugural pack race at Atlanta; Won at Spring Martinsville
2021 was William Byron’s breakout season. While he only scored one win, he set career bests in every other statistical category. Finally showing off the promise that he flashed during his rise to the Cup Series, Byron seemed poised to continue his steady improvement. Though he would (likely) not surpass Larson and Elliott, Byron was penciled in as the steady third driver of Hendrick. That placement is normally good enough for a deep playoff run and multiple wins.
After an abysmal start during the first two races, William Byron’s 2022 season seemed to be going according to plan. He won at Atlanta and Martinsville in the Spring. Not only that, he was leading a good amount of laps and consistently ran up front. That Martinsville win put Byron on the path for a great season. However, that did not happen.
After Martinsville, Byron’s performance dropped off a cliff. Over the next 18 races, Byron only collected one Top-10. That was a ninth place finish at Sonoma. How does a Hendrick powered car only finish in the Top-10 once in 18 races? The team seemed to lack that Hendrick speed and Byron ran poorly. During that stretch, Byron only led 49 laps at non-superspeedway tracks.
Byron was able to rebound during the first two rounds of the playoffs. During the first six races of the playoffs, Byron averaged about a ninth place finish. While nothing spectacular, it was a vast improvement from his regular season. Unfortunately for Byron, his positive momentum stopped there. His Round of Eight performance was not bad, but his regular season slump put him too far behind to be able to point his way into the Championship Four. To his credit, Byron finished the season with back-to-back Top-10s.
2022 Grade: C-
The only thing saving this grade from being lower is the Round of Eight appearance. While Byron’s performance picked up in the playoffs, advancement in the playoffs seemed down to other drivers (or their cars) failing rather than William Byron succeeding. Still, a deep playoff run is what would be expected out Byron. Not a championship, but an honest effort.
With that said, William Byron’s 2022 was bad. Even when his performance picked up in the playoffs, it was not Hendrick worthy speed. After his win at Martinsville, Byron only collected one Top-5 finish. How does a Hendrick Motorsports entry only have five Top-5 finishes with their primary driver behind the wheel for the whole season?
William Byron seems to be the forgotten driver at Hendrick Motorsports. Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson grab all the fans’ adoration and media attention. Meanwhile, every other race there is speculation about whether Alex Bowman is getting booted from his ride or not. Meanwhile, Byron sits there unnoticed with mediocre results (for a Hendrick car).
2023 Driver Outlook
Honestly, it is insane that Alex Bowman is the only driver constantly under the microscope at Hendrick Motorsports. William Byron’s ride seems completely safe despite his bad 2022 season. Byron has done little to establish consistent form that one would expect from a Hendrick entry. However, his job security could change with another abysmal stretch of races like Byron’s 2022 18 race stretch.
William Byron drivers for Hendrick Motorsports. The expectation should be multiple wins and a competitive playoff run. However, that is difficult to slap onto Byron’s 2023 agenda. 2022 was the first season Byron won more than one race. He paired them up nicely toward the beginning of the season. At the cost of his two wins, Byron collapsed for the remainder of the regular season. For 2023, Byron needs to collect multiple wins again along with double-digit Top-5s. The #24 car should be a consistent threat to win races. If Byron cannot prove that is the case in 2023, then maybe Hendrick should have an eye out for a new driver.
Alex Bowman/Noah Gragson – #48
Bowman 2022 Stat Line: 31 Starts – 1 Win, 4 Top-5s, 12 Top-10s, Avg Fin: 16.7
Gragson 2022 Stat Line: 5 Starts – Avg Fin: 20.6
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Driver’s Points Ranking: 16; Owner’s Points Ranking: 15
Notable Results:Â Won at Las Vegas; Suffered concussion at Texas playoff race
Although Noah Gragson did pilot the #48 car for five races in 2022, this will be solely focused on Alex Bowman.
No matter what Alex Bowman does, he never seems to be safe in his ride with Hendrick Motorsports. Despite winning four races in 2021, Bowman’s spot in at Hendrick was questioned during the 2022 season. Granted, Bowman was Hendrick’s most inconsistent driver last year. Plus, he was eliminated after the first round of the playoffs.
For 2022, Bowman was looking for a more consistent year to help solidify his spot with Hendrick Motorsports. Much like his teammate William Byron, Bowman’s solid start to the season was followed by a cold stretch. Bowman collected a win at Las Vegas in the third race of the season. At COTA, Bowman was in the three driver battle for the win during the closing laps. Strong performances at Dover, Spring Kansas, and Bristol Dirt were pointing to a promising season. Then the summer hit.
Once again, another Hendrick Motorsports driver slummed during the summer months. From WWT Raceway until the regular season finale at Daytona, Bowman only managed one Top-10 finish. Then the playoffs hit and Bowman was finding his rhythm. It is incredible how much Bowman and Byron mirrored each other during the 2022 season. After a Top-5 at Kansas, Bowman was setting himself up nicely to move on to the Round of Eight.
Concussion at Texas
During the playoff race at Texas, Alex Bowman crash into the outside wall during the closing laps of Stage One. Much like Kurt Busch’s wreck at Pocono, the impact did not seem too severe. Bowman’s car backed into the Turn Four wall before the car swung the passenger side into the wall. Compared to Cody Ware’s accident during the same race, this seemed tame.
Unfortunately, Alex Bowman suffered a concussion due to the accident. He was forced to miss the next five races. This eliminated him from the playoffs. While it is unlikely that Bowman would have been a championship contender if he did not get concussed at Texas, it is a shame that he was unable to compete for the title. Noah Gragson stepped in to drive Bowman’s car for him while he mended. Luckily, Bowman was able to get behind the wheel again in 2022. Bowman was able to pilot his car in the season finale at Phoenix.
2022 Grade: C-
William Byron’s grade was saved by his advancement into the Round of Eight. Alex Bowman’s grade will be saved by his untimely sidelining during the playoffs. However, his performance until his concussion is not what Hendrick Motorsports wants out of their driver. Lacking speed and consistency is a huge red flag for the team. However, two drivers were able to transition relatively well into the new car. Meanwhile, the other two struggled for large chunks of the season.
Alex Bowman’s 2022 was a step backwards for him. It was his worst statistical season since his first with Hendrick Motorsports. Inconsistency plagues Bowman during his time with Hendrick. Even when he gets some positive momentum, it never stays long. For every win or Top-5, there is a DNF or slow day mixed in.
2023 Driver Outlook
After a down 2022, Alex Bowman needs to have a great season in 2023. His time with Hendrick Motorsports seems to be in a constant state of uncertainty. Even with the backing of Ally, Bowman is the easiest driver to replace for Hendrick Motorsports. Now, one season will (likely) not change the 2024 plans of Alex Bowman. However, Sam Mayer is going to slowly creep his way to the Cup Series. For 2023, Bowman should be able to secure a win for himself and his team. The largest question for Bowman is how far into the playoffs can he get. Can 2023 be the year Bowman punches his ticket into the Championship Four? Doubtful, but it would not be surprising if he did it.
Alex Bowman’s struggles seem to be magnified. Since being handpicked by Dale Earnhardt Jr to replace him at Hendrick, Bowman has felt like an outsider to the team. Bowman was not a top prospect who got his shot when the older driver retired. Instead, Bowman was a journeyman driver who ran for a lot of underfunded teams. When Bowman was able to get into better equipment, he gave results. That seems to set him a part from his Hendrick teammates. The pressure always seems to be placed on his shoulders. Even when he has a season where he wins multiple races, it does not seem enough to get the lingering rumors away from Bowman.
Hendrick Motorsports Grade: B
Hendrick Motorsports in 2022 was a split between two pairs of drivers. With Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, the usual Hendrick performances that fans know and expect. Meanwhile, William Byron and Alex Bowman had disappointing seasons that saw performances unfit for Hendrick Motorsports. Averaging between the two comes out to a “B” grade for the team.
Hendrick Motorsports was represented in the Championship Four for both the driver and owner championships. All four cars made the playoffs, but that is to be expected. None of their wins came during a high profile event. For Hendrick, this season was a bit “meh”. It is difficult to complain when you have a chance to win the title. However, unlike in 2021, it was only one driver/car per championship. While it would be a stretch to say 2022 was a down year, it was a bit disappointing by Hendrick standards.
2022 Season in Review Articles:
Griffin Fuller: Trackhouse, Stewart-Haas, Wood Brothers, Team Penske
Robert Cwick: NY Racing, RCR, Spire, Kaulig, Rick Ware, Petty-GMS, Front Row, LivFast, JTG-Daugherty
Daniel Smith Cup Series Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, & Final Rankings
Daniel Smith Xfinity Series Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, & Final Rankings
