After a long offseason, NASCAR returns this weekend with The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium (weather permitting). The unofficial kick off to the 2026 season will be a welcome one after the nightmarish offseason NASCAR and their fans found themselves in these past months. Now, it is time to shake those bad feelings away while escaping into the pleasure of stock car racing. If not pleasure, the return of aggravation at questionable NASCAR officiating, the annoyance that is the Gen7 car, and/or muting the TV to not listen to Clint Bowyer. Either way, you know you missed it. With the 2026 season about to roar into gear (for one weekend to then take a backseat to football), it is fitting to start the Pit Pass Network 2026 Season Preview series.

Everyday from now until Saturday, every Cup Series organization will receive an article that focuses on their teams and drivers for the upcoming season. Think of it similar to the Days to Daytona series but condensed down. Every fulltime organization will have a dedicated article to preview their teams’ 2026 expectations, notable driver or crew swaps, the impact of the returning Chase format, and other noteworthy storylines heading into the season. To kick it off, the reigning champions of the Cup Series: Hendrick Motorsports.

Hendrick Motorsports

After claiming their third championship since 2020, Hendrick Motorsports looks to conquer a championship format that suited them well in the past: The Chase. Despite Kyle Larson winning the championship last year, the return of The Chase should be a welcome one from Chevy’s top team. While William Byron and Larson have been the championship favorites the past two seasons, their teammate Chase Elliott looks to be the potential best bet this season. While winning has been more prominent from the 5 and 24 teams, no one has been more consistent than the 9 crew. Alex Bowman is also a featured member of the organization.

#5 – Kyle Larson

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

2025 Points Finish: 1st

2026 Announced Sponsors: HendrickCars.Com, Valvoline

The reigning champion should not be wary of the return of The Chase. Under the new points format last year, Larson would have still walked away as the Cup Series Champion. That should not come as much of a surprise as Larson’s last 7 races in 2025 were his most consistent all season. While he failed to win a race the entire playoff run, Larson scored 6 Top-10s in the final 7 races. Of course, his lone non-Top-10 was at Talladega. In 4 of the final 5 races, the 5 team finished inside the Top-5.

2026 Expectations

Kyle Larson should still be penciled in to win at least 3 races this coming season. The fact that this winless streak stretches back to spring Kansas only reinforces that idea. Kyle Larson and Cliff Daniels are the most formidable driver/crew chief duo in the sport. Off the superspeedways, the 5 car is always a threat to hoist the trophy by the end of the race. With an emphasis on winning, both the regular season and overall championship are reasonable expectations for this team.

The Chase Factor

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there is no doubt that Kyle Larson will be Chase-bound in 2026. The new format should not be any massive deterrent nor boon for the 5 team in terms of making the postseason. As for The Chase itself, Larson would be entering 2026 as the reigning back-to-back champion if the current format was used the past 2 seasons. Obviously, strategies throughout the field would have been different, but the 5 team usually fields a frontrunning car. Not sure how much The Chase would have meddled with that formula.

#9 – Chase Elliott

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

2025 Points Finish: 8

2026 Announced Sponsors: NAPA, Kelly Blue Book, UniFirst, Llumar, Amazon Prime Video

Between the four drivers at Hendrick Motorsports, the return of The Chase best propels Chase Elliott into championship conversation. Over the past couple of seasons, Elliott has been the model of consistency. Seldomly does the 9 car feature outside the Top-15, with finishes outside the Top-20 down to single digits. However, the issue for the 9 team has been the lack of wins and Top-5s. Unlike Kyle Larson and William Byron, Elliott rarely features prominently near the front throughout any given weekend. Elliott’s strong runs have been few and far between. Although he found victory lane twice last year, neither were dominate performances. With consistency more in play under the new format, Elliott should be a stronger contender this year.

2026 Expectations

As alluded to above, Chase Elliott should be a Top-5 finisher in this year’s championship hunt. His lack of wins will hurt his odds of competing with some of the other heavy hitters. That said, Kyle Larson’s hypothetical championship in this format last year should give more credence to Elliott’s odds. While winning scores the most points, consistency will still reign supreme over boom/bust drivers. Outside of wins, where Elliott will need to improve in 2026 is scoring Top-5s more often. Overall, there needs to be more muscle flexed by this 9 team.

The Chase Factor

Not to spend more time repeating stuff already typed, Chase Elliott stands to benefit pretty well in The Chase.

#24 – William Byron

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

2025 Points Finish: 4th

2026 Announced Sponsors: Axalta, Valvoline, Z HP, Liberty University, Cincinnati, Phorm Energy, All-Pro Auto Reconditioning, Anduril

William Byron’s blown tire in the final laps of the Championship Race could have been the difference between running back a modified version of the playoff format and getting The Chase. While the noise was certainly there for a significant change, Byron’s caution altering the championship in dramatic fashion could have been the final nail in the coffin. Prior to those moments, Byron’s 2025 was arguably his best season. He won the regular season championship, avoided his usual major summer lull, and contended with Denny Hamlin the best in the final race. Still, the ending of 2025 probably left a bitter taste in the 24 team’s mouth.

2026 Expectations

The past three years have seen William Byron graduate from outside contender to championship favorite. 2026 should be no different. After collecting 12 wins over the past 3 seasons, Byron could be penciled in for another 3 win season in 2026. Unlike in prior years, 2025 saw Byron miss out on wins due to late race cautions or Ty Dillon-esque circumstances. Although there were some eye-rolls at Byron’s 100 rating in NASCAR 25, it is not an exaggeration to state that the young Hendrick Motorsports driver is a Top-3 driver in the sport.

The Chase Factor

Similar to Kyle Larson, William Byron should go from strength to strength under the new format. Three-straight seasons making the Championship Four can be credited to finding victory lane and consistency. Plus, winning the regular season championship last year bodes well for Byron’s odds in The Chase. What could be the biggest weakness for the 24 team is nullified via The Chase though. Byron’s usual summer lull (if it returns) will be eliminated by the points reset.

#48 – Alex Bowman

Crew Chief: Blake Harris

2025 Points Finish: 13

2026 Announced Sponsors: Ally

Perhaps the most interesting driver in the Hendrick Motorsports camp, Alex Bowman’s 2026 could be an inflection point for the driver’s career. Although Bowman made the playoffs last season, 2025 was another underwhelming year. His average finish of 17.4 was his worst since joining Hendrick Motorsports. In part due to this regression, the entire 48 team has been upended. Only Bowman, crew chief Blake Harris, and spotter Kevin Hamlin return for 2026. If an improvement is not followed with these changes, Hendrick Motorsports might have their first driver change since 2021.

2026 Expectations

Despite the pessimistic outlook on the season, Alex Bowman should be a safe pick to make The Chase. While his recent performance might be disappointing for a Hendrick driver, it is still plenty strong enough to make the field of 16. That said, simply making The Chase will not meet expectations. Bowman needs to find victory lane at least once in 2026 while finishing Top-10 in points.

The Chase Factor

In theory, The Chase should benefit Alex Bowman. Early eliminations in the previous format sullied some strong seasons for the 48 team. With his lack of wins, Bowman’s usual consistent results should help him finish higher in the points. Since finishing 6th in 2020, Bowman has only finished inside the Top-10 once. The Chase should be a welcome one for Bowman.

Silly Season Implications

Alex Bowman enters 2026 with pressure to perform. Since 2021, Bowman has been lagging behind his three Hendrick Motorsports teammates. Only before getting injured in 2023 has Bowman compared favorably to Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Chase Elliott. At a certain point, one would imagine Hendrick will look for more out of his fourth team. If Alex Bowman cannot turn it around in 2026, he might be finding a new ride for 2027.