Let’s be honest, Next-Gen cars have been a real pain in the backside for some drivers. Since the 2022 debut, series veterans like Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick have publicly blasted the Next-Gen for its sketches on short tracks and unpredictable handling. Others whisper dissatisfaction. Chase Elliott has even raised safety concerns, calling the car a step backwards in some respects.
Amidst the grumbling, one driver has quietly cracked the code. While many have floundered, worried about the balance, the tires wear, and the temperamental cornering. This standout has turned criticism into dominance. This HMS driver seems to have it under control and has now revealed his secret.
Kyle Larson breaks the code
During an interview with Marty Smith, when asked, “What’s the Kyle Larson secret?” The No. 5 driver didn’t hold back, sharing whatever he understood of the Next Gen car. The 2021 Cup Series Champion goes on to say, “I’m not one to keep secrets anyways, but I don’t know, in a way, I—I guess I agree a little bit of that, you know. It’s harder to kind of be hung out, I guess you could say. I didn’t lose, but to me, I feel like this car is more temperamental on what’s your balance and how can you manipulate the balance. So, you know, if I’m losing and my car feels like it wants me in the right rear, like, alright, now I have to, like—just have to, like, really focus on all four corners of the car.”
The Next Gen car’s low profiles, independent rear suspension, and stiffer body all combine to make it less forgiving and far more sensitive to weight transfer and heat cycles. Where others might overcorrect or overthink, Larson’s instinct is to respond. Adjusting his brake, shifting his turn-in point, or building tire heat where needed. It’s not a flashy trick, but a mental recalibration few drivers seem to have fully mastered.
What he’s describing is a nuanced technique of using corner entry inputs like brake timing, steering angle, and throttle modulation to generate or shed tire heat, especially in the right front, which is crucial for turning grip and mid-corner stability. In the Next Gen era, where low-profile tires don’t flex and recover like the older ones, heat management is everything. If the car is tight, that is understeering. Kyle Larson knows how to manage weight transfers to the right front tire, perhaps by lifting early or altering steering pressure to free it up.
He goes on to say, “I gotta, like, drive in the corner bar and, like, turn the wheel and just build heat in the right front, or just to kind of adjust that balance. And vice versa—you know, if you’re tight, you gotta do things to kind of get it off the right front. So, I feel like you’re just more aware: your balance in this car and how you can, you know, manipulate it with the tire tension and wear and all that. I don’t really feel like it drives, like, weighted, like, when your balance is good versus when your car balance is good. I don’t feel like your driving file is way different. It just builds differently throughout the run, and you have to be on top of it.”
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – AUGUST 25: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on August 25, 2023 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Kyle Larson hasn’t just talked; he’s consistently walked the walk in recent sessions. On the Cup side, he landed the pole and fastest lap at Kansas, clocking a scorching 30.288 seconds during Sunday’s race, earning him both track dominance and a bonus point. He has 16 wins in the Next Gen era, at a time when veterans like Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski as struggling to contend for race wins. Talk about the 2025 season he’s leading the charts again. Three wins, most laps (815) led, and has scored the most number (23) of playoff points. The driver of the #5 Chevy sure knows how to maximize the output with this new machine.
Larson concluded by saying, “Yeah, I mean, I think this car really rewards, like, entry speed. I think you see that with a lot of the top drivers, and they’re confident enough to, like, drive past a certain point too. It’s a—it’s just a different race car, and it’s a different challenge. And I mean, you know, I think some guys adapted well to it—or, or I think we’ve all adapted well to it. Just taken some, you know, longer than others. But it’s a—it’s a fun car to drive, for sure.”
While Larson relies on feel and adaptability, the rest of the field is leaning on something else entirely: data. In a sport where margins are razor-thin, teams are turning to artificial intelligence to find every possible edge.
NASCAR turns to AI as margins tighten
Whether it’s the leveling effect of the next GEN car or the technological arms race between top teams, the Cup Series has reached a point where every fraction of a second counts. And with parity growing, finding that extra edge has become less about rope and more about smarter decisions. More importantly, decisions are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence.
From strategy modeling to race-day adjustments, teams across the garage are integrating AI into their operations. They’re not just using it to crunch lap data; they’re using it to analyze thousands of variables in real time. AI tools helped simulate pit calls, process post debris, and even parse radio chatter to assess communication efficiently.
As Hendrick Motorsports technical director Tom Gray put it. He goes on to say, “Information is speed in this game nowadays. He who can distill the information quicker and get to the decision quicker, ultimately, is going to have the race win. If you can control the race or make that decision that gets you in control of the race at the end, you’re going to be the one who wins.”
Just as large language modules in the tech world have advanced from answering basic questions to performing complex reasoning, NASCAR’s use of AI is evolving from simple analytics to real-time race management. In a field where talent like Kyle Larson can already feel what the car is doing instinctively, AI is now helping teams catch up, not by replacing the driver’s feel, but by amplifying it with precision.
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