Kyle Larson is finding his rhythm at Naval Base Coronado

Don't ever count out Kyle Larson. A third-place finish this Sunday at Naval Base Coronado has the defending champion back in the top five of the NASCAR Cup Series points standings, a position he has not held since May. Even with a 41-race winless streak hanging over him, Larson is clearly starting to pounce again, leading 11 of 75 laps on the San Diego street course and maintaining a 6.45 average running position.

While Tyler Reddick holds a 180-point lead in the standings, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team is finding its confidence. Crew chief Cliff Daniels credits a resilient process that helped the team secure a championship last season, noting that the team is finally settling in with the new Chevrolet body. Even as Toyota-powered cars from Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing have dominated with 11 wins this year, the No. 5 camp is staying locked in.

Larson admits the race was a tough battle against the pace of the 23XI cars, but he walked away from the historic event on the military base feeling optimistic about his trajectory. As he put it, "We’re definitely finding momentum, and our race cars are getting better."