Kyle Larson needs just nine points to secure the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series championship, but Friday’s practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway showed the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team still has work to do.
Larson finished 10th fastest during the 50-minute session after making repeated contact with the outside wall while searching for speed.
The contact left noticeable damage along the right side of his Chevrolet, something Larson acknowledged after climbing out of the car.
“That’s probably pretty excessive,” Larson said of the damage.
Larson also admitted he struggled to find enough grip to comfortably run the high line, a racing groove he’s become known for using at Homestead.
Meanwhile, his closest championship competitors showed promising speed.
Denny Hamlin finished third fastest, followed by Christopher Bell in fourth. Chase Briscoe topped the session with a lap of 165.239 mph, while Ryan Blaney led the longer-run averages.
Larson enters Sunday’s finale with a 67-point advantage over Bell and a 70-point lead over Hamlin. With only nine points needed to clinch, his championship position remains strong.
But Friday’s practice raised an interesting question about how the No. 5 team approaches Sunday.
Larson has built much of his success around his ability to run inches from the outside wall, particularly at Homestead. Changing that approach could be just as challenging as continuing to push the limits.
He doesn’t need to win Sunday’s race to claim the championship. But finding a comfortable balance between speed and risk could make the difference in how smoothly he gets there.