Kyle Larson surges to second in NASCAR postseason Chase heading to Bristol track he's dominated

MADISON, Ill. (AP) — Even as his winless drought stretched on for more than a year and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chevrolets lagged behind his competitors’ Toyotas, Kyle Larson never lost faith in his abilities or trust in his team.

After a timely win in NASCAR’s Chase, Larson is only nine points behind postseason leader Denny Hamlin and within striking distance of a second straight Cup Series title.

Larson vaulted from seventh in the Chase standings to second with his win Sunday in the Enjoy Illinois 300 outside St. Louis, snapping a string of 51 consecutive races without a victory. It was the longest such stretch for Larson since he joined the powerful Hendrick garage in 2021.

“I can see how on paper or in media’s eyes, or maybe even some competitors’ eyes, that you could doubt us, and I think that’d be reasonable,” said Larson, shrugging off the notion that he could be seen as an underdog during his season of struggles. "You know, we hadn’t won in 51 races, and yeah, we were kind of just mid throughout the season, and not starting as high as we want to be in the Chase.

“So I could see that, but I don’t really view myself as that, and I don’t really feel like, ‘Oh, I’ve got ... I’m going to prove them wrong’ either.”

Larson was encouraged by a competitive showing in the playoff-opening Southern 500, leading a race-high 99 laps before settling for fifth place. He and crew chief Cliff Daniels thought Joey Logano had a better car Sunday at Gateway, but Larson was able to pull off the win by passing Logano on a late restart in regulation and holding him off in overtime.

Despite it being just his first win of the season, compared to four for Hamlin, Larson is in great position heading into the Saturday night race at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he has been particularly strong.

Larson led 284 laps in this year's spring race before finishing third, and even that was a step back from his recent Bristol dominance. He led 462 of 500 in a triumphant 2024 night race and followed that up by leading 411 in his 2025 spring victory.

“We’re just trying to do the best job we can and try to score as many points as we can,” Larson said. “And, I mean, I would love to be nine points ahead (rather) than nine points behind right now. But you know, it’s been a good start to our Chase.”

And a complete 180 from how the season started. Daniels confessed that the Hendrick teams underestimated their gap to the Toyotas, which won five of the first six races, then flailed by trying to do too much in their setups at early races, including Darlington and Phoenix.

“We have learned through those mistakes that we can’t just go overreach on everything every week,” Daniels said. “Like, everything can’t be in question every week. There’s some things that have to be your solid foundation point.”

Jeff Gordon, a four-time Cup Series champion and the current Hendrick vice chairman, credited Larson and his team for continuing to work hard without getting deterred by mistakes or strategic decisions that didn't pan out.

“The thing that gets you down the most, especially when you’ve had success, is not having fast race cars, not having cars capable of of running up front,” Gordon said, relating to his own career. "And I think if anything has probably challenged those guys the most, it’s that.”

Larson, a superstar who dabbled with running in the Indianapolis 500 in past years, said his confidence never wavered despite failing to win a race since May 2025 at Kansas. Plus, despite not winning a race in last year's playoffs, Larson still was consistently strong enough to win the 2025 title.

“I’ve had more fun this year than a lot of years, and we hadn’t won till this point, so I don’t mind the struggle," Larson said, noting the winless stretch never felt that long to him. "I’m not scared of it.”

Now that the results are starting to come, Larson was asked if he's “back.” He quickly dismissed any comparisons to 2021, when he won the championship, or 2023, when he won four times and finished second in the playoffs.

“But we’ve been definitely building to get back to Victory Lane," Larson said. "I don’t know if we’re quite yet where we can go dominate like we have in the past, but you know, a day like (Sunday) definitely gives you confidence leading into a track where we know we can go dominate.”

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Kyle Larson celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Madison, Ill. (AP Photo/Connor Hamilton)

Kyle Larson drives during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Madison, Ill. (AP Photo/Connor Hamilton)

Cliff Daniels, the crew chief of Kyle Larson, looks on during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Madison, Ill. (AP Photo/Connor Hamilton)

Kyle Larson celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Madison, Ill. (AP Photo/Connor Hamilton)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida State fired athletics director Michael Alford on Monday morning, school president Dr. Richard McCullough announced.

Alford had been Florida State’s athletics director since January 2022 after he was hired in the fall of 2020 to be the president of Seminole Boosters, Inc.

“Michael Alford has served the University and our student-athletes with dedication, and we thank him for his contributions to our athletics programs,” McCullough said in a statement.

The dismissal was without cause, McCullough said. It’s not clear how much Alford is owed by Florida State on a four-year deal that was announced in August 2024.

McCullough, speaking later Monday, said the decision to fire Alford was necessary to compete in a college sports landscape that “is changing incredibly rapidly.”

“This is a first step in working toward doing everything that we can to build revenue and take a look at the kind of administration that we need moving forward,” McCullough said. “We’re going through a time where the investments that we’re making in college football is rapidly increasing.

“People often say that we have a spending problem. But the spending problem is essentially a reality. The reality is that’s what it takes to be competitive at the highest level.”

McCullough appointed Bruce Warwick, currently senior associate athletics director, to serve as interim athletics director. There will be a national search for Alford’s replacement.

“It is important that we remain dedicated to providing continuity and support to our student-athletes, coaches and staff, who remain our top priority,” Warwick said in a statement.

Alford posted a statement on X saying he was proud of what he achieved at Florida State.

“We have won championships, developed outstanding young men and women and watched them earn their college degrees, built or enhanced facilities and always acted in the best interests of our student-athletes and our institution,” Alford wrote. “I believe there is a strong foundation in place for FSU Athletics and I am confident that the momentum will continue.”

The decision comes as football coach Mike Norvell is on the hot seat after two losing seasons and a lackluster 1-1 start. Florida State is a 20.5-point underdog at No. 10 Alabama on Saturday. If Norvell is replaced in the coming weeks or months, the hire will be made by a new athletics director as well as McCullough and Board of Trustees chairman Peter Collins.

McCullough has been Florida State’s president for five years. While often championing the Seminoles’ athletes at various events, he rarely holds news conferences. He was asked on Monday about Norvell, who is 39-35 in his seventh season at Florida State.

“I love Mike Norvell. He’s a great human being,” McCullough said. “I love what he does with our student-athletes. Our grades have never been better under his leadership. I love how he takes our student-athletes and helps them to be the best version of themselves. I love how he makes them competitive and we love all of that.

“And I have to tell you, nobody wants to win more than Mike Norvell. Except for maybe the players, me, chairman Collins. We want to win. Of course we want to win. College coaches are in the winning business. That’s what we’re working on.”

In his time at Florida State, Alford made significant head coach hires — men’s basketball’s Luke Loucks, baseball’s Link Jarrett, soccer’s Brian Pensky, women’s basketball’s Brooke Wyckoff and lacrosse’s Sara Tisdale. FSU launched a women’s lacrosse program in spring 2025.

Florida State also won a pair of soccer titles under Pensky’s leadership, including in December 2025.

Alford’s era at Florida State signaled massive facility projects for football, at a price tag of more than $400 million. Construction crews transformed the west side of Doak Campbell Stadium, and the football only facility that broke ground in December 2022 opened up in October 2025.

But Alford’s decision to take on the debt, do a football re-seat of Doak and drive ticket prices higher in sections of the stadium drew the ire of thousands of longtime Florida State fans.

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FILE - Florida State athletics director Michael Alford watches from the sideline before an NCAA college football game against Duke, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)