Dale Earnhardt Jr. Expects Rick Hendrick to Stop the Bleeding After Shocking Darlington Showing

Heading into the opening playoff race at Darlington, Rick Hendrick’s drivers looked ready for a strong showing. Kyle Larson held the top spot with a 26-point cushion, William Byron sat second with the slimmest buffer ever for a top seed under the current format, Chase Elliott lined up seventh in the standings, and Alex Bowman trailed outside the cut line.

But once the Southern 500 unfolded, the powerhouse team fell flat. Elliott salvaged the best finish among the HMS four with 17th. Larson slipped from a fifth-place start to 19th, Byron crossed in 21st, and Bowman brought up the rear in 31st.

The disappointing night reshuffled the standings. Larson dropped to third with a 38-point margin, Byron slid to sixth with 25 points, Elliott fell to 11th, and Bowman remained below the cut line.

Still, Dale Earnhardt Jr. expects Rick Hendrick’s presence to steady the ship and spark a rebound at Gateway and Bristol. He said, “I don’t expect to see that to happen next week. You know why?

“Rick Hendrick has a unique ability to call everybody in on the carpet and ask for things to get better, and they always get better.”

Having seen Hendrick’s leadership up close, Dale Jr. explained that the organization thrives on an expectation to win. Monday meetings after poor outings are tense, with Hendrick controlling the room from start to finish.

Mr. H challenges every department, from the engine shop to the drivers, armed with facts to back his words. His message forces everyone to dig deeper, and it motivates the drivers to ensure they are not the weak link when the next race rolls around.

And according to the NASCAR icon, Hendrick would have his information; he has his facts, he’ll be able to back it up. And he just has a way of making everybody go grab a little bit more gear, go dig a little bit harder.

Rick Hendrick will say what he has to say. And it’ll influence the drivers who want to go out there and ensure that they are not the weak link, and not the reason why the team doesn’t succeed in the next race.