In the 2021 Cup Series season, all the teams were lagging behind Hendrick Motorsports for most of the season, who ended the year with the most wins and a championship title.
Just as the 2020 season, Hendrick Motorsports concluded another excellent season. But unlike 2020, not only they won the championship title but were also the most dominant team, especially with the 2021 champion Kyle Larson.
Kyle Busch still waiting for his turn in the Next Gen car test
However, HMS Vice President of Competition Chad Knaus is of the opinion that HMS might not see such level of dominance in the 2022 season. And this is mainly due to to the Next Gen car and HMS lack of participation in other tiers of NASCAR.
“It’s really been eye-opening. We have a very narrow focus for Hendrick Motorsports, we don’t mess with Xfinity. We don’t mess with trucks,” Knaus said.
“It has left us, in my mind, a little vulnerable going into the 2022 season with the (Next Gen) car because everybody else that we are racing against has some type of a tie to other racing. We don’t have that at HMS.”
After a year delay, NASCAR will introduce Next Gen car from the coming season. Every team will start afresh but with the Next Gen those teams who figure out how to best use the car will have an upper hand.