### High Stakes at Homestead: Hendrick Motorsports in Strong Starting Positions for NASCAR Cup Series Race

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - The Homestead-Miami Speedway, with its unique 1.5-mile oval layout, offers multiple racing lines that could make passing a crucial element in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event. Saturday morning's qualifying session saw 38 cars vying for positions ahead of the main event, the second race of the Round of 8 in the playoff series.

Representing Hendrick Motorsports, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott secured notable starting positions in the top 10. Larson achieved an impressive lap time of 32.325 seconds, earning him a place on the front row in second position. Close behind, Chase Elliott will start the race in seventh place. Alex Bowman, narrowly missing the final round of qualifying, will begin in the 11th position, while William Byron will start from the 25th spot.

Both Larson and Byron boast previous victories at Homestead and hold solid points standings with only two races left before the Championship 4. Larson's record at Homestead is particularly noteworthy; he has led the most laps in four of the last eight races at this venue, accumulating a total of 625 laps led—the highest among active drivers. Byron arrives at the race on a streak of four consecutive top-four finishes. Larson stands 35 points above the playoff cutline, while Byron holds a 27-point advantage.

Chase Elliott faces a high-stakes weekend, needing either a victory to secure advancement to the Championship 4 or a strong performance to close the 53-point gap he needs to overcome. With a career average finish of 10.4 at Homestead-Miami, the second best among active drivers, Elliott is poised for a competitive showing. Additionally, Alex Bowman aims to build on his recent performances at Homestead, which include two top-10 finishes in his last four races at the track.

The lineup for Sunday's race highlights the competitive spirit and high hopes of the Hendrick Motorsports drivers as they prepare to take on the challenging Homestead-Miami Speedway.