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.

MADISON, Ill. -- "Is Kyle Larson back?" "Is he the championship frontrunner?" Surely, those are the first questions that come to mind when a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion caps a 51-race winless streak with a victory in the early portion of the 2026 Chase presented by Mobil 1.

Kyle Larson has spent much of his life around race cars. So has the woman who has been beside him for more than a decade.Larson is married to Katelyn Sweet, whose connection to motorsports goes well beyond being the wife of a NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Kyle Larson hasn't graced Victory Lane in 2026, but he's still enjoying the journey despite his lengthy winless streak.

Stage 1 recap Joey Logano won a chaotic Stage 1 of the NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), leading all 45 laps.

Kyle Larson needed a win. Instead, he got one of the wildest victories of his career. Larson survived a chaotic Gateway race Sunday to win the Enjoy Illinois 300. He beat Alex Bowman in overtime for a Hendrick Motorsports 1-2 finish.

MADISON, Ill. - For the first time this season, Kyle Larson parked his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet in victory lane. And at this moment, it could not have come at a more important time in the season.