Kyle Larson trying to shake off sophomore slump

Kyle Larson’s sophomore season wasn’t supposed to be a struggle, not after a sterling rookie year that included five finishes of third or better and six top-10s over the final 10 races.

That strong end to 2014 heightened expectations, with team owner Chip Ganassi even going as far to say he would consider this season a disappointment if Larson failed to win a race and earn a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

But the breakthrough many expected hasn’t yet occurred. And with 10 races remaining before the playoffs begin, Larson is still pursuing that first career victory while his average finish (18.2) has jumped four positions from last season.

Larson’s middling start to has led to some honest and frank discussions with Ganassi, who’s never been shy about voicing his displeasure if he feels a driver is under-performing.

“He’ll call me every night after the race and we’ll go over the race really quickly because that’s kind of how all of his phone calls are,” Larson said Friday at Daytona International Speedway. “Most of the time, we both look at the positives of the race. There have been a couple of times this year where he’s gotten down on me, but that helps motivate me. So, I like that part of that, too.

“He understands auto racing and what goes on through a race to get you up or down or whatever. I love running for Chip.”

Larson credits Ganassi for not putting any extra pressure on him and remaining generally positive. And it’s not as if there isn’t plenty of time for a turnaround.

One change that may help Larson rebound is NASCAR introducing a new aerodynamic rules package for next week’s race at Kentucky Speedway. Like many drivers who come from sprint car racing, the 22-year-old prefers high horsepower cars with little downforce that puts a premium on the skill level of the person behind the wheel.

NASCAR reduced horsepower prior to the season, which -- along with other aerodynamic changes -- made it harder for drivers to pass. Not only because they had to throttle less through the corners, but the cars also became more sensitive to being in dirty air.

The Kentucky-exclusive package will see the spoiler height trimmed from 6 inches to 3.5 inches and the front splitter overhang by 1.75 inches. If the July 11 race goes well, there is a good chance a similar package could be utilized elsewhere.

“I know a lot of people in the shop are like, ‘Oh, you’ll probably like it a lot with less downforce and all that,’” Larson said. “But it seems like in stock cars, whenever I’m loose, I’m slow. And I imagine we’ll probably be pretty loose next week. I’m not sure. But I’m just guessing. Hopefully it will be good.”

Because of where he’s at in the driver standings, if Larson is to make the Chase he’ll have to do so via reaching victory lane and not his points ranking. Ryan Newman currently holds the 16th and final Chase spot, 45 points -- nearly a full race -- clear of Larson.

“The way our season has been going, there’s a chance we could point our way into the Chase, but I highly doubt that,” Larson said. “So we need to go for a win.”

But that first victory may have to wait until after Daytona, a restrictor-plate track where cars run in large packs and drivers are susceptible to getting swept into large wrecks through no fault of their own. In three races at the 2.5-oval, Larson has never finished better than 34th.

“It’s definitely not my best track,” Larson said. “I get caught-up in a wreck it seems like every time. I’ve just got to be smart and try and finish the race. If we get a win, that would be great, too.”