“Best Equipment” – Former NASCAR Cup Champion Feels Kyle Larson Is the ‘Driver to Watch’ in 2021

Published 11/15/2020, 5:00 AM EST

In 2021, Kyle Larson is set to return to the fray. After he got reinstated, the Hendrick Motorsports team swooped in and recruited him for the #5 car. He wasn’t exactly Jimmie Johnson’s successor, as Alex Bowman took over the #48 car, but that’s a different story.

2021 will be a crucial year for Larson, as people will see how he adapts to the HMS car. He will also have to wonder about how the NASCAR community and the fans will receive him. According to former driver Dale Jarrett, Larson has done well to get back to the racing scene through the proper process and protocol.

Can Kyle Larson fill in the big shoes at Hendrick Motorsports?

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While the Chip Ganassi Racing car was nothing to scoff at, the Hendrick Motorsports car is arguably the best out there, feels Jarrett. What also works in his favor is the fact that the team enters the new season on the back of a championship win. Larson’s inclusion also makes the HMS team a fairly young lineup, though it is brimming with talent.

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“Not that he was not in good equipment before at Chip Ganassi Racing, but now he is in the best equipment,” Jarrett said.

Obviously, simply replacing a driver of Johnson’s caliber will be hugely difficult. However, with Larson on the team, he just adds to an already talented roster. Now, it includes Alex Bowman, William Byron, and reigning champion, Chase Elliott. All four of them are exceptional drivers and their careers will definitely take off from there.

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They all have bagged wins in the Cup Series so they are definitely capable of reaching victory lane. With Hendrick Motorsports providing the best machinery and four talented drivers in the stable, they will definitely be the ones to watch. Of course, Chase Elliott will lead the charge, but Kyle Larson will definitely be a dark horse in the coming season. In other words, he can try and pick up where Johnson left off.

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.