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KANSAS CITY, KANSAS – OCTOBER 18: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Credit One Bank Chevrolet, climbs into his car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
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KANSAS CITY, KANSAS – OCTOBER 18: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Credit One Bank Chevrolet, climbs into his car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Kyle Larson has been adjusting to life at a champion-caliber team like Hendrick Motorsports and has done well so far. But a fresh challenge awaits him as he prepares himself to take to the Daytona Road Course this weekend.
The No.5 has a decent record at road courses, winning 3 pole positions and 2 stages. But the only problem for him in winning one is that his teammate, Chase Elliott, has developed a special expertise for such tricky tracks.
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Regardless, it is a fresh start for all drivers when they take to Daytona, and Elliott still has to give it his all for the win. But speaking recently, Larson expressed his own desire to win on Sunday.
Hendrick Motorsports should be really good in the race, said Kyle Larson
The 28-year-old stated, “Yeah, I feel like I’ve always done okay on road courses. I’ve definitely qualified well, so I wish we had qualifying!”
After a pass through tech inspection, the @NationsGuard Chevy is making its way to the starting grid!👍
Be sure to catch @KyleLarsonRacin behind the wheel at the @DAYTONA Road Course at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. pic.twitter.com/3SrUNXlxx2
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) February 21, 2021
Larson’s last stint on a road course race was back in 2019 when he took to the Charlotte Roval. On that particular occasion, he finished 13th with Chip Ganassi Racing, having won Stage 1 of the race.
Larson continued, “But I think our cars here at Hendrick Motorsports should be really good in the race. Obviously, Chase has dominated road courses so, I hope to have similar speed to him and hopefully challenge for a win.”
The No.5 car looked extremely racy in the 2021 Daytona 500
Despite finishing only 10th, Larson ensured some important points for his new team, especially after both Bowman and Byron suffered damage to their cars. He kept himself in contention for a stage win but ultimately had to settle for a Top-10 finish.
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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 18: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Advent Health Chevrolet, celebrates winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Larson, naturally, knows that he has room to improve his record at road courses. But it will take a very determined effort to beat the likes of Elliott and Martin Truex Jr and to fight for a win.
So while another Top-10 finish will help build momentum for Larson, he knows that a race victory would indeed be something special.
Overall, it will be interesting to see how he gets on in this variant of the Daytona International Speedway in a few hours from now.
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