Kyle Larson had won the 2021 Coca-Cola 600 for the very first time, along with this being his first time winning a race that extends more than 400 miles. However, it is just hilarious to think that what accounted for one of the most historic victories for Hendrick Motorsports started with an idea that the race might not end up being favorable. 

Just a week before Yung Money or Kyle Larson etched onto this victory, his teammate Chase Elliott had accounted for another win at the No. 268 Circuit of The Americas. Now that Hendrick Motorsports has shared about their 40 best victories of all time, crew chief Daniels has also become quite reflective of what his thoughts were. 

Larson’s victory was an iconic moment for Hendrick Motorsports 

Despite the positive results, Larson’s crew chief had his doubts. Daniels revealed, “The rules we had then and the trim levels of the car, some being a high drag, high downforce and some of them being low drag, low downforce … we wanted to put downforce into our car for the 600 that year and I was so convinced that we weren’t going to qualify very good and then we weren’t going to have a good pit stall”. 

In the session itself, Larson had the best 10-lap average and he had also accounted for the third-best individual lap. This was indeed a big deal. It was a dominant performance, reminiscent of Kyle Larson’s recent triumphs, including his commanding win at Bristol last fall. At Bristol this year, he was able to lead 462 of the 500 laps. Back in the 2021 Coca-Cola 600, Larson delivered another masterclass by leading 327 of 400 laps. 

The practice, however, had not lived up to Daniel’s expectations. He added, “So, I was pretty upset after practice, knowing we had a really fast car in race trim and I was just really anxious. I had a lot of anxiety going into qualifying that day that we weren’t going to have a good qualifying result. Sure enough, it was a really hot, slick day for qualifying, so having downforce in your car did matter and we qualified on the pole”. 

What Daniels spoke about was the massive difference that comes with a road course like Charlotte. Picking a setup that has the balance between a lot of pace for a single lap and consistent pace over the long run. It showed in the practice sessions. Larson was 0.021 seconds slower than the leader Austin Dillon in practice. Come qualifying however, things were much better, with Larson snatching pole and Dillon nowhere in sight. Eventually, this helped him sweep across all four stages, and earned a perfect 70 points along with eight crucial playoff points. He crossed the finish line, a staggering 10.051 seconds ahead of Chase Elliott, leaving no doubt about his supremacy.

Despite early concerns from his crew chief, Kyle Larson‘s ability to adapt and dominate under pressure solidified his place as a standout performer for Hendrick Motorsports. His victory not only silenced doubts but also marked the beginning of an extraordinary streak, further cementing his reputation as one of the sport’s most formidable talents.

Kyle Larson credits the contribution of Team Hendrick

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Larson has been extended an opportunity to participate in the Memorial Day Double for 202h5 by none other than Hendrick Motorsports. In May, Kyle Larson’s attempt at the historic Indy 500-Coke 600 double fell short due to a rain delay at Indianapolis, preventing him from reaching Charlotte in time. 

However, the Hendrick Motorsports star will get another shot in 2025, teaming up with Arrow McLaren’s No. 17 and competing in both races on the same day. Given the opportunity that has been put forth for him, Larson said, “I think we all kind of agreed that, you know, we need to try it again and thankfully Rick Hendrick was on board. I mean, he’s the guy, you know, paying for it all.[…] I have his support and his backing to go, you know, live out a dream and hopefully bring two good results and also bring Hendrickcars.com a lot of eyes to their business. So yeah, I’m very grateful for it and hopefully, this year will go better than this past one did”. 

Rick Hendrick had been a strong support for Kyle Larson through his journey and as a team, they have supported him throughout. Speaking of their expectations for him, the Hendrick team said, “Kyle had a great month of May and showed what a gifted race car driver he is. From a sponsorship perspective, we saw an incredible lift for HendrickCars.com and measured a three-to-one return on our investment. It was a monumental effort by all involved, but we didn’t have the opportunity to see it through (because of inclement weather). Everyone learned a great deal that we’ll take into next year”.