CONCORD, N.C. –- Kyle Larson has driven himself to victory lane in just his fourth start with Hendrick Motorsports, claiming the record for the fastest win of any driver in team history.
A lifelong fan of his current team, Larson has always admired the strength of Hendrick Motorsports from the time he was young. Larson’s background in dirt track racing and ties to California fostered a fandom for Jeff Gordon.
“Jeff Gordon was my favorite NASCAR driver for a long time because of his dirt racing background and being from northern California, even though he claims Indiana still,” Larson said. “Jeff was always my guy.”
Signing with Hendrick Motorsports in October 2020, Larson grabbed the steering wheel of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE and gained more traction on his already impressive career. Earning rookie of the year honors in 2014, Larson secured his seventh win Sunday in Las Vegas. The 28-year-old driver also has 58 top-five finishes and 104 top-10s to his name.
“It was really cool that Mr. H wanted to hire me, I thought that was awesome,” Larson said. “He’s somebody that I have looked up to for a long time. I was always a huge fan of Jeff Gordon, so to have the two of them be interested in hiring me was great.”
When Larson signed with the organization, the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was brought back, and with it came other drivers who inspired Larson in the past. The last driver to race in the No. 5 was Kasey Kahne from 2012 through the 2017 season. He brought the No. 5 to victory lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July 2017, marking the last time Hendrick Motorsports’ flagship car won a race.
“As I moved up, Kasey Kahne became a close friend of ours. Kaitlyn’s brother races sprint cars for Kasey. For him to be at Hendrick was really cool and now to be driving the No. 5 car, you know the last guy to drive the five was Kasey.”
With the recent win by Larson, his name is added to a list of greats who have won for Hendrick Motorsports, including Geoff Bodine, Terry Labonte, Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson.
“There is so much history and legacy with Hendrick Motorsports. To be able to say I have raced for Rick Hendrick is cool,” Larson said. “To go out there and now have won with him and what they have built is very special.”
Larson and the rest of the No. 5 crew will continue to try and build on the legacy established by the greats that preceded them. For Larson, that falls back on working hard for Hendrick.
“Hearing how much of a fan Rick Hendrick was of me, I didn’t really know that,” Larson said. “Just hearing him talk about his excitement for me coming to the organization and what I could bring to the organization, it made me feel really special.”