Could Rick Hendrick Fulfill the Dreams of His Two Prized Pupils?

The Rolex 24 at Daytona is all set to kick-start in just a few hours. While the field is stacked with big-name drivers, Rick Hendrick’s drivers seem to be missing from the action after multiple participations in the past. Hendrick Motorsports’ Cup Series champions Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott will not participate in the race in 2025. But why is that such a big highlight? Because they have given some memorable performances over the last few years. Let’s take a look back at Larson and Elliot’s runs in 2015 and 2021, respectively.

In 2014, Larson faced challenges during his first attempt at the race co-driving with IndyCar legend Scott Dixon, Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, and sports car veteran Marino Franchitti. The team couldn’t finish the race and ended up 14th overall. Despite some success behind the wheel, Larson wasn’t comfortable in the car. However, things took a positive turn just a year later when Larson reunited with Dixon, Kanaan, and fellow NASCAR Cup Series driver Jamie McMurray. 

Kyle Larson’s run at the 2015 Rolex 24

In 2015, the result was much more satisfying. The team was already very competitive from the beginning, and of course, Larson’s quick laps were what kept the team four seconds of the lead at halfway. Although there were mistakes made, which did indeed delay the progress, his stint in the morning kept the team in the race by cutting six seconds from lead entry. The reins were then handed over to Dixon.

It was a dramatic finish indeed, which involved multiple stoppages. In a frantic seven-and-a-half minute back and forth, Dixon completed 740 laps and brought the car home with his final stint. He successfully defeated the exceptional trio of Joao Barbosa, Sebastian Bourdais, and Christian Fittipaldi by a mere 1.33 seconds. “After last year I didn’t want to do this race,” Larson told FOXSports.com. “It was my least favorite race in the world. Now I can’t wait to get back next year.” But it all depends only on Rick Hendrick, the owner of HMS. It will be upon his statement that Larson’s fate of racing will be decided.

Kyle Larson is just coming off a hectic turn of the year, taking part in a High Limit Race in Australia, then flying to Oklahoma for the Tulsa Shootout and the Chili Bowl Nationals where he picked up multiple Golden Drillers. It’s no surprise why he didn’t take part this year, as Rick Hendrick probably wants him to shift his focus back to the Cup Series where HMS has failed to win a championship for three years running.

Meanwhile, his mate Chase Elliott has been more focused on the grassroots racing scene at the SpeedFest Super Late Model race in 2025. However, his debut Rolex 24 run was quite a memorable one too, as he expressed the desire to return even before the race, but has not returned since.