“Everything’s on the Table” – Hendrick Motorsports Championship Hope Gets Honest About His Plans for 2024

Hendrick Motorsports has been one of the most successful teams in the history of NASCAR. Over the years, they have produced several Cup winners and legends, and over the years, a lot of these drivers have not shied away from trying their hand at other types of motorsports. HMS has someone like that in their ranks this time around as well, and he is also perhaps their best chance of winning the Cup Series in 2023.

Despite having some of the best drivers in the sport, the 2023 season has not been a very satisfying one for Rick Hendrick. A perennial winner, he expects every single one of his drivers to make it into the playoffs, but only two of the four made it this year. Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman were not in form throughout the regular season and were eliminated. However, HMS still has a very good chance of winning the title.

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Hendrick Motorsports might not have had an exceptional regular season, but their playoffs started in the best way possible, as one of their drivers won the first race in Darlington and the other finished in fourth. In the second playoff race of the season in Kansas, the two HMS men finished fourth and 15th, respectively.

Going into Bristol, one of the two Hendrick Motorsports drivers has booked his place in the next round of the playoffs, while the other is likely to do it on Saturday. William Byron had a good qualifying session, as he was the third-fastest driver on the grid. Byron has not won a race in the playoffs so far, but he will be confident of making it comfortably into the next round.

However, it wasn’t the best day for Kyle Larson in qualifying. The #5 HMS man will start from the back of the grid as he got loose during his first qualifying lap and didn’t have the pace to improve on his second lap. But he will not be worried, as his win in Darlington has confirmed his place in the round of 12.

The #5 driver will not just be a part of the NASCAR Cup Series next year. Earlier this season, it was announced that Hendrick Motorsports and IndyCar team Arrow McLaren have made a collaborative effort that will see Larson race at the iconic Indianapolis circuit in an IndyCar for the papaya team.

Larson, who has never said no to different forms of racing, will be involved in perhaps the most iconic open-wheel race in the world. That particular weekend will be packed for the 2021 Cup Series champion, who will be in action in the Cup Series race at Indianapolis at the same time as well.

But is there a possibility that Kyle Larson will explore open-wheel racing with more intent in the future? In a pre-race interview at Bristol, the #5 driver was asked this exact question, and he didn’t exactly rule out the possibility.

“I mean, I think everything is on the table. You’re trying to make sure you can make good decisions on anything that we do,” the #5 driver said.

Although he will start in last place at Bristol, one needs to keep an eye on Kyle Larson. He was the fastest in practice, and the track has been kind to the #5 driver over the years. But what makes him such a good driver at Bristol?

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Well, it turns out that Larson is quite good at short tracks. Since his debut season in 2014, the HMS man has been pretty consistent at Bristol. He has raced at the track 14 times, won once, finished in the top five four times, and in the top 10 nine times. Last season, he finished fifth. The only season when he won at Bristol was the season that saw him win the Cup Series.

Larson’s driving style is suited to tracks that have a good amount of banking, and Bristol certainly fits the bill. The short track is only half a mile long, and its banking ranges from 24 to 30 degrees. This will be an advantage for Larson, who often uses the track’s tilt to gain momentum and drive away from those behind him or overtake those ahead of him.

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He might not win the race as he is starting last, but one can be certain that HMS Man will pull off a number of gutsy overtaking maneuvers that will be a treat for fans to watch.

Who knows, given his form, he might even shock everyone and win at Bristol from the back of the pack. Where do you think Kyle Larson will finish at Bristol?