Only a few people expected Hendrick Motorsports to be in the situation they were this season. Their buildup to the playoffs sparked sort of mixed feelings in the fanbase. While the failure of Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman to land a playoff spot has blemished their campaign, the rest of their drivers have been the cream of the crop. Rick Hendrick will show faith in his trusted duo of Kyle Larson and William Byron to land the organization a 15th title in the top-ranked stock car competition.
Larson specifically in the #5 has had a roller coaster season. Some people did voice their doubts over the ability of Larson to lead the line, being a former champion and one of the fastest cars in the grid. However, ‘Yung Money’ did what he did best, which was to shut his critics down with his performance at Darlington.
Kyle Larson exuberant after the best possible start to the playoffs
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Winning at Darlington was something every qualified driver had in sight. Even the usually calmer and more composed drivers like Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski showed a different urge on the track. For Kyle Larson, the win was all about getting the momentum back with the $5 Chevrolet Camaro.
The mid-season has been the most successful phase for Larson this year. One of the few drivers with multiple wins this season, Larson displayed his talent on the asphalt with dominant wins, where the most notable one would be him lapping the field at the North Wilkesboro All-Star Race. However, he had failed to find a win ever since the Cup race at Martinsville. The wait ended just as the playoffs started and Larson got back to his usual best.
Speaking to popular journalist Bob Pockrass, he reveals his emotions after the hard-fought win saying, “For me, honestly, it’s good to get the win.”
Kyle Larson snapped a 17-race winless streak with the win at Darlington so he explains why just winning was as big a deal as advancing to the Round of 12. pic.twitter.com/yzUlEtIqW7
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 4, 2023
One thing where the #5 team has failed this season is to see out the race in terms of finishes. Finishing in the upper ranks of the results has been within the reach of the team, yet just like Daytona, they have succumbed to external factors that ruined his races.
“Hopefully, we can build on this and put together some solid weeks. You know, back-to-back-to-back, it’s been a long time since we put together a few good weeks in a row. A good opportunity just gains momentum and it helps start at Darlington with a win.” said Larson.
As the conversation goes on Larson adds more about what has gone into the win behind the scenes.
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Earlier, Larson stated that one of the major reasons he was unable to find a win at Darlington was due to a bad dynamic with the walls. At the race, he perfectly used the bounce off the walls in his favor to fend off competition from Tyler Reddick. As they say, tough situations bring out the best of men, stood true for Larson on Sunday as he capitalized on the openings and played the race out to his strengths.
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“Yeah, it’s not been the most stress-free year for us in this #5 team, but we have been through a lot.” continues Kyle Larson.
Rick Hendrick and the decision-makers at HMS have been supportive of Larson as well, whose rut of poor form late in the season sparked some doubts. Crediting his team for the same, he adds,
“We have overcome a lot, and I think we are battle-tested and ready for whatever the next 9 weeks throw at us. Just proud of everybody for staying confident in me and the team throughout the hard stuff for the last couple of months. We still need to come and execute next week, so it was a good night all around.”
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To kick off the most crucial two months in a driver’s season with a win undoubtedly be a massive boost to their chances of making it further in the series. With extremely talented support in William Byron ready to join the fray, good things might be on the way for Hendrick Motorsports.
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