Kyle Larson Set to Honor NASCAR Legend as Hendrick Motorsports Unveils the Livery for Darlington

The NASCAR throwback weekend is a fan favorite, and this year it’s extra special for the folks at Hendrick Motorsports. In recognition of their 40th anniversary of Cup series competition, the team is paying tribute to Terry Labonte, a legend and two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion. 

And the honor is being bestowed by none other than HMS’ star racer Kyle Larson, who decided to surprise Labonte as he unveiled the iconic paint scheme.

Larson surprised Terry Labonte live on air  

Terry Labonte, who won the Cup Series piloting the iconic “Kellogg corn flakes” paint scheme with HMS, will now see Kyle Larson honoring him by running his iconic paint scheme at Darlington Raceway in the annual retro race in South Carolina. And what better way to start a celebration than a surprise?

Kyle Larson had a plan in action to unveil the livery for Darlington to the legend. He surprised Labonte live on air, and the veteran, who was unaware of what was cooking behind the scenes, was lo-and-behold, completely awestruck.

Larson, while unveiling the car to the two-time Southern 500 victor, expressed how this has been in the works ever since he came to the team. He said, “This is something we have been working on for really a few years ever since I got to Hendrik. I’m sure you probably know what might be under here.” To this Labonte replied, “Oh wow! No, I didn’t.” But once the Hall of Famer set his eyes on the livery, he couldn’t help but say, “Don’t worry about it, just put it in Victory line for me.” 

While Larson might not have bagged the title of being a two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion, he sure is on his way there. Now, with a championship winning paint scheme seemingly bringing in good fortune for the HMS racer, will he be able to bag his second win of the season?

Will Kyle Larson put the car in the victory lane in Darlington? 

Kyle Larson is having a standout season in the Cup Series. The HMS Star is doing everything possible to be in the best form possible. From excellent performance in qualifying to reaching three consecutive poles, Larson is a force to be reckoned with. 

Currently, the No.5 star is on top of the Cup table with five-stage wins and one race victory. He also managed to finish top 10 in all the other eight races, with four top 5 finishes among them. 

And even Larson’s opponents seem to know how much of a threat he can actually be. Denny Hamlin, recently, was all praises for the HMS racer after his blistering performance in qualifying as he said, “Yeah, and on three different tracks, right? I mean, he’s doing it on different tracks for sure, and it’s such an advantage to do that. So, man, it’s hard to do. It’s hard to win one pole, much less three in a row. But when you can do it, you put yourself on a great spot for your guys on pit road. You usually end up with a first-stage win. Usually whoever wins the pole, wins the first stage, cuz the passing is so difficult. As we saw Texas, early in the race, so yeah, it’s a real positive thing for sure.

Given the current performance, the possibility of Kyle Larson standing tall on what Labonte asked him to do isn’t bleak. We can expect him to ace another Darlington Raceway win during the Goodyear 400. But enough from us! Do you think Kyle Larson has it in himself to ace the South Carolina-based track this year? Let us know your predictions in the comments below!