“Maybe I’d Be at a Different Team”- Kyle Larson Considers His 2020 Controversy as Catalyst for Landing the Hendrick Motorsports Seat

Kyle Larson is really a miracle child for Hendrick Motorsports. The driver was a risk taken by Rick Hendrick, which paid off by getting a championship in the first year. But Larson believes it couldn’t have happened without HMS.

In fact, the 2021 Cup Series Champion credits his success to Hendrick Motorsports.

After a disrespectful message to the African-American community in 2020, Larson was banned from Chip against Racing indefinitely. On top of that, they also banned him from NASCAR until he completes his sensitivity training. But the world got a massive shock when Hendrick Motorsports revealed he got a multi-year deal for the #5 car.

He said, “2020 will be a year that I’ll never forget for many reasons. But then, yeah, led into 2021 and getting a race for Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon. As you mentioned, who I grew up idolizing so and then winning the Championship later on that year. So pretty crazy.” 

“Doesn’t even seem real a lot of times, like howit’s all happened and how fast it’s happened. And, you know, just you when anything bad happened to you in life, I think you can at least now I can always.” 

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Kyle Larson owes his success to Hendrick Motorsports

Fascinatingly, the 2021 Champ doesn’t regret his actions. He said, “I believe that everything happens for reasons.” He has a moral reason for it, though. Because he believes he wouldn’t even be at Hendrick Motorsports if he didn’t say what he said. 

“If it didn’t happen. What I said. When I said was in 2020, if I didn’t, if that didn’t happen, like I don’t know if I’d be at Hendrick Motorsports today. You know, maybe I’d be a gas. Maybe I’d be at a different team”

Of course, he’s grateful for how things turned out for him. He added, “And now I’m a NASCAR Cup Series champion and a better person because of all of it. So. Yeah. Pretty wild for sure.” 

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So, do you think Larson’s success is entirely on Hendrick Motorsports? Or maybe there’s a big role in his ability as a driver too?