Rick Hendrick Puts “Age Old Debate” to Bed With Kyle Larson en Route to His Historic Double Duty

Kevin Harvick‘s time behind the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro as Kyle Larson‘s stand-in has led to many revelations. The Cup Series veteran highlighted how Rick Hendrick’s side has the ideal team structure, something Stewart-Haas Racing does not have.

But apart from throwing shade at Tony Stewart with his observations, the Harvick’s Happy Hour host also witnessed an ‘interesting dynamic’ between Larson and NASCAR’s winningest organization. Contrary to many team owners, Rick Hendrick shows no signs of envy of his driver’s success in other racing categories, even if it may cost them some points.

Kyle Larson’s adaptability is key to his freedom at Hendrick Motorsports

From his Sprint Car shenanigans to his Indy 500 run this weekend, Kyle Larson is one of NASCAR’s most versatile drivers. As an inspiration for future stars such as Connor Zilisch, the #5 Hendrick Motorsports driver seems to succeed in every endeavor. However, instances like the All-Star Race, where Larson had to miss out on qualifying and practice owing to his Indy 500 commitments, might not have gone down well had it been for other team owners.

That being said, Kevin Harvick revealed how the #5 team, along with crew chief Cliff Daniels, have learned to work around Kyle Larson’s busy schedule. The former SHR and RCR veteran shared; “Here’s an interesting dynamic I figured out as I did this whole process with Cliff. He’s as bought in as Kyle is and understands that ‘Hey, he might be coming from driving a Sprint car, he might be coming from driving an Indy car’. Nobody there wants him to not do that.”

According to Harvick, every member of Hendrick Motorsports respects the #5 driver’s multi-disciplinary success. This is why many of them ‘bought‘ into the idea that ‘Kyle Larson just needs to be Kyle Larson‘. After all, Larson was capable of running in an open-wheel racer one day and still put his Camaro ZL1 in a solid spot on another. Just take the All-Star Race for example. Despite being sent to the back of the grid owing to his absence in qualifying, Kyle Larson was able to bring home a top-five finish.

Harvick’s co-host, Kaitlyn Vincie, also chimed in to highlight how Larson’s adaptability allowed him to gain the team’s trust. She stated, “There’s an age-old debate about racing these other disciplines, and some team owners have strong feelings about that. They want them focused solely on the Cup Side. But we’ve obviously seen that evolve for him. Now he’ll be one of the five drivers to do the double, which is going to be really interesting to see this unfold.”

With Kyle Larson proving he can put in stellar results on short notice, Hendrick Motorsports seems to have unwavering faith in him ahead of The Double. That being said, Harvick also highlighted how the HMS crew played their part in giving Larson everything he needed. The Happy Hour host stated; “Their way of communicating with him, when they communicate with him, how much they communicate with him – is very strategic. I found that conversation with Cliff about that to be very intriguing. But also very good in the fact that they’ve developed their system around who Kyle is.”

After taking a look at Kevin Harvick’s observations regarding the #5 crew, it’s safe to say Larson will have a capable car ready for him at the Coke 600. However, Rick Hendrick’s time at the Double may not be as stress-free as he may like it to be.

Rick Hendrick fears “tremendous stress” ahead of The Double

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For Hendrick Motorsports, this Sunday will mark an iconic moment as they help Kyle Larson attempt the Coke600-Indy500 double. But as things stand, there are several factors which could play spoilt sport. Apart from former President Donald Trump’s visit to Charlotte (which could create flight restrictions), recent news of rain at the Indy 500 could ruin Hendrick Motorsport’s day.

But that’s not all. Rick Hendrick also feels a certain pressure going up against IndyCar’s greats. He shared with IndyStar, “When I walk in Sunday morning and we look at all those cars and the crowd and the people and the legends of IndyCar racing – Penske and Andretti and all the folks that are going to be lined up – I think I’ll be a little bit intimidated. Knowing who’s driving the car and (with) Arrow McLaren behind it, I hope we can finish.”

Kyle Larson may have qualified in fifth position for the Indy 500, but Rick Hendrick fears he could get blindsided by drivers such as Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti) and Penske stars Scott McLaughlin, the pole winner this year, and 2023 Indy500 winner Josef Newgarden. Rinus Veekay had also made a heroic comeback to enter the ‘Fast 12’ in qualifying, and could surpass Larson in the early stages.

Still, Rick Hendrick has other off-track concerns to worry about. With the weather around Indianapolis turning its back on IndyCar, Hendrick concluded, “I hope the race finishes. I think we’ll have a good day. … From 11 Sunday morning until 11:30 Sunday night, it’s going to be tremendous stress.”

After looking at Rick Hendrick’s worries with the Indy 500 – Coke 600 weekend, do you think Kyle Larson’s adaptability may be sidelined by elements he cannot control?