This year has been one of ups and downs for Kyle Larson. He started off the year strong, beginning his glorious season with a Las Vegas victory. However, his attention was mostly on the Double project in May. So when that blew up in smoke due to the weather delay, Larson’s heart slumped. However, his Indianapolis 500 efforts for the Double did not entirely go to waste, it seems.

As per a team member, Rick Hendrick‘s year-long investment has ultimately paid off (albeit a little late) as he soared above his rivals, redeeming his lost glory at the Brickyard 400.

Kyle Larson’s Indy talents were visible

The No. 5 crew chief’s Cliff Daniels, during a post-race presser, revealed the team’s winning strategies inspired by his IndyCar ambitions, saying, “I think…some of the IndyCar experience of just getting the timing of the runs…Kyle definitely had a vision of what that needed to look like. So then as he was setting up timing the runs, when it was off-timing he was doing a lot of fuel-saving at that point…His vision for what he needed to do to get a run…and when the run was not timed to save fuel as you’re building the next run.”

Earlier this year, Kyle Larson was channeling his energy for a grand showdown at one of motorsport’s most prestigious events. Over 16 months of meticulous planning went into Larson’s run at the 2024 Indianapolis 500. That included consulting with IndyCar experts like Tony Kanaan and turning laps in the series. The results were visible, as Larson recorded the second-fastest rookie speed of 232.846 mph at the qualifier, falling barely a second short of Tony Stewart’s record.

But the Hendrick Motorsports driver could not perform well on D-Day, as a pit stop penalty resulted in an 18th-place finish at Indy. However, all those expensive and hectic IndyCar efforts that Rick Hendrick sponsored did not go down the drain. Although Hendrick is yet to decide on another run next year, the impact of his first effort was already visible last weekend.

Notably, Kyle Larson was only the fifth driver in NASCAR history to attempt the Double. Although he could not finish the entire 1100 miles, the knowledge and expertise he gained were precious. And that allowed him to stand out among his rivals. Daniels admitted the same: “I think that was a bit of an edge today that he carried with him behind the wheel that I don’t know anybody else had. I’m sure they’ll go back and study the data and get better next year. But Kyle certainly had that advantage today.”

Notably, Daniels joined Kyle Larson’s team in 2021, and has won 21 races since then. He also guided the #5 to his first Cup Series championship win that same year.

Besides his IndyCar experience, Kyle Larson also had another strong advantage. The No. 5 team performed remarkably in terms of teamwork and that is what got them through at Indianapolis.

Daniels boasts ‘resilience’ in the team

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The Brickyard 400 did not run well for Kyle Larson at first. He started in 5th place and pushed ahead to the runner-up spot by the end of Stage 1. But very soon, the No. 5 Chevy dropped through the field, and Kyle Larson was nowhere to be seen near the top ten. The driver even fell prey to a later pit strategy with just 30 laps to go. Yet his team persisted in its efforts, as the #5 steadily crawled back up. By lap 135 he was in P12 and a few laps after that, he entered the top-five crowd. Then the rest was history—the overtime restart came when he needed them the most—leading only seven laps before clinching the trophy.

Cliff Daniels tipped his hat to the tough work of the entire team, which endured the setbacks. “Today was all about the resilience of the team. We had a pit stop that got away from us, a very odd situation…Ultimately our pit crew did a great job to communicate their way through what that issue was.”

The veteran crew chief also divulged more info about how their team works, saying, “What we were able to do as a team collectively throughout the end of the day was our process of how we communicate, what Kyle sees behind the wheel, what he thinks about the questions he is asking me, the information I’m getting from the engineers. Then of course everybody below that is helping behind-the-wall support, over-the-wall execution, all those things have to come into play on a day like today.”

Hence, after his win last weekend, the veteran driver couldn’t help but credit his credit his crew chief. During a post-race media presser, he said, “Just special to have the success that we’ve had together, and together as a team, too. It’s more than just him. The team that he has assembled is amazing, and the level that he holds…and everybody, too, is extreme.”

Cliff Daniels joined HMS in 2014. After a stint with veteran racer Kenny Wallace, and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Tony Stewart, Daniels joined Jimmie Johnson’s stable soon after as a race engineer. From 2015 to 2018, he helped the team win 13 races, and clinch 31 top-five finishes, 60 top-10s, two pole positions and 1,552 laps led. Johnson also won his seventh Cup Series championship in 2016.

Having said that, Kyle Larson had a flurry of advantages for his Brickyard glory. However, the veteran driver used them wisely and carved out a proud moment for his career and the entire Hendrick Motorsports team.