Kyle Larson, Redemption, Conviction And The Power Of Hendrick Motorsports
The Redemption of Kyle Larson
Prior to 2020, NASCAR driver Kyle Larson was a rising star. He had been successful at every level of racing and excited fans everywhere. We were all looking at him to evolve. We needed Kyle Larson to return racing to its rightful place.
Kyle Larson was the most successful NASCAR driver of 2021, picking up 10 wins and winning the NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
The year 2021 will forever be remembered as the year Kyle Larson reached his full potential. After years of contributing to a solid Chip Ganassi Motorsports team, he finally found his true home at Hendrick Motorsports, which has fielded legendary drivers like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson to astronomical success.
How It Happened, and Why It Happened at Hendrick
With the departure of the sport’s major stars in the last few years (such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, including Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, just to name a few), a vacuum has been opened up. A young star succeeding at the level Jeff Gordon did in the 1990s is exactly the kind of positive story Nascar needed in its first real season following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the end of last year, many would have been surprised to know that the man who would fill that role, and become the NASCAR Cup Series Champion in 2021, would be Kyle Larson himself.
“I cannot believe it. I didn’t even think I’d be racing a Cup car a year and a half ago,” Larson said. “To win a championship is crazy.”
Following a regretful and stupid decision made by Larson during a quarantine era live stream with fellow drivers, he was ousted from the sport. He lost his ride, his sponsors, and tons of respect.
Larson had earned these things on his own. Prior to his 2021 Championship season, Larson had less than 10 wins to his name, but all had come in his 6 years as a driver. He was steady and consistent, and also one of the few Chip Ganassi drivers to consistently win.
When he used a racial slur on a live stream and was fired from that team, many in the industry wondered who would benefit from the freeing up of a prodigious young driver. Others figured he’d never return, given the political climate and loads of controversy already surrounding the sport.
Ultimately, the bad press around him died down, and Hendrick Motorsports, who was going through restructuring, eventually signed him and brought back their iconic #5. The loss of veteran drivers had affected their team more than any others.
With no company willing to touch Larson with a sponsored endorsement, Rick Hendrick christened the car with his late son’s iconic paint scheme and put the family business, Hendrickcars.com on the hood and sides of the vehicle.
Hendrick Motorsports, of course, as most NASCAR fans know, has been one of the most consistently successful NASCAR teams of the last 30 years. They have won 14 car owner championships since their inception in 1984. Jimmie Johnson won 7 Cup Series titles with Hendrick, 5 of which were consecutive from 2006 to 2010. Jeff Gordon, who won 4 titles himself with the organization, is now a car owner with Hendrick as well.
With the history of Hendrick's unbelievable success in the sport, it is no surprise Larson, who was previously a Chevrolet driver as well, won right off the bat. The fact that he continued winning all the way to the end of the season really cemented the fact that Hendrick equipment is among the easiest to win in.
The Success Story Begins
When the Cup Series came to Las Vegas in March 2021, Larson put everyone on notice, leading 103 of 267 laps en route to his first win with his new team.
As fans of the sport know well, his underdog story (and his previous year of catastrophic public failure), made him an interesting story to watch. He continued his winning ways, eventually stacking up to ten total wins on the year. This was four more wins than he had combined in his career beforehand.
The fans responded. At a Michigan International Speedway race this August, all I saw was Kyle Larson gear in every corner of the stands. Bandwagon and hardcore fans alike draped themselves in blue and cheered for Larson to redeem himself.
Few would have guessed that a driver as talented as Larson and a powerhouse team like Hendrick would have any difficulty achieving success together. Still, none imagined it would happen as quickly or as aggressively as it did.
Larson was the favorite every week to win. He finished the season with a 30% win rate, becoming one of only 17 all-time drivers who have won 8 or more races in a given season.
He won everywhere. He won road courses, at intermediate tracks, and even on short tracks. Suffice to say, Larson has filled the shoes of Hendrick greats like Jeff Gordon, who himself had three consecutive years in the late 1990s where he had ten wins or more per season.
What The Future Holds
After the dominant year Kyle Larson had with 2021, he will undergo come considerable pressure to keep it up for 2022. This year, however, is an unusual year for NASCAR, as there are considerable scheduling changes as well as the introduction of a new race car, the Gen-7 model.
While it might take a while for drivers to get a handle on this new vehicle, one can only imagine that Larson will be one of the early masters. Given his background in dirt racing, as well as other types of late model racing, and his expansive background knowledge of different racing vehicles, it would not be a shock to see Larson finding success early in 2022.
The future is bright for Larson and he will undoubtedly look to defend his title against all comers in 2022. Because of Larson, NASCAR’s future is now that much brighter as well.
Opinions and Perspectives
His success has brought some much needed positive attention to NASCAR.
His ability to read the track changes during a race is impressive.
The impact he's had on the sport in just one season is incredible.
His late race charges are some of the most exciting moments in recent NASCAR history.
Amazing how he can adapt his driving style to different track conditions.
The way he handles adversity during races shows his maturity as a driver.
The chemistry with his crew chief really shows in their race strategy.
Watching him qualify is something else. He really knows how to put down a fast lap.
I love how he still races at local tracks despite his success in NASCAR.
His feedback to the team must be incredible given how they keep improving the car.
Never seen someone adapt to a new team so quickly and successfully.
His ability to save fuel while still running fast lap times is remarkable.
I think his dirt racing experience gives him an edge in car control that most drivers don't have.
People forget how good he was even before joining Hendrick. The talent was always there.
Not many drivers could handle the scrutiny he was under and still perform at that level.
His success has brought some much-needed excitement back to NASCAR.
The Hendrick equipment definitely helped, but you still need skill to drive it well.
Watching him work through traffic is like poetry in motion. Pure natural talent.
The statistics are impressive but it's his race craft that really stands out to me.
His background in sprint cars really helped him adapt to different tracks quickly.
My kids have started watching NASCAR because of him. He's bringing in a new generation of fans.
The way he handled the pressure of that championship run was impressive. Didn't crack once.
Rick Hendrick really knows how to pick talent. He saw something special in Larson when others wouldn't take the risk.
His story proves that second chances can work out when someone truly commits to change.
The pressure on him for 2022 must be enormous. Everyone's expecting him to keep winning at this rate.
I think we're watching the beginning of a new era in NASCAR, and Larson is leading it.
Being able to win at every track type really sets him apart from other drivers who only excel in certain conditions.
His performance made me a believer. I wasn't a fan before, but you can't argue with results like that.
The article doesn't mention how much work he did in local communities during his suspension. That's what really changed my opinion of him.
Wonder if he can maintain this momentum with the new car coming in. That's going to be the real challenge.
What stands out to me is how humble he stayed through all the success. No showboating, just pure racing.
The combination of Hendrick resources and Larson's talent was bound to be successful, but nobody predicted this level of dominance.
His success has actually made the sport more exciting to watch. You never know if he's going to pull off something amazing.
The whole redemption narrative feels a bit forced to me. We shouldn't need to make everything into a comeback story.
I've been following NASCAR for 30 years and this might be one of the most impressive single seasons I've ever seen.
People said he'd never come back from that mistake, but he proved everyone wrong with his actions, not just words.
Not just the Cup series either. His dirt track racing during the week shows his pure love for racing.
The way he dominated in 2021 reminded me of Gordon's peak years in the 90s. Pure excellence.
I remember watching that Vegas race thinking this guy is going to be unstoppable. Turned out to be true!
His success is bringing new fans to the sport, and that's exactly what NASCAR needed.
Let's be real though, having Hendrickcars.com as a sponsor took away a lot of the pressure other drivers face with sponsorship.
I watched him race at Michigan and the fan support was unreal. People really believe in his redemption story.
You can see why they call him one of the most naturally gifted drivers. His background in dirt racing really shows in his adaptability.
The real test will be how he handles the Gen-7 car. That's going to separate the truly great drivers from the good ones.
As a longtime Jeff Gordon fan, I was worried about the #5 car's legacy. Larson has more than lived up to the heritage.
What impresses me most is his versatility. Winning on road courses, short tracks, and intermediates shows complete driver skill.
I was skeptical when Hendrick signed him, but I'll admit I was wrong. He's proven himself both on and off the track.
The stats don't lie. A 30% win rate is absolutely insane in modern NASCAR.
My favorite part of this story is how he used his time away to grow as a person. He didn't just sit around waiting for another chance.
Ten wins in a single season is incredible no matter how you look at it. That puts him in elite company with some of NASCAR's greatest.
The way Rick Hendrick personally backed him with his own company sponsorship really shows the faith they had in his character.
You can't deny his raw talent though. Even before Hendrick, he was winning races with Ganassi's much less competitive equipment.
Honestly, I think he's just benefiting from Hendrick's superior equipment. Put any decent driver in that car and they'd win races too.
I was at that Las Vegas race when he got his first win with Hendrick. The energy in the crowd was electric, you could feel something special was starting.
The partnership with Hendrick was exactly what Larson needed. Their equipment and experience gave him the platform to showcase his true talent.
Sure he won races, but let's not forget what got him suspended in the first place. Some mistakes shouldn't be so easily forgotten.
I'm amazed by Larson's incredible comeback story. From hitting rock bottom to winning the championship, it really shows the power of redemption.