ROVAL REWIND: Kyle Larson overcame some early adversity at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL to advance in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. The No. 5 HendrickCars.com team started 36th following a practice incident that forced Larson to a backup car. Pitting before the end of the opening stage set him up to gain track position and earn six valuable stage points as he finished fifth in the second stage. In the final stage, Larson maintained a top-15 position and his 13th-place finish got him into the Round of 8 in both the driver and owner playoffs.
THE ROUND OF 8: Larson secured a spot in the Cup Series Round of 8 for the third time in his career. The start of the new round reset the points and the HendrickCars.com driver sits fourth with 4,024 markers, three above the elimination line. Additionally, Larson has won at all the remaining tracks: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2021), Homestead-Miami Speedway (2022), Martinsville Speedway (2023) and Phoenix Raceway (2021). Larson earned the most points (96) at the two Round of 8 tracks that were run in the spring (Martinsville and Las Vegas) with two top-two finishes.
EYES ON THE PRIZE: The 2021 Cup Series champion is one step closer to contending for his second championship at Phoenix. Larson’s average finish (2.33) in the Round of 16 is the third-best mark all-time in a single round of the playoffs. In the Round of 12, Larson was tied for the second-most stage points (28) behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott (37). Throughout the 2023 playoffs, Larson leads all drivers in average running position (7.51), most laps run in the top five (1,038) and most laps run in the top 10 (1,291).
WHAT HAPPENED IN VEGAS: In Larson’s 14 starts at Las Vegas, he has one win, six top-five finishes, 10 top-10s, two stage wins and 314 laps led. The Elk Grove, California, native has scored in the top two in three of his five Las Vegas starts with Hendrick Motorsports. In the spring race, Larson led 63 laps and finished second. In the five races held on 1.5-mile tracks this season, he has earned the fifth-most points (164) with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron (218) atop the category. Since coming to the 14-time championship-winning organization in 2021, Larson has five wins on 1.5-mile tracks. In fact, his first win for team owner Rick Hendrick came at Las Vegas in 2021.
IN 2023: This season, Larson has led the most laps of all drivers (898) and is in a three-way tie for the most top-five finishes (13). He is also in a six-way tie for the fifth-most top-10 finishes (15). The 31-year-old driver ranks third in the following statistical categories: Average running position (11.38), laps run in the top five (3,222) and laps run in the top 10 (4,814). He also ranks second-best on restarts, based on data from Racing Insights.
FOUR TIRES FAST: The No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew has the third-fastest average four-tire pit stop of the season at 11.137 seconds. The group has two of the nine fastest four-tire pit stops this year. The team’s five-man pit crew consists of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer).
PREPARING FOR THE DOUBLE: In 2024, Larson will attempt the Memorial Day weekend “double” with HendrickCars.com. He is set to compete in 1,100 miles of racing, known as the #Hendrick1100, in less than 24 hours between Charlotte Motor Speedway (Coca-Cola 600) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Indianapolis 500). On Thursday, Larson will complete his Rookie Orientation Practice at the 2.5-mile oval and address members of the media to share his experience surrounding his first time behind the wheel of an IndyCar. Check out the paint schemes Larson will run in the #Hendrick1100 here.
JOIN US AT JINYA RAMEN BAR: In Las Vegas for the race this weekend? Larson will be onsite at the Jinya Ramen Bar on 7240 South Rainbow Blvd. on Saturday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. local time to chat with fans, sign merch and fuel up on ramen before Sunday’s race.
HIGH LIMIT CHAMPION: In addition to Larson’s full-time Cup Series schedule, he often takes on dirt racing during the week. On Tuesday, Larson competed in the last High Limit Series race of 2023 at Lincoln Park Speedway in Greencastle, Indiana. Even though his No. 57 sprint car finished third in the race, Larson was crowned the inaugural High Limit Sprint Car Series Champion. The series was founded by Larson and his brother-in-law / World of Outlaws Sprint Car champion Brad Sweet in 2022. Learn more about the series at High Limit Sprint Car Series here.
WIN A CHEVROLET COLORADO Z71: Want to drive Larson’s 2023 Chevrolet Colorado truck? One lucky winner will win his ride. Fans can donate now to enter a drawing for a chance to take home the Z71 Crew Cab 4WD package with custom features and styling. This special sweepstakes raises funding for the Kyle Larson Foundation’s "DRIVE FOR 5" campaign that supports youth, families and communities in need. The campaign is nearing its fundraising goal of $500,000. Click here to check out this sweet custom ride and enter to win today. The drawing closes on Sunday, Dec. 3, and the winner will be chosen on Monday, Dec. 11.
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his outlook for the Round of 8: "I’m looking forward to the next round. It has some good tracks (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway) for us. We really hope to have a solid next few races that can advance us into the Championship 4 and then I feel like we could have a really good shot at Phoenix (Raceway). Thank you to everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. It’s the best organization in NASCAR and I’m very grateful to be at such a great place."
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: "The No. 5 HendrickCars.com team is headed to (Las) Vegas (Motor Speedway) looking for a really solid weekend. Our intermediate package has been close lately and the Hendrick Motorsports cars have had speed. Our team has been doing a really good job on pit road and a lot of things have been coming together. Our focus is making sure that we put the good things that we have together to execute a good race. You’re never out of it as long as you are able to execute and put the right things in the right place at the right time."
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