Kyle Larson pursues his second gladiator sword ahead of Sunday night’s Food City Dirt Race at Bristol. (Photo: Trish McCormack | The Podium Finish)q
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Persistence can be a great teacher to the skillful like Kyle Larson, a consistent contender for wins and championships in NASCAR Cup Series competition.
Particularly, the Elk Grove, California native has that uncanny ability to consistently vie for victories regardless of the track type. However, when victory is achieved at a track that has previously perplexed a driver of Larson’s caliber, it is a memorable accomplishment.
Last Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway was more than just conquering the latest stop on the Cup circuit. It was on what would have been Ricky Hendrick’s 42nd birthday.
Hendrick, the late son of car owner, Rick, remains in the hearts and minds of those within the team’s campus and the No. 5 team, right down to its distinct livery.
“It’s always special to win a Cup race but when you have special meaning behind the day that the win was, it makes it even cooler,” Larson. “There was a lot of birthdays within the Hendrick organization there and especially (with) Ricky Hendrick.
“Yeah, that was pretty neat. It was a special win for everybody, Hendrick especially, Rick and Linda, and everybody very close to to Ricky. So not that it added any more pressure, but it was definitely more special, I think, winning because of all that.”
As is the case since late 2004, like with past and current Hendrick Motorsports drivers and teams, Larson and his No. 5 team pointed to sky to honor and remember Ricky Hendrick while celebrating their Richmond win.
Now, Larson hopes to add another trophy to his mantle with Sunday night’s Food City Dirt Race at Bristol (7 p.m. ET on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). For starters, the 30-year-old driver established himself as the pre-race favorite weeks before this race.
However, his performance in the third qualifying heat showcased his prowess on the dirt tracks and his team’s keen attention to details. Starting from the sixth position, Larson immediately charged his way to the lead on Lap 1, holding the spot to win his 15-lap heat.
By virtue of passing points, Larson starts from the pole for Sunday night’s 250-lap race. Not surprisingly, he likes his chances especially with the fleet of cars at his No. 5 team’s shop.
“I feel good everywhere. I think our car is really good right now,” he said. “We were pretty strong here in this race last year, just strategy stuff with the rain and all that. And we kind of played it safer and didn’t work out for us, so we didn’t have good track position.
“We still got back to fourth, so hopefully we’ll be good again.”
While Ryan Preece, the runner-up in the the qualifying heat, nearly caught Larson in the final laps, interim crew chief Kevin Meendering and the No. 5 team have a driver adept at dirt tracks and an understanding of how to be more aggressive for this Easter Sunday night event.
Given Larson’s passion for dirt track racing, his thoughts on the future of this race may seem like a shock. All told, he provides some candid, concise thoughts on what he wants to see in the immediate future.
Larson hopes to continue his winning ways after taking the pole for Sunday night’s Food City Dirt Race at Bristol. (Photo: Trish McCormack | The Podium Finish)
“I don’t think we should go to another dirt track. I would like to see us just get back to the concrete surface here, you know?” he said. “We all love the concrete surface better than the dirt race here. I would think majority, 99 to 100% of us, would rather be on concrete.
“I think the fans probably have gotten to a point where I think they would rather see us on the concrete, too. So we’ll see. I don’t know what’s in the plans for the future, but yeah, I think it’s just you don’t… you know, I just don’t really see much excitement out there. These aren’t dirt cars.”
For now, Larson will slug it out in his familiar Chevrolet Camaro stock car and vie for his second win of 2023. Surely, tallying another victory in as many weeks may lock his Playoff spot five months ahead of the 10-race Playoffs, a prospect that is never too early to consider.
Somehow, through the busy, noise world of NASCAR Cup Series competition, Larson and his teammates do their best to block out the external distractions, particularly with another penalty doled out to the No. 24 of William Byron and No. 48 of Alex Bowman.
Despite the recent infractions levied against the Hendrick organization. Larson maintains that it is status quo for a team that sets the bar high for victories and Grade A quality and intensity in stock car’s premier division.
“I think really honestly, just business as usual, at least for the days, the stuff that I’m a part of,” Larson said. “You race and you do good, and then you celebrate and have competition meetings on Mondays and do your pre-weekend meetings later in the week.
“It hasn’t felt too different for my perspective. But, maybe behind the scenes, I’m sure, at times, it’s been stressful. But, the drivers, none of us, really get involved in any of that.”
Editor’s Notes
Trish McCormack contributed to this article directly on-site from Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.
