Kyle Larson claimed his second NASCAR Cup Series championship in Phoenix last Sunday, but there could be so much more to come.
The 33-year-old from Elk Grove in California had claimed his first crown in 2021, but nothing could compare with the drama and shock of what happened in Arizona over the weekend.
Larson had appeared to be out of luck in his quest for the 2025 title as he trailed the dominant Denny Hamlin (who led for 208 laps) right up to the point when a caution flag just three laps before the end guaranteed one last restart.
While Larson’s crew changed two tires, Hamlin's changed four, and in that moment the pendulum swung Kyle’s way in the No. 5 Chevrolet. He came out stronger in a gripping finish to claim third on the day, while Denny could manage only sixth.
While much of the talk postrace featured on Hamlin’s agonizing near miss as he continues the long wait for that elusive title, nobody should forget what Larson achieved.
He is now halfway to matching the four Cup Series titles won by the legendary Jeff Gordon at Hendrick Motorsports. And Jeff just happens to be one of his biggest supporters, hoping that Larson smashes his records as long as it is under the Hendrick banner!
Jeff Gordon on new champ Kyle Larson
Speaking after the championship race, Gordon said: “I have the utmost respect for his abilities behind the wheel and couldn’t be more proud of the effort that Rick [Hendrick] put into bringing him to Hendrick Motorsports.
“I’ve known Kyle for many, many years, watching him race sprint cars, and I always knew that if you could put him behind the wheel of a Hendrick Motorsports car he’d do special things. I also believe that records and championships are made to be broken - as long as he’s on our team I want him to win 10!”
California connection for Hendrick greats
Gordon, now vice-chairman at Hendrick, says he and fellow California native Larson are not just teammates, they are also close friends.
“He and I have a good relationship because I think being from California, close to one another - Elk Grove and Vallejo - and the sprint car stuff, we’ve just built a good friendship.”
Larson's motivation - 'come and get it'
Larson is a supreme competitor, and that mindset is something which Gordon also taps into to make his star driver always want more.
“You motivate people in different ways - he motivates himself in measuring and looking at what’s the next goal, the trophy, the championship, so I use it for him too. I’m like ‘buddy, you got three to go, you’re only at one. You gotta get to two before you can get to three and before you can get to four.”
“We have a standing joke about ‘come on, come and get it’ and I hope he gets it and plenty more after that.”
