CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There’s a tradition at Hendrick Motorsports in which a driver celebrates a win with a victory bell that he takes all over the motorsports campus so that every employee who contributed to the win gets a chance to give it a ring.
Kyle Larson did the ceremony for his dominating Bristol Motor Speedway playoff victory on an recent fall day. He joined crew chief Cliff Daniels and Jeff Gordon, the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, as employees lined up in the fabrication shop, then the engine department and finally the gift shop to pull the long string and make the bell clang once again for Larson.
The victory was Larson’s 22nd since he joined Hendrick in 2021, and he added another one four days later when he won at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The 32-year-old Larson won the Cup championship in his first season with Hendrick Motorsports. Daniels recently reflected on how the team has grown in the years since.
“For us, just like any relationship, it always evolves. I’ve been very thankful for the opportunity to be with Kyle, to be in this position with the 5 team,” Daniels said. “There are so many core values that we hold true to our team of taking care of each other, having the relationship, having the communication really across the team.”
And now Larson and Daniels find themselves fighting to save their season despite a Cup-leading six wins. Hendrick Motorsports initially placed all four of its cars in the round of eight — Alex Bowman was disqualified for failing post-race inspection in the Charlotte elimination race won by Larson — but the three who advanced have yet to earn a spot in next week’s winner-take-all title-deciding finale at Phoenix Raceway.
Larson may need another victory, and another bell-ringing ceremony, to race for a second title. Joey Logano, the driver who took Bowman’s spot in the round of eight, and Tyler Reddick have earned two of the berths. Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing and Larson teammate William Byron head to Martinsville Speedway above the cutline to qualify for the remaining two slots.
Larson goes to Martinsville below the cutline, seven points behind Byron. He and Byron both made the final four last year but were beaten by Ryan Blaney, and Larson was runner-up in the standings.
He doesn’t exactly need to win Sunday in Virginia to advance, but it is his only guaranteed path. Larson would need misfortune to plague either Bell or Byron to advance without winning the race.
It’s been a roller-coaster season for Larson despite the six wins: Larson has finished 30th or worse six times, has not had more than two consecutive top-10 finishes this season, and lost the regular season championship by one point after missing the Coca-Cola 600 when rain disrupted his day at the Indianapolis 500.
But in the playoffs, he’s won the elimination race in each of the first two rounds.
“I’m proud of our team for how we’ve rebounded through so much adversity throughout these playoffs,” Larson said.