5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 30 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 7th (2022)
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 1:15 p.m. PST.
2022 SUCCESS: Following his career-best year in 2021 when he secured his first NASCAR Cup Series championship during a 10-win season, Kyle Larson added to his winning ways in 2022. The No. 5 HendrickCars.com team secured a spot in the owner’s Championship 4 while Larson finished the season seventh in the driver point standings. In his eighth full-time season, the 30-year-old driver posted three victories, 13 top-five finishes, 19 top-10s, 635 laps led with an average start of 7.86.
QUITE THE PAIRING: Larson begins his third consecutive full-time season with the 14-time Cup Series championship-winning organization. Paired with crew chief Cliff Daniels, the duo looks to add to their series-best total of 13 wins over the past two seasons and are on the hunt for their second championship together.
CALIFORNIA’S COLISEUM: The Elk Grove, California, native returns to his home state to compete in NASCAR’s second season-opening exhibition at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. During the 2022 race at the historic venue, Larson started eighth and finished fifth on the .25-mile track. On Dec. 15, 2022, the 2014 rookie of the year took part in the groundbreaking ceremony as work began on the specially constructed track for the 2023 Cup Series race.
WEEKEND VICTORY: On Friday, Jan. 27, Larson won in a late model dirt series race at Golden Isles Speedway. Taking the lead with two laps to go on the .4-mile clay dirt track, Larson would claim his first victory of 2023 on the second night of action at the Brunswick, Georgia, track.
DRIVER’S SEAT: This weekend, as Larson drives the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (view the paint scheme here) auto shoppers can pick up their own keys as Hendrick Automotive Group has 95 dealerships nationwide. Customers can also shop from the convenience of their home, selecting the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com.
WE’RE HIRING: Join 10,000+ others nationwide in working at Hendrick Automotive Group. Hendrick is hiring technicians and other positions at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Individuals who are interested can apply at HendrickCars.com.
FAMILY OF FIVE: Larson and wife Katelyn welcomed their third child, Cooper Donald Larson, on New Year’s Eve of 2022. Cooper joins the couple’s oldest two kids – son Owen (age 8) and daughter Audrey (age 4).
CLOSING IN ON 300: Entering the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, Hendrick Motorsports is nine points-paying victories away from 300 in the sport’s top series. Twenty drivers have combined to reach the organization’s current total of 291 wins, which is the most in the sport by any one team.
YEAR IN REVIEW: In 2022, Hendrick Motorsports notched a series-best 11 wins with Chase Elliott leading all Cup Series drivers with five victories and earning the regular-season championship. Kyle Larson and William Byron each posted multi-win campaigns. Alex Bowman earned a win for the fourth consecutive season. All four drivers made the playoffs and reached the Round of 12 with Elliott making the Championship 4 for the third consecutive season. The No. 5 HendrickCars.com team reached the owner’s Championship 4 for the second straight season. The organization’s 11 wins marked the ninth time that the team had won at least 11 races in a single season.
FORMAT FOCUS: The Clash at the Coliseum will see Saturday night’s single-car qualifying determine the starting order for Sunday’s four heat races of 25 laps. The top-five finishers in each heat race will advance to the main event with the winner of the first heat on the pole. Two last chance qualifiers of 50 laps each will be held among the drivers that have not raced into the field. The top-three finishers from those two races will advance to the main event. The 27th and final spot in the field will go to the highest driver from the 2022 driver point standings that is not yet locked into the 150-lap main event. In the heat races, LCQs and main event, only green flag laps will count.
IT NEVER RAINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: However, in the event that it does, teams will be able to use wet-weather equipment in the Clash. The LA Coliseum is one of six Cup Series ovals (Martinsville Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Phoenix Raceway and Richmond Raceway) that will see this as an option. The sanctioning body’s intent is to use it in mild conditions to speed up the resumption of racing following a rain delay.
LA REWIND: In last year’s first race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Hendrick Motorsports placed two cars in the top six of the final running order. Larson finished an organization-best fifth, while Byron came home sixth in the event.
CAPTURING THE CLASH: Hendrick Motorsports’ seven wins in the Clash are the third-most among all teams. All of their victories came at Daytona International Speedway, which was the home of the Clash from 1979 to 2020. The track’s road course hosted the 2021 edition of the Clash. Ken Schrader (1989 and 1990), Jeff Gordon (1994 and 1997) and Jimmie Johnson (2005 and 2019) each won the event twice, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored a win in 2008.
SAVORING THE SPECIAL: The Rick Hendrick-owned organization has recorded a series-best 37 wins in special events. The team’s win totals in the Daytona Duel qualifiers (16), NASCAR All-Star Race (10) and All-Star Open (four) are the most or tied for the most among all teams. Larson has four wins in such events with one coming with Hendrick Motorsports in the 2021 All-Star Race. Elliott has three wins in those events (2017 and 2018 Duels and the 2020 All-Star Race), while Byron has one victory (2020 Duels).
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the Clash at the Coliseum: “I thought last year was amazing. NASCAR and everyone else involved did a great job building the track, making it proper for racing, creating excitement around the event and making it fun for fans. It was great to be a part of that historical event. I’m happy that we’re able to come back and put on another great show. I’m sure that it will be even better than the inaugural race was.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the upcoming season: “People always say control what you can control. The good news for us is there are things that we (the No. 5 team) can control to make a difference and be better. A lot of those things we got right in 2021. We know that it is within us. We have the capability and talent. Now we just need to put it together and come out of the gates strong in 2023 to run a solid season. I’m confident that we will.”
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
