Kyle Larson is seven points shy of the cut line to advance to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Chuck Burton/Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There is a tradition at Hendrick Motorsports where a driver celebrates a victory with a victory bell that he carries around the motorsports campus so that every employee who contributed to the victory has the opportunity to ring it. .

Kyle Larson performed the ceremony for his dominant victory at Bristol Motor Speedway on a recent fall day. He joined crew chief Cliff Daniels and Jeff Gordon, vice president of Hendrick Motorsports, as employees lined up in the manufacturing shop, then the engine department and finally the gift shop to pull the long rope and ring the bell once again for Larson.

The bell ringing at the merchandise store was audible (a Hendrick Automotive Group leadership summit was coincidentally taking place in another building on the sprawling campus) and when Gordon saw the young fans shopping, he called for them to ring the bell as well. ring.

The trio then headed to the leadership summit, where the only thing they were told was that they had to give a short talk on the importance of communication to several hundred dealership executives. Larson received a standing ovation as he entered the vast auditorium, and one executive even stood up and loudly rang a pair of smaller bells placed on the table with two fists.

That ceremony was for the 22nd victory since Larson joined Hendrick in 2021, and he added another four days later when he won at Charlotte Motor Speedway. As the trio sat in director’s chairs facing the crowd, Gordon noted that although Larson had only been with the team four seasons, he couldn’t remember a time when Larson hadn’t driven for Hendrick.

That’s how quickly Larson found a second home after more than seven seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing, which took him out of sprint car racing and gave him a chance in NASCAR. Larson was fired in the early days of the pandemic when racers turned to iRacing to entertain fans and Larson used a racial slur during a late-night session.

Ganassi did not want to lose his budding superstar, but pressure from sponsors to cut ties prevailed and Larson was suspended by NASCAR for the remainder of the season. Once reinstated, Rick Hendrick acquired him, paired him with Daniels in the No. 5 Chevrolet and the team never looked back.

They broke all kinds of records in their first season with 10 wins and Larson’s first championship. It’s Daniels’ communication and no-nonsense approach (he’s connected as intensely as Hendrick’s Hall of Fame crew chief Chad Knaus, who led Jimmie Johnson to a record seven titles) that has made this a pairing. so winning.

“For us, like any relationship, it always evolves. “I’m very grateful 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: taking care of each other, really having a relationship and communication between the entire team.

“Of course, it has to be with me and Kyle and on race day as well and trusting each other to do our jobs in the moment and make calls and know that we’re going to have to face some ups and downs together. “

And now Larson and Daniels find themselves fighting to save their season despite leading the Cup with six wins. Hendrick Motorsports initially placed its four 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 that advanced have yet to earn a spot in next week’s winner. title-deciding finale at Phoenix Raceway.

Larson may need another win and another bell-ringing ceremony to compete for a second title. Joey Logano, the driver who took Bowman’s place in the round of 16, and Tyler Reddick have earned two of the spots. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell and Larson teammate William Byron head to Martinsville Speedway above the cut line to qualify for the remaining two spots.

Larson goes to Martinsville below the cut line, seven points behind Byron. He and Byron made it to the final four last year, but were defeated by Ryan Blaney and Larson placed second in the standings.

He doesn’t exactly need to win Sunday in Virginia to advance, but it’s his only guaranteed path. Larson would need misfortune to beset 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, hasn’t 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 cut short his day at the Indianapolis 500.

But in the playoffs, he won the elimination race in each of the first two rounds.

“I’m proud of our team for how we’ve bounced back from so much adversity during these playoffs,” Larson said. “I think there probably hasn’t been a team that has had to deal as much as we have and been able to continue fighting to get to the final four.”

Copy story link