Ben White
| Correspondent
Drivers debate what’s the greatest NASCAR film of all time
We unravel an age-old query on the USA TODAY 301 in New Hampshire — what’s the higher NASCAR film, Talladega Nights or Days of Thunder?
Kyle Larson is at present main in Cup Collection factors and getting ready for his second Indianapolis 500.Larson stays unfazed by setbacks, as demonstrated by his fast restoration from a crash throughout Indy 500 testing.Hendrick Motorsports’ collaborative group setting is credited for Larson’s latest wins.Larson focuses on every race individually, acknowledging the completely different challenges of the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600.
Going into the NASCAR All-Star race this coming Sunday, Could 18, at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Kyle Larson and his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports group are on a roll. Primarily based on his dominant efficiency at Kansas Speedway by main 221 of 267 laps from the pole place, it could possibly be a really fascinating time on the planet of motorsports.
The Elk Grove, California, native is main in Cup Collection factors as he prepares for his second profession Indianapolis 500 begin.
“I simply assume it’s actually cool,” Larson mentioned in post-race interviews at Kansas. “I feel it’s good for our group. I feel it’s good for our sport. I feel it’s good for racing that the Cup Collection level chief is competing within the Indy 500 for the second 12 months in a row. I might say final 12 months was a purpose of mine. This 12 months, I didn’t actually give it some thought. However I do assume it places much more of a highlight on us and our sport.”
Though Larson crashed on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the course of the 2025 Indianapolis 500 testing session on April 24, he was unhurt when his Hendrick Vehicles-sponsored Arrow McLaren Chevrolet acquired into the SAFER barrier.
Chad Knaus, competitors director for Hendrick Motorsports and seven-time championship-winning crew chief with driver Jimmie Johnson, summed up Larson’s easy-going persona when issues aren’t going to plan.
“A really quick reminiscence is all I can consider,” Knaus mentioned of Larson’s capacity to bounce again. “He simply goes and goes and goes. The factor that I’ve at all times been impressed with Kyle since he confirmed up at Hendrick Motorsports is that he’s unfazed. Like nothing actually will get below his pores and skin. He doesn’t get wound up. He doesn’t get emotional about possibly one thing that occurs on the racetrack. He doesn’t get emotional and carry weight on his shoulders — possibly they’ve a foul race or no matter it could be. He’s like water off a duck’s again. He simply rolls with it, and he goes, and he continues to drive, and he loves racing.”
Cliff Danels, crew chief for the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports group, cited a complete organizational effort for the rationale why wins have come at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 23 and Bristol Motor Speedway on April 13, and now Kansas on Could 11.
“I don’t know that there’s a selected why for this 12 months that may be completely different than the trail to get us right here,” Daniels mentioned. “If you assume again to 2021, the final 12 months of the outdated automotive, Dover was one, two, three, 4 (ending positions) for Hendrick, and we had another actually good races for the corporate that 12 months.
“To me, all of it goes again to, I feel it was 2017: Mr. (Rick) Hendrick demanded that we weren’t going to have the constructing cut up with two groups in numerous buildings and put us all collectively, and we are saying it rather a lot, and it’s one factor to say nevertheless it’s one other factor to observe of how carefully all 4 groups actually do work. There aren’t any hidden notes. There’s no secret pocket book. All the things is shared out within the open with our engineering corps, with the crew chief group. All of our conferences are collectively. We do the whole lot as a mix of the 4 groups. There’s by no means any particular assembly or dialog that simply occurs between a few teams.”
The month of Could is a busy one for all Cup Collection drivers and groups, particularly with the All-Star race and Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte to be run on Could 25. Larson appears to be like at every race, together with Indianapolis, with out trying too far forward.
“…I don’t actually let a race have an effect on the following day of my life,” Larson mentioned. “I doubt it’s going to do something for myself, however I’d moderately win main into these subsequent couple weeks than have a DNF or one thing. However I don’t actually assume it issues. It’s a completely completely different automotive (at Indy), completely completely different collection … rather a lot to be discovered over the following couple weeks.”
With the Kansas win, Larson hit the ten,000 laps-led mark within the Cup Collection spanning 13 seasons. The Larson-Daniels duo has been very profitable since becoming a member of forces of their 2021 Cup Collection championship season.
“Truthfully, the frequent factor that now we have in our relationship is how a lot pure love now we have for racing,” Daniels mentioned. “We don’t go fishing collectively. We don’t even actually discuss a lot in the course of the week.
“We love the game. We love attacking races, determining methods to get higher, methods to be sooner. We each get pleasure from the way in which we construct our group, the way in which our group interacts, and we talk. We play loopy music earlier than the race now; that’s a brand new factor for the 5 group.”
Added Larson, “I feel the one factor I might add could be that we each simply have a variety of belief in one another. I belief that no one works more durable than Cliff and the 5 group, and I feel he is aware of that though I’m not on the store on a regular basis, that’s me — he’s trusting me that I’m working to be one of the best race automotive driver I may be.”
Larson is a favourite to win this Sunday, and wins at Indianapolis and Charlotte are doable throughout a mixed 1,100 miles. It’s rather a lot to absorb, however Larson will stay cool and picked up, irrespective of the place he races.
