Hendrick Motorsports certainly knows how to put on a show. Throughout their 40-year history, the team has always had some of the greatest drivers in the sport. One of those drivers displayed a historic performance in this past weekend’s Bristol Night Race. Kyle Larson once again proved why he’s a threat to win anywhere or anyplace.
Boys being boys. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/NWt28MAIg8
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 22, 2024
Larson not only captured his fifth victory of the 2024 season, he dominated the race. He led 462 of the 500-lap race. Now that’s certainly a butt-kicking and something that likely won’t be seen again. There have been plenty of other dominant performances in the history of NASCAR, look at Martin Truex Jr in the Coca-Cola 600 in 2016.
What Larson did was more than a historic performance, however, he broke a record that has long been held by Hendrick Motorsports’ greatest driver.
Kyle Larson’s Historic Performance Puts Him In Elite Company
Long before Larson’s historic performance at Bristol. NASCAR Hall of Famer and the famed No. 24 car of Jeff Gordon held the record for most laps led in a single race in HMS history. He held the two most laps led in the organization’s history. The most was 431 at Martinsville in 1997. His other historic laps led came at Dover in 1995, when he led every lap, of the 400-lap event.
Larson’s new record is very impressive and certainly isn’t going to be met. He also was the first to lead over 400 laps in a race at Bristol since 2008. Kyle Busch was the last to do so during the Sharpie 500.
"We've all grown up watching Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson dominate."
Kyle Larson takes pride in holding the Hendrick Motorsports record for laps led in a single race. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/GT82NMArJj
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 22, 2024
Kyle has put himself in Elite Company and is quickly proving why he could become the next driver in NASCAR to reach more than two Cup Championships when it’s all said and done. He’s certainly hitting the Jeff Gordon arc much like he was expected to when he first arrived in NASCAR.
Was It Larson’s Best Race Ever?
Kyle certainly has done a lot since joining HMS in 2021. A Championship wins in three of the four crown jewel races. His performance last Saturday night was nothing less than spectacular. Larson was full of emotion once he got to victory lane, and was asked about the records he set on Saturday night. He certainly isn’t thinking about them a whole lot, he told motorsport.com’s Nick DeGroot.
” I think whenever I’m done racing or done being a driver at Hendrick Motorsports and those records are still there, then yeah, it’ll mean a lot to me,” Larson said. ” But for right now it’s like you’re just trying to do a good job, and the records will take care of themselves, I guess. I’m sure I’ll be able to kind of think about it more when I’m down the road.”
Larson was certainly humble in that interview. Yet, what he did is still arguably his best race ever. You don’t just go out and lead 462 laps without ever being passed by anyone on track for the lead, especially in this day in age. Still, he did that, and more. He won all the stages and the race, that had never been done before at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Chase For Championship Number Two Is On
As the series turns to the round of 12, Larson has his eyes set on making a run at his second championship. This next round starts well with Kansas Speedway up next. A place with plenty of memories for Larson. Just look back to the Spring race, when he beat Chris Buescher by less than a nose for the win.
Larson is going to be in a good position to compete for the race win once again. Bristol was historic, but Larson has plenty of other records to chase down. The next would be to get Championship Number Two.
