Biggest Similarity Between Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick’s Dominance? Relationship With the Crew Chief

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson and his No. 5 team are heading strong into the 2024 Cup Series Round of 8. He won the race at the Charlotte Roval last Sunday and firmly fixed his position as the biggest favorite to win the title. One of the core engines behind his performance, not just this season but since 2020, is his crew chief Cliff Daniels.

The duo have won multiple races in each of the seasons they have been paired together and are strongly on their way to a second championship. The iconic crew chief, Rodney Childers, is one of the many who have been impressed by their racing prowess. He acknowledged their dominance recently and likened it to what he did with Kevin Harvick between 2014 and 2020.

He said to NASCAR.com, “They’re clicking, just, all eight cylinders. Everything they do is right. So, those guys deserve everything they’re getting right now just like the No. 4 car was a few years ago. As a competitor, you like to see that. I enjoy seeing what they’re doing and what Cliff and Kyle’s relationship is like. It reminds me a lot of what Kevin and I were like.” 

The Childers-Harvick combination is highly regarded as one of the most effective in the history of the sport. It brought Stewart-Haas Racing five-to-six race wins every season consistently and a championship in 2014.

Larson and Daniels could easily follow on this path and join them as a memorable driver-crew chief pair. Winning the title this year would go a long way towards that goal.

How Childers came to work with Kevin Harvick in 2014

When Harvick approached Childers to be his crew chief in Stewart-Haas Racing, Childers was already in a comfortable position with Michael Waltrip Racing. Harvick’s reputation as a volatile driver did not exactly give him a lot of confidence about a job change either.

However, the driver was aware of the talent and decided to hang on. He narrated to Forbes, “Most of the conversations, his biggest concern was he didn’t want to be yelled at on the radio. He didn’t want me getting out and jumping over cars, doing all this stupid stuff I’ve done over the years.”

What ended up being the turning point was the potential to win a championship. Building the No. 4 team from scratch meant Harvick and Childers could build their own path to glory. The prospect attracted the crew chief enough and he decided to join forces beginning in 2014.