Including a NASCAR Cup Series championship and several grassroots dirt racing accolades, Kyle Larson’s reputation for versatility has come from the California native’s knack for excelling behind the wheel of anything with four wheels. However, one of the lesser-known victories the Hendrick Motorsports driver has to his name is a win in one of the country’s premier endurance races.
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Larson’s racing escapades during the early part of his Cup Series career with Chip Ganassi involved a victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona back in 2015. Driving alongside teammates Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan from the world of IndyCar and NASCAR regular Jamie McMurray at the time, Larson piloted the #02 Ganassi Racing Ford to victory.
Managing to clinch the silverware in just his second start in the race, the now #5 Chevrolet Camaro driver looked back on the win in 2018 and said:
“We just did a really good job as a team. Jamie, Tony, Scott, and myself we worked really well together that year, and the car was fast. To win that race and not only get the win for myself but to watch Jamie and the emotions he was going through was very special to see.”
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also called the Rolex 24 at Daytona is one of the most esteemed events that kicks off the racing season in America every year. Preceding the Dayton 500 in terms of scheduling, several NASCAR drivers have dipped their feet into one of the most grueling endurance races in the world.
The latest entrant into the event from the stock car racing world comes in the form of Team Penkse’s Austin Cindric. The #2 Ford Mustang driver will pilot the #64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports during the famed endurance event this year.
Larson’s return in 2016 did not go as well
Vying for a second consecutive victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2016, Larson and his teammates did not have the best of luck as their hopes came crashing down after a technical snag hit the team, in typical endurance racing fashion. A brake failure during the eighth hour as Tony Kanaan drove the car meant the team fell five laps behind the lead, trying to make repairs.
Despite managing to fix the car and Larson heading out to claw back the lost time, he crashed behind the wheel with a little under three hours to go. Locking the brakes and crashing into the barriers at the West Hairpin, the entry finished in P13.
This marked Larson’s last foray into the 24-hour-long event at Daytona. Now a Cup Series champion after clinching the title in 2021, Larson still seems to be working on one of his weaknesses which shone through back in 2016 — crashing out because of pushing the car a little too much.
