Which team or organization in NASCAR today wouldn’t want to have someone like Kyle Larson on their side? After all, Larson is just a little bit better than most. That’s something that is clearly reflected in his results, his records, and his statistics. But what does someone like the #5 driver bring to the table? What’s that extra thing? Jeff Gordon recently answered just that.
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The 4x Cup champion addressed a question about what is something that Kyle Larson has brought to Hendrick that differs from what others have in the past. Gordon also made a big claim about who, between him and Larson, is a better driver.
Jeff Gordon opens up on what makes Kyle Larson special
Responding to the question about what Larson has brought to the table, Gordon replied, “Anybody that’s bringing a high level of talent and aggressiveness and speed to match up with people that are building the cars, it’s about having confidence in one another.”
He recalled how when he told Cliff Daniels about the prospect of signing Larson, “he lit up.” “He was excited about that,” Gordon added. “So there’s certain drivers that bring that, not a lot of them, but the ones that do instantly elevate the team.”
“But you gotta follow that up with a work-hard attitude and he’s doing both of those things so it’s a good combination.”
Gordon deems Larson is a better driver than he was
During the same media interaction, Jeff Gordon was asked at one point whether he thinks Kyle Larson is a better racecar driver than him. “Uh, yes,” Gordon replied as he pointed to another Hendrick legend who outran him in the past. “I got my butt kicked by one guy as my teammate at Hendrick Motorsports. I didn’t need two of them,” he said.
Gordon touched on the capabilities and talent of Kyle Larson, claiming he was also impressed with Yung Money’s work ethic as well. “I wasn’t sure how he approached the Cup Series and especially with Cliff and all the data and the homework Cliff gives him, all the meetings and all that. Cliff is an intense guy and brings a lot to the table, so that’s a lot of information you have to absorb,” he described.
The Hall of Famer added that Larson has surely “stepped up to the plate” and has done everything Hendrick Motorsports have asked him to do, leading to “a great relationship” so far.
