It has been three decades since the first Brickyard race in NASCAR, where Jeff Gordon won driving the #24 Hendrick Motorsports car. Thirty years later, Kyle Larson was the victor at Indianapolis driving the #5.
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It was an emotional moment for the legendary team owner, Rick Hendrick. He showed his appreciation for his driver and the track as he knelt down with the rest of his team and kissed the bricks. The gesture received a rousing applause from those in attendance.
It was special because Hendrick had recently undergone knee surgery. He fought through the pain to kneel and kiss the bricks. He was helped to his feet by his team after which he joined the team in the celebrations. Along with Larson, Cliff Daniels and Jeff Gordon, the HMS boss stepped on the podium as his team celebrated a historic win at the Brickyard. Speaking to the media after the race, Hendrick gave a heartfelt interview.
Kyle Larson kisses the bricks as the champion of the #Brickyard400
Rick Hendrick powered through recent knee surgery to kiss the bricks too, getting down and then up with assistance. Crowd loved it. pic.twitter.com/o7vF5Ygiqx
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) July 21, 2024
“I was just excited and hung out with them. That might be the first time an owner ever did it, but it was fun. This is a special place. The oval is special. Thirty years ago we celebrated with Jeff. Hard to believe it’s been 30 years, but … this is a special place,” he said.
Hendrick did not have the best experience when Larson raced at this track earlier this year. Neither did the driver. The Indy 500 was delayed and he was only good enough for a P18 finish. Due to the delay, he could not start the Coca-Cola 600.
Larson feels the love from fans at Indianapolis
This time, however, the results were a lot better as Larson won at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Fans at the track had a lot of love for the 2021 Cup Series champion as they cheered him on to Victory Lane. Yung Money said that he always felt the love from fans whenever he raced at the track, similar to when he ran the Indy 500 with Arrow McLaren.
“Yeah, obviously, doing the Indy 500, I feel like it exploded for Indiana fans. I felt like when I was here for the 500, there were so many people wearing my T-shirts and my little jersey things that they made, all that. I recognized just as much of that here today,” he said.
This win was the 2021 Cup Series champion’s fourth win of the season and his first at the Brickyard. He will have a lot of confidence heading into the rest of the regular season fixtures. Larson currently sits at the top of the regular season championship table. Currently, he is 10 points clear of his teammate Chase Elliott in second place.
