2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson seems to be one driver with superhuman powers and energy. The Hendrick Motorsports driver, most notably known for driving the #5 hendrickcars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, is also known for his exploits in grassroots dirt racing series such as Dirt Midgets, Late Models, and Sprint Cars to name a few.
Hailing from a dirt racing background himself, it only makes sense for the Elk Grove, California native to keep in touch with his roots, just like when he raced outlaw karts in his childhood.
The former Chip Ganassi Racing driver is also no stranger to difficult times as Larson was suspended for half of the 2020 Cup Series season after he was found to have used a racial slur in an online iRacing lobby.
The result of this suspension came in the form of his switch to Hendrick Motorsports, where he managed to dominate the 2021 season with such conviction that no other driver seemed to be on a level similar to him. Winning a record 10 races in 2021 alone, Kyle Larson has numerous Cup Series wins to his name.
Since making his debut in 2014, Larson has managed to rack up 19 wins in the Cup Series, with a total of 89 top-5s and 146 top-10s to his name.
Kyle Larson to compete in the 2024 Indy 500
Hendrick Motorsport's Kyle Larson's early career dream of making it into open-wheel racing seems to be coming true next year after the 30-year-old announced his appearance in the 2024 Indy 500.
Regarded as the crown jewel of the NTT IndyCar Series and being referred to as the greatest racing spectacle on the planet, the Indy 500 continues to be a bucket list item for drivers from around the globe.
Elaborating further in a press release, Larson said:
"I'm super excited. Competing at the Indianapolis 500 is a dream of mine and something I've wanted to do for a very long time – since I was a child before I ever began competing in sprint cars. To do it with McLaren and Mr. Hendrick especially is a dream come true."
McLaren Racing's CEO, Zak Brown, also spoke about Kyle Larson's future appearance with the team in 2024, and said:
"Adding Kyle Larson with a HendrickCars.com partnership to the Indy 500 lineup in 2024 is exciting for our Arrow McLaren team as well as for race fans. He’s a complete driver, known for racing anything on wheels, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Kyle can do in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car."
Meanwhile, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off next month with the Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum.