Kyle Larson reveals what Hendrick Motorsports owner told him moments after Daytona 500 pole

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson took pole position in qualifying for Sunday’s Daytona 500. The 29-year-old set a time of 49.68 seconds with a speed of 181.859 mph in his #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. In doing so, he made 2022 the tenth consecutive year that a Chevrolet has taken pole position in this event.

Speaking about how it felt to achieve pole at Daytona, Kyle Larson said:

“Anytime you are really proud of your team to get a pole here because this is the littlest it has to do with us drivers; qualifying at superspeedways. Just a huge thank you to the engine shop at Hendrick Motorsports. Everybody who’s had a part in touching these vehicles; whether it be on the computer, engineering, or just hands on. It’s really neat; just awesome the speed in our HendrickCars.com Chevy. Hopefully this is the beginning of a really good weekend.”

Kyle Larson then went on to reveal what team owner Rick Hendrick told him after his performance. He said:

“He said he loves seeing that HendrickCars.com Chevy on the pole. That paint scheme means a lot to him and Linda [Hendrick] and means a lot to the whole Hendrick Motorsports family, so to have it on the pole at the Daytona 500 is really special. I think it would be even more special if we could win the Duels tomorrow and go on Sunday and win the 500.”

The Hendrick Motorsports driver will be joined on the front row by his team-mate Alex Bowman in his #48 Ally Camaro ZL1. In locking out the front row, Bowman drove his way into the event’s history books as the only driver in the series’ history to sit on the Daytona 500 front row for five consecutive seasons, from 2018 to 2022.

Bowman went on to give credit to his team for his achievements, saying:

“It just says so much about Hendrick Motorsports and all these guys. Congrats to the 5 on getting the pole. It’s cool to have the record, but I feel like Greg Ives (Crew Chief) and my race team should be the ones that get the credit for that record. The driver doesn’t really have much to do with it, but glad I didn’t mess it up for them and really happy for Ally and Chevrolet. Cool to be a part of it.”

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Kyle Larson's pole adds to Chevrolet’s records at Daytona 500

Chevrolet has set some enviable records in the Cup Series as well as at the Great American Race. The manufacturer from Motown has now won 724 poles in the series, of which 52 are from the Daytona International Speedway. Their ten-year-long streak of poles at Daytona makes it the highest for any manufacturer at the venue.

Meanwhile, Kyle Larson’s pole win at the Daytona 500 gave his team Hendrick Motorsports their 15th such achievement, making it the most of any team in the Cup Series.

Now that the front row has been locked out, fans are eager to watch the two 60-lap, 150-mile Bluegreen Vacation Duels on February 17 for the remaining cars. FS1 will telecast the event when it kicks off at 7:00 pm ET, with MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 covering it as well.

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Also Checkout: Daytona 500 Lineup