"We knew there was risk" - Chad Knaus reflects on Kyle Larson's failed bid for the Double 

After all the preparation, hard work, and marketing, Kyle Larson's 'Double' attempt came undone because of the weather. It was rain which delayed the start of the Indy 500 and it was rain which ensured that the Coke 600 was declared over before Larson even stepped inside his car.

But it wasn't something that Hendrick Motorsports weren't already thinking of leading up to the big day. Rick Hendrick had hoped the weather went in accordance with their plans, but it was something they couldn't control. And recently, Chad Knaus revealed that HMS was aware of the weather factor posing a risk.

Speaking to journalist Claire B Lang after the Coke 600, the HMS' Vice President of Competition spoke about the 'Double' effort by the organization. Knaus deemed it "a great initiative," one that saw Hendrick take an opportunity to showcase the talent of Kyle Larson at Indianapolis.

For Knaus, it was "really something special" and a matter of pride, as he spoke more about Larson and subsequently about them being aware of the weather.

"He's (Kyle Larson) an amazing racecar driver and we're very honored to have him at Hendrick Motorsports. It was cool to see HendrickCars.com at Indianpolis and having Mr. Hendrick there too to be able to witness it as well. We knew there was risk and we played that game and it just didn't happen to work out," Knaus said.

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Kyle Larson paid tribute to Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson ahead of their HoF induction

As Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus were being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame earlier this year, Kyle Larson spoke about the legendary pair.

"I’m happy that they are both going in at the same time. That is special because they both made such an impact on the sport of NASCAR. Getting to work with Chad (Knaus) in his management role is a lot of fun. It’s always fun when you get to pick his brain a bit reliving stories and races with Jimmie (Johnson)," Larson said as per Hendrick Motorsports.

The 2021 Cup Series champion said he was fortunate to race against Jimmie Johnson and battle him on the racetrack. Larson saw shades of himself in Johnson. However, he added that Johnson made fewer mistakes than him in his prime.

For Larson, Johnson is "just a great person". He claimed he couldn't think of anyone else who is as respected as the 7x Cup Series champion.

The #5 driver added that hearing about the Johnson-Knaus stories from back in the day of them getting their racecar to have an edge over their rivals is "always interesting to listen to."

Larson also added that Chad Knaus "transformed the sport" on the crew side.