Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion driver Kyle Larson and crew chief Cliff Daniels signed matching long-term contract extensions with Hendrick Motorsports.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion driver Kyle Larson and crew chief Cliff Daniels signed matching long-term contract extensions with Hendrick Motorsports.
Larson and Daniels will remain with Hendrick and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team through the 2031 NASCAR Cup Series season. Between now and then, HendrickCars.com will appear on the car as the primary sponsor in 35 of the 38 races each season.
“We’re incredibly grateful for this partnership with our teammates at Hendrick Motorsports,” said Jeffrey “JB” Brown, president of Hendrick Automotive Group. “Since 2021, the program has consistently delivered a nearly three-to-one return with record-breaking traffic to HendrickCars.com, over $80 million in television exposure and tens of millions of social media engagements.
"As we enter our company’s 50th anniversary year, racing has driven results and united our teammates in such a powerful way that extending our relationship with Kyle, Cliff, and this championship team was a no-brainer.”
Larson has racked up 26 points-paying wins – 10 more than any other driver – as well as two championships and two NASCAR All-Star Race wins (2021, 2023). He leads all drivers in wins, runner-up finishes (18), top-five finishes (78), top-10 finishes (103) and laps led (7,149). Over the last five seasons, Larson has also led 2,058 more laps than any other driver -- all mostly with Daniels on the box as crew chief.
“I’m incredibly grateful to continue my career with Hendrick Motorsports and HendrickCars.com,” Larson said. “This team, this organization and this family have given me everything I need to compete at the highest level. We’ve accomplished a lot together, but I truly believe the best is still ahead. I’m grateful to Mr. Hendrick and JB for believing in me, and I’m excited to keep chasing wins and championships with Cliff and the 5 team for many more years.”
Larson started his NASCAR Cup Series career at Chip Ganassi Racing, driving for the team from 2014 to 2020. Ganassi released Larson early in 2020 after an incident involving him saying a racial epithet on a stream of a sim race.
The young driver took the rest of 2020 off from NASCAR and drove his heart out to piles of wins on dirt tracks -- finding his way back to NASCAR in 2021 with Rick Hendrick.
“When you look at what it takes to succeed at the highest level year after year, it starts with people,” Hendrick said. “Kyle is one of the most complete drivers in our sport. His talent, work ethic and instincts give us a chance to win every time we race. Cliff is a true servant leader who brings out the best in everyone around him and sets the standard for how we go to the track. Having HendrickCars.com alongside this group continues to create real, measurable value for our automotive business. Together, it’s a combination that will keep winning races and competing for championships for a long time.”