CONCORD, N.C. – With 12 wins and the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship over the past two seasons, it’s safe to say Kyle Larson is right at home at Hendrick Motorsports.
RELATED: Larson, HendrickCars.com ink extensions through 2026 season
Now, he will be in the fold even longer with Friday’s news that Larson as well as primary sponsor HendrickCars.com have inked concurrent extensions that run through the 2026 racing season. These deals build off of the extensions signed in July 2021. HendrickCars.com will serve as the majority partner for 35 races and continue to support the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in all non-NASCAR events in which he competes.
On Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway, Larson explained what he has enjoyed about his time at Hendrick Motorsports.
"You look at the long careers that a lot of their drivers had there. There’s a reason why they’ve had long careers there because it’s a great place," Larson said. "Everybody treats you really fair and right and you feel like family once you are there. Especially with Rick (Hendrick), Jeff (Gordon) and everybody involved. You feel like family."
The Elk Grove, California, native has long had the eye of team owner Rick Hendrick. Larson’s 2021 championship marked the NASCAR Hall of Famer's 14th title as an owner in the sport’s top series.
"I’ve watched Kyle race ever since he’s been in the sport," Hendrick said shortly after the extension was signed. "Now to have won a championship and extending this out to '26 is a super deal."
Larson’s driving talent has quite often been compared to that of NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon. The now-Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman is beyond thrilled to have the 30-year-old in the fold long term.
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"When you take a driver like Kyle Larson with his capabilities and what he’s already achieved at Hendrick Motorsports," Gordon said. "It’s certainly a no brainer that we want to keep this great team together."
The admiration is mutual between the four-time champion and the reigning Cup Series champion.
"It was fun to go through it with Jeff," Larson said. "He’s somebody I’ve looked up to my whole life. Being able to work with my childhood hero is pretty fun."
Larson’s extension marks the third long-term deal signed this season by a Hendrick Motorsports driver. Prior to the DAYTONA 500, Chase Elliott inked a five-year extension that keeps him with the organization through the 2027 season. William Byron completed a three-year extension in May that runs through the 2025 season. Alex Bowman is under contract through the 2023 season.
"You wouldn’t want to be as a race car driver anywhere else in my opinion," Larson said. "This place is the standard when it comes to NASCAR Cup Series racing."
Larson has followed up his 10-win, championship-winning season with a second straight playoff appearance with crew chief Cliff Daniels. For the 2022 season, he has two wins and enters the Round of 16 elimination race at Bristol with a 27-point advantage over the cutoff line. He also is the defending race winner at the .533-mile Tennessee short track – one of his five playoff wins in 2021.
Tune in to watch Larson and all of the Hendrick Motorsports camp strive to advance to the next round of the playoffs in Saturday’s race at Bristol at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).