On the Monday of race week at Sonoma Raceway, [autotag]Kyle Larson[/autotag] didn’t know if he would be in the 2024 NASCAR playoffs. Larson missed the Coca-Cola 600 and competed in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 instead; however, NASCAR eventually granted him a waiver. Then, the driver of the No. 5 car won his third race of the season at Sonoma on Sunday.
Following Larson’s victory, Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman [autotag]Jeff Gordon[/autotag] sat down for his press conference. Gordon was asked about Larson’s ability to be so successful when he’s on the record of knowing little about cars, and didn’t hold back on praising him.
“Because [Kyle Larson] drives the wheels off of it,” Gordon said. “I think if you’re making lap time, making good decisions, he was really good through making up positions on the restarts when he needed to. When those other guys came into pit and he’s out there on a little bit older tires, maintaining lap times the way he was, those are just the things that great drivers do and do well, and he’s one of the greats.”
Gordon called Larson “one of the greats” and that is high praise from one of NASCAR’s most successful drivers in history. Larson is a generational talent, and that has been on display over the last two months. Larson may never reach the numbers that Gordon accomplished, but his overall success in NASCAR already cannot be understated.
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