Larson comes full circle with Hendrick in winning 1st title

By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Kyle Larson was 18 when he first tried to get a job at Hendrick Motorsports. There wasn’t any room for him then, and Jeff Gordon advised Larson to give up dirt racing if he was serious about moving to NASCAR. Larson ended up driving for Chip Ganassi Racing for nearly seven years before he was fired in 2020 for using a racial slur. When he got his second chance in NASCAR, it was also a second chance with Hendrick. Team owner Rick Hendrick will now let Larson race anything he wants and he marked his return with his first career Cup Series title.