Hendrick Motorsports has always been the destination for best racers in the NASCAR garage. From Jimmie Johnson to Jeff Gordon in the past to Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott now, the list of superstars are long. They have fielded cars for different kind of racers, from teach-savvy racers to pure race cars drivers over the years.
The Jimmie Johnson-Jeff Gordon partnership is a big example for this dynamic. Gordon was the driver who was involved deep in the technological aspects of the cars and his hard work played a pivotal role in the team fielding dominant cars. At the same time the seven times champion Johnson was more of racer car driver.
According to ex-NASACAR driver Kyle Petty, a same partnership exits at the moment at HMS. He pointed out that 2021 Cup champion Kyle Larson is race car driver cut from the same cloth as Johnson. He then named 2024 Daytona 500 winner Willaim Byron as the successor to Gordon as the franchise player of Rick Hendrick.
I think Jimmie [Johnson] rode a lot of the time, on the bus that Jeff had created. Jeff built that into a place. Jimmie’s a phenomenal race car driver. Cut from the same cloth as a Kyle Larson. But Jimmie’s not that guy, to me, with the technical knowledge, that’s going to move the ball. I think William Byron is that guy, who has an understanding of the car, mechanically and aero-wise, and is going to move that ball, and does it at an early age. Does it like Jeff Gordon at an early age. Kyle Petty told Eric Estepp.
Kyle Petty details why Kyle Larson is not the racer for HMS to build the team around
The eight times Cup race winner pointed out that, if HMS has to build their team around someone it should be William Byron over Kyle Larson. He pointed out that Larson is going to win races for the team but he won’t leave the company in a better place if he leaves the team unlike Byron who would with the No:24 team.
If I’m going to build a franchise, I’m going to build a team, I’m going to build it with a William Byron. I’m going to go win races with Kyle Larson, but Kyle Larson’s not a builder. He’s just going to come in and win a bunch of races. But when he leaves, and my car isn’t good, and I don’t have a guy with the talent of a Kyle Larson, I’m not going to run well. William Byron’s going to leave the company a better place. Kyle Petty said.
Petty is right to say that comparing the two driver Byron is the better rider to build the team around and he is a more of the corporate driver HMS could ask for. But that doesn’t mean they can’t build a team around Larson as well, he has experience in vast majority of racing championships which is relay valuable and can help the team to come up with sophisticated ideas to race better.
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