Kyle Larson's team looks like peak Jimmie Johnson but Denny Hamlin says there's time yet

It’s early yet but the start to this Chase for the Championship is making Kyle Larson and the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 look an awful lot like the No. 48 team that terrorized the Cup Series from 2006 to 2010.

Even amidst a well-publicized winless drought to start the season, Larson was leading laps and has actually scored the most stage points throughout the entire season. So, there was clearly a sleeping dragon of sorts waiting for the Chase to begin.  

Now this very much looks like Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus and the Hendrick Motorsports championship buzzsaw after finishes of fifth, first, second and first to open the 10-race playoff.

“What Jimmie and Chad were able to do for so long was super impressive,” Larson said after winning at Kansas. “So, anybody in the field would love to replicate what they have done.

“Although he might hate hearing it, Cliff is as close to Chad Knaus as you can get. I’m happy to have him as our crew chief leading our team.”

And while it’s not apples-to-apples, Larson has a resume that is approaching the Hall of Famer and all-time great as well. He is already a two-time champion. With Daniels, it’s a team that looks like one that very well could define a decade of dominance in the same way as well.

It’s a dynamic that Denny Hamlin is familiar with as his regular season championship lead has been upended in the same way Johnson upended his eight-win 2010 season. Is Larson now the championship favorite?

“Yeah, I mean he’s got the points lead and is definitely in control when he got it,” Hamlin said after the race with a laugh.

“I mean, I think that we’re right there,” Hamlin said. “We have finished right where we run every race. There’s a few where maybe we finished a little better than what we were. I mean, Darlington’s the exception, but this is where we’re at right now on speed. And until we get a little bit faster in the short run, we’re going to kind of finish right where we’re at.”

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He is the latest in a long line of drivers to match up with the Hendrick Motorsports aces and think they could still come back; and maybe he can. It’s just 26 points. But it was also just one point.

That’s how it worked with the old 48 team back in the day too, not that Larson is buying the comparison.

“Honestly, I try not to think about all those things and listen or read or anything like that just because I want to stay focused and just try to keep doing the best job I can, which has worked us here for the first four races,” Larson said. “Being smart behind the wheel, making good decisions, all those things.

“So, yeah, but it’s more than just me. The team also has to have that same mindset. I feel like they do, and the pit crew has been solid. Mechanics have been bringing fast race cars.”

And no, he doesn’t feel like he’s the favorite suddenly.

No, no,” he said with a laugh. “There’s still six races left, and I only have a 26-point lead on Denny. That could be swallowed up in a hurry. I scored 76 points today. So, Denny could go have a max points day next week, and I could blow an engine, like Noah (Gragson) did in the first stage, and I’m down 70-some points right there.

“No, I don’t look at it like that. I’m just really trying to do the best job I can, again. And, yeah, just show up to the racetrack and kind of block out all that stuff.”

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There is still a long way to go but a hierarchy is very quickly being established.

Kyle Larson
Denny Hamlin -27
Christopher Bell -49
Joey Logano -64
Ryan Blaney -92

Arguably, there has to be some urgency and winning for Bell, Logano and Blaney.

“Some situations definitely feel like must-win if you’re in a spot to win the race,” Blaney said. “But at the same time, you still just have to continue to fight and continue to keep clawing away at everything and not have terrible days.

“We’ve already had two terrible days and you look and see what hole it puts you in and it’s hard to climb out of it. We just have to try to be smart about when we need to be aggressive and when we not to be. But yeah, we’re going to have to win two or three races to have a shot.”

And Hamlin likely needs to go match Larson with wins now too.

“If you’re 30-40 back going in the homestead, you got to win,” Hamlin said. “So we won’t know if that’s what we need to do for many, many weeks. (Larson) started on the front row, led a lot and it was tough to tell whether it was really clean air or whether it was him, or a little of both.”

In other words, Hamlin doesn’t see Larson as some insurmountable Hendrick 48 figure yet either.

As for Daniels and Hendrick president Jeff Andrews, they just point directly to the top and Rick Hendrick, himself. Andrews said that Hendrick is the common denominator between that 48 team and this 5 team.

“Mr. Hendrick is just the linchpin for the culture, for the mindset,” Daniels said. “He called all the crew chiefs, this is probably five or six weeks before The Chase, and gosh, we’re just down and just grinding it out. He could tell everybody is just, you know, being hard on ourselves.

“I’m pretty sure he called all four crew chiefs, all four drivers and was like, ‘Hey, man, all good, no pressure. If we go run 15th for the rest of the year, I believe in you guys and know that you guys are going to do what it takes to recover from this and to learn how to improve our cars and performance’ and all the things.

“So without that steady hand from him and that steady encouragement, I just don’t see how our culture stays so well-connected and so positive. So big thank you to Mr. Hendrick for believing in us, for giving us the opportunity, coaching us when we need it.

“He always says, when you are winning, you’re not as good as you think you are, and when you are losing, you’re not as bad as you think you are. He keeps us right in that lane and we’re very grateful for him.”

Six weeks to go to see if they are who they look like they are.  
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