| Car Number | #5 |
| Team | Hendrick Motorsports |
| Manufacturer | Chevrolet |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | July 31, 1992 - Elk Grove, California |
| Age | 33 |
2026 Season Stats
Career Stats
Biography
Kyle Larson is widely regarded as the most talented pure racer in motorsports today, a distinction that extends well beyond the confines of the NASCAR Cup Series. The defending 2025 Cup champion returns to Hendrick Motorsports for the 2026 season looking to add a third title to his growing legacy. Of Japanese-American descent, Larson grew up in Elk Grove, California, immersed in the world of sprint car racing - a background that shaped his exceptional car control and aggressive racing style.
Larson's path to NASCAR stardom took an unconventional route through open-wheel dirt racing. He was a standout in the World of Outlaws sprint car circuit before joining NASCAR's development pipeline through the Drive for Diversity program. His Cup career began in 2014 with Chip Ganassi Racing, where he showed flashes of brilliance but could never quite put together a full championship campaign. After a suspension in 2020 that sidelined him from Cup competition, Larson used the time to dominate the dirt racing world, winning an astonishing number of sprint car and midget races.
His return to NASCAR with Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 was nothing short of historic. Larson won 10 races that season - the most since Jimmie Johnson's dominant 2007 campaign - and captured his first Cup championship. The No. 5 Chevrolet became the most feared car in the garage, and Larson's combination of speed and consistency set a new standard. He followed that up with continued excellence, culminating in a second championship in 2025 that cemented his place among the all-time greats.
Beyond NASCAR, Larson continues to race sprint cars, midgets, and late models whenever his schedule allows. His attempt at the 2024 Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double showcased his desire to compete at the highest level across multiple disciplines. With crew chief Cliff Daniels and the full might of Hendrick Motorsports behind him, Larson enters 2026 as the defending champion and one of the favorites to contend once again.
Interesting Facts
- Won 10 Cup races in 2021, the most in a single season since Jimmie Johnson won 10 in 2007
- Japanese-American heritage - his maternal grandparents were interned during World War II
- Attempted the Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 double in 2024, racing both events on the same day
- Won over 50 sprint car and midget races during his 2020 suspension from NASCAR
- Came through NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program as a teenager
- Considered one of the best dirt racers in the world alongside his Cup career