There are few people in NASCAR who know what it takes to win multiple Cup Series championships. Of the active drivers in the Cup Series, there are only two drivers with more than one title. Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson has secured a spot in the Championship Four and might be on pace to earn his second Cup title. He hasn't gotten there alone, as his crew chief Cliff Daniels has proven to be one of the best in the business.
Soon-to-be NASCAR Hall of Famer and former crew chief, Chad Knaus, is Hendrick Motorsports VP of competition and knows what it takes to reach NASCAR greatness.
He won seven championships with Jimmie Johnson, and he truly believes the pairing of Larson and Daniels, could be bound for something of similar proportions.
Knaus appeared on Sirus XM NASCAR Radio to talk about the combination of Larson and Daniels, saying that the two could be set up to win multiple championships.
? ?I do think that they can go on to win many championships.?
?? @chadknaus things the combination of @KyleLarsonRacin and @DanielsCliff is a dangerous one.
More from the @TeamHendrick VP of Competition ? https://t.co/qesEcbI9Hq pic.twitter.com/CbB0KOrdq0
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) October 18, 2023
"Ya know, Kyle has come into really be a good leader at Hendrick Motorsports, he speaks a lot in our competition meetings and gives good guidance and good direction," Knaus said. "Cliff obviously has been here for a long time, and I was very fortunate to have Cliff as my engineer when we won our seventh championship. ... he's been around and in the pressure cooker a lot. Obviously, he learned under Jimmie, and Jimmie is a great mentor to crew chiefs and helps crew chiefs come along. So, he's had a lot of great support, and he's done a fantastic job...."
All the work Daniels has done has put him in a good position to make special things happen, especially with a talent like Larson as his driver. Knaus fully believes those two have multiple championships on the horizon.
"I do think they can go on to win many championships to come," Knaus concluded.
Hendrick Motorsports has made plenty of history with drivers, but their list of elite crew chiefs is also outstanding. As long as Larson and Daniels are together, there isn't much anyone can do to stop them from making their own run at seven titles.
They might be the pair that gets to eight. Time will tell.
