"He's owning some of his mistakes": When Kyle Larson's right-hand man stood by him through a season of setbacks

Kyle Larson's 2022 title defense didn't conclude with a burnout in Phoenix but ended behind the wall at the Charlotte Roval. The reigning NASCAR champion was five laps down when he got eliminated from the playoffs by just two points, but his crew chief, Cliff Daniels, stood firmly behind the Hendrick Motorsports driver.

Daniels led Larson to a Cup Series in their first year together, after he was appointed as his crew chief on October 28, 2020. The No. 5 team won ten races in the 2021 campaign, in what was one of the most dominant seasons in recent years. But 2022 told a different tale.

Kyle Larson and crew chief Cliff Daniels celebrate in victory lane after winning the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series. Source: Getty

Larson battled through the unpredictability of the Next Gen car, and with just two wins to his name deep into the playoffs, he faced elimination pressure early. A costly error at the Roval sealed his fate, sending him out of the playoffs. But, Daniels came to the defense of his No. 5 driver, publicly supporting him.

"As far as him taking so much of the blame, I stand by it that there's probably nobody better than... the talent level of Kyle Larson in the world right now, much less in NASCAR in Cup racing. So I will always stand behind him. He's been incredible since we've been together, and I know that he's owning some of his mistakes," Daniels told NASCAR.com

Despite the issues, the No. 5 team still earned three wins, 13 top-five finishes, and remained a front-runner for most of the year. But execution proved elusive when it mattered most. Instead of blaming Kyle Larson, Cliff Daniels took the blame.

"Me as the leader of the team, I have to own the mistakes of things on pit road, and when we miss the setup or miss the call or whatever the situation would be. And again, we've had some mechanical issues that you just can't have. So no, it doesn't fall all of it on his shoulders."

Those mechanical issues were uncharacteristic for Hendrick Motorsports. In total, Larson suffered seven DNFs that season, including three engine failures.

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Round of 12 heartbreak and the road forward for Kyle Larson and Cliff Daniels

Crew chief Cliff Daniels (right) talks with Kyle Larson during the NASCAR Championship Race qualifying. Source: Imagn

At the 2022 Roval race in Charlotte, the final event of the Round of 12, Kyle Larson’s title defense came undone in one moment of imprecision. Exiting Turn 7, the No. 5 Chevy got loose and made contact with the wall, damaging the rear suspension’s toe link. He made it to pit road on Lap 98, but by the time repairs were completed, he'd lost five laps.

Larson finished 35th, and by the time the checkered flag waved, Chase Briscoe had edged him for the final playoff transfer spot by just two points. While Christopher Bell took the win in the 2022 Bank of America ROVAL 400 and locked himself into the Championship 4, it was Joey Logano who emerged as the NASCAR Cup Series champion at Phoenix.

Fast forward to 2025, and that painful Roval exit feels like a distant memory. Now in their fifth season together, Daniels and Larson have rediscovered their groove in their sixth full-time season together. The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team has won 13 times in that time, as Daniels remains one of the most respected voices in the garage.