Getty Kyle Larson (left) will run a special Tim Richmond scheme at Darlington.
The No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro is throwing it back to the 1984 Busch Grand National Series season. Kyle Larson will run a special scheme honoring Tim Richmond’s No. 0 Pontiac during the Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway.
Hendrick Motorsports revealed the special scheme on April 28. Larson will have HendrickCars.com as his primary partner once again, but he won’t have the blue and white colors. Instead, the No. 5 will feature a white base with red door numbers, a red star, and red stripes on the sides as a tribute to Richmond’s stock car from the Miller Time 300.
Hendrick MotorsportsKyle Larson will run a Tim Richmond tribute scheme.
“Throwback races are always fun, especially when you get to do something that doesn’t just look cool, but has a lot of meaning behind it,” Larson said in a release from Hendrick Motorsports. “There aren’t a lot of All-Star Racing liveries that haven’t been re-done already, so it’s special. That scheme started it all, and everyone involved worked so hard to get us where we are now. It’s definitely motivating!
“Especially when you add in that Tim Richmond was the driver. He’s a legend for leaving it all on the track, he would go full send on crazy moves and things that other drivers wouldn’t even try. So I’m going to go out there and try to drive it like Tim would. ”
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Richmond Unofficially Joined Hendrick Motorsports in 1984
Richmond, who won 13 Cup Series races in 185 starts, did not officially join Hendrick Motorsports until the 1986 Cup Series season. However, he made some limited starts for the team in what is now the Xfinity Series.
Richmond drove Hendrick Motorsports Pontiac for two races in 1984, which both took place at Charlotte Motor Speedway. An oil leak in the No. 15 ended his first start after only 84 laps, but his second start featured a much better performance.
Richmond returned to HMS on October 6, 1984, for the Miller Time 300. He drove the No. 0 Hendrick Honda Pontiac, and he won the Pole Award. Richmond only led 11 laps during the race, but he posted a top-five finish behind teammate Geoffrey Bodine.
The late NASCAR driver made two more starts for Hendrick Motorsports the following year while running full-time in the Cup Series for Blue Max Racing. He won the Pole Award for both races and he captured his first Xfinity Series win at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Richmond officially joined Hendrick Motorsports in 1986, and he made starts in both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series. The Ohio native made three starts in the Xfinity Series with one win. He also won seven Cup Series races while running full-time before finishing third overall in the championship standings.
Larson’s 2021 Throwback Featured a Wildly Different Scheme
GettyKyle Larson used a personal throwback scheme during the 2021 race.
The 2021 season, Larson’s first with Hendrick Motorsports, featured the debut of a bright, red and white scheme with blue and yellow numbers. This scheme did not reference NASCAR history. Instead, it threw it back to Larson’s first go-kart, which was the first step in his racing career.
In order to complete the look, Larson wore a bright, multi-colored firesuit for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. This throwback outfit was actually a recreation of the one that Larson wore while competing in the go-kart and gaining experience behind the wheel.
Larson put the special throwback scheme on full display while battling the 2017 Cup Series champion for the win. He ultimately finished second overall after scoring points in all three stages while Martin Truex Jr. capped off a dominant afternoon in Victory Lane.