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Who Is Kyle Larson’s Crew Chief Cliff Daniels? All You Need to Know About His Career, Championships and How He Calls the Race

Kyle Larson’s success behind the wheel is no accident. Every winning driver needs someone who understands his instincts, makes the right calls under pressure, and knows when to take a calculated risk. For Larson, that person is Cliff Daniels. From…

By Sayantani Paul · Essentially Sports

Published: Saturday, 7 November 2026 at 12:35 PM

Key Things to Know

Cliff Daniels serves as Kyle Larson's championship-winning crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports.
Daniels and Larson have won two NASCAR Cup Series championships together, in 2021 and 2025.
The pair has accumulated 25 Cup Series race victories since joining forces in 2021.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Cliff Daniels serves as the crew chief for Kyle Larson's No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, guiding the team since 2021. Across their partnership, the pairing has earned two NASCAR Cup Series championships in 2021 and 2025, alongside 25 race victories together. Daniels' technical background and leadership have established him as an elite figure on the pit box.

A former driver turned engineer, Daniels earned a mechanical engineering degree from UNC Charlotte before working with Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson. Beyond his successes, Daniels previously navigated four-race technical suspensions in 2022 and 2023. Hendrick Motorsports secured Daniels' future with a multi-year contract extension alongside Larson in February 2026.

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