Kyle Larson, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, has revealed that Rick Hendrick, team owner of Hendrick Motorsports, spends considerable time on TikTok, particularly searching for sprint car crash footage. According to Larson, Hendrick is not just interested in general racing, but specifically keeps tabs on old incidents from Larson’s sprint car past, often sharing these clips directly with his driver out of concern for Larson’s safety.
Rick Hendrick’s Fascination With TikTok Racing Videos
Larson recently discussed Rick Hendrick’s TikTok habits during an episode of The Driver’s Project podcast. The 76-year-old Hendrick, known for his long tenure and constant involvement in the NASCAR world, surprisingly spends much of his online attention watching clips involving accidents in sprint car racing. Unlike the NASCAR footage one might expect, Hendrick seeks out crashes relating to sprint cars, particularly those featuring his drivers.
Larson pointed out that Hendrick goes so far as to send him TikTok clips of his own past sprint car wrecks, sometimes from years ago, checking in with a message of concern despite the age of the incident. This behavior demonstrates Hendrick’s ongoing interest—and anxiety—regarding the extracurricular racing activities of his top drivers.
“Rick has this thing. So, he’s on TikTok all the time,”
Kyle Larson, Driver, said during the podcast.
“He’ll send me random — the only time he texts me is he’ll send me TikToks of me crashing sprint cars. … All these TikToks of people crashing, me crashing. … But yeah, so he loves to send TikToks of me crashing from like years before and he’s like, ‘Are you OK?’ I’m like, ‘Rick, that was from like six years ago.’”
— Kyle Larson, Driver
Larson, for his part, remains active in dirt track racing and is a co-owner of the High Limit Racing Series. He has an impressive resume in the dirt racing world, including being a three-time winner of the Chili Bowl Nationals. While Hendrick officially allows Larson to continue his passion for dirt racing, it is clear from his social media habits that the risks involved weigh heavily on the team owner’s mind.
Safety Concerns for Hendrick Motorsports Drivers
Rick Hendrick’s focus on crash videos may be heightened by recent incidents. Alex Bowman, also a Hendrick Motorsports driver, chose to step away from dirt racing in 2023 following an injury—specifically, a fractured vertebra caused by a sprint car crash. These events appear to factor into Hendrick’s ongoing concern for his drivers’ safety, and underscore his interest in monitoring their non-NASCAR activities, as evidenced by his TikTok viewing patterns.
Kyle Larson Excels in the Prime of His Career
Despite the ongoing risks, Larson remains fully committed to his dual paths in racing: dominant in both NASCAR and dirt races. Most recently, Larson claimed his second NASCAR Cup Series championship, securing the title at Phoenix Raceway. Remarkably, he won the championship without leading a single lap in the crucial Championship Race, becoming the top finisher among the competing Championship 4 drivers.
“Sure, yeah, we stole it, but our team did a really good job,”
Kyle Larson, Driver, told Lee Spencer of FloRacing. “I think that’s what I’m most proud of. Just how quickly we kind of turned our race around, obviously, due to some good fortune with cautions and the correct pit calls and strategy. Which weren’t clear decisions, either, and everybody kind of executed when they needed to.
“So, yeah, we didn’t dominate the race by any means, not even leading a lap, but I feel like our team did the best job, and we are deserving champions in that respect. And two, when you look at it, we did have a great season with laps led and consistent finishes and top-fives and top-10s. We were in the top two in basically every category. So, it was a great year and I’m proud of that.”
— Kyle Larson, Driver
Larson’s continued achievements highlight an athlete at the peak of his abilities, respected in both the national spotlight of NASCAR and the grassroots world of dirt track racing. His ongoing success, however, remains a source of anxiety for his team owner, Rick Hendrick, who keeps a watchful—if unconventional—eye on his driver by tracking racing mishaps on TikTok.
The Broader Impact and What Comes Next
Rick Hendrick’s immersive use of TikTok signals a shift in how motorsports owners can follow and support their drivers in the digital age. As Larson wins championships and continues his dirt career, his boss’s social media vigilance highlights the evolving relationship between team leaders, driver safety, and modern technology. While the practice reveals new levels of involvement, it also underscores the unique blend of worry and support that defines Hendrick’s leadership style at Hendrick Motorsports. Ultimately, as Larson remains in his prime and shows no signs of slowing down, fans can expect the ongoing interplay between traditional racing, digital culture, and the sport’s ever-watchful figures to stay in the headlines.
The Driver’s Project Podcast Ep. 67 Presented by @keizerwheels
Rick Hendrick still gets nervous about @KyleLarsonRacin & @corey_day_ running sprint cars.
Full episode links 👇
YouTube: https://t.co/dzS9qzr1A0
Spotify: https://t.co/kEtXsSIoGn
Apple: https://t.co/8dJJJqSzol pic.twitter.com/vQ8Qd6naA7
— The Drivers Project (@thedriversproj) December 7, 2025
