Since his suspension from NASCAR last season, Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson has been making strides to prove his sincerity after his racial slur.
On Tuesday, he revealed perhaps one of the biggest strides yet with the establishment of the Kyle Larson Foundation, designed to serve youth, families, and communities in need of support.
“I’ve wanted to have a foundation for a while now, probably the last four or five years,” Larson said. “I just never really felt like there was anything that really stood out to me, so now with everything that I kind of went through last year and all the support that I got from different people and organizations and communities, I wanted to give back and support them as well as supporting the communities that they help out, too.”
Thanks to everyone who helped make this day possible. I’m proud to officially launch the Kyle Larson Foundation. #DRIVEFOR5 pic.twitter.com/WeTezkUwjV
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) March 23, 2021
To celebrate the occasion, the 28-year-old will debut a brand-new scheme for the 2021 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series at Bristol on Wednesday night. The scheme will highlight the foundation, and brand new initiative, and the Urban Youth Racing School.
The California driver was inspired to construct his own charitable cause after spending time with The Sanneh Foundation during a food drive in Minneapolis last year. Both The Sanneh Foundation and the Urban Youth Racing School in Philadelphia are beneficiaries of the brand-new foundation. Hendrick Cares will also step in to help with the foundation’s goals.
“It means a lot to give some recognition to the Urban Youth Racing School, The Sanneh Foundation, and Hendrick Cares,” Larson said. “There should be lots of people tuned in to watch, so it’s a great platform to introduce the foundation, get it out there, and get people to learn more about it.”
In addition to the creation of the foundation, Larson also is introducing the “Drive for 5” initiative. The money raised through the initiative will go towards providing daily meals for at least five families per day through the help of The Sanneh Foundation, providing scholarships to at least five students at the UYRS, and supporting at least five needy communities through Hendrick Cares.
To help kickstart the new program, Larson is personally pledging a donation of $5 for every NASCAR Cup Series lap completed this season and will add another $5,000 for every top-five finish he earns. Thus far, he has personally pledged $22,000 thanks to his on-track performance.
Fans can see the No. 5 KLF / #DriveFor5 Camaro hit the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday Night, with coverage beginning at 6 PM EST on FOX Sports 1.
