Editor's note: This continues the series in which we review each 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs driver in reverse order of championship finish.

Season in review: Kyle Larson, No. 5, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet

Crew chief: Cliff Daniels

Final 2024 Ranking: 6th

Key stats: Six wins, 15 top fives, 18 top 10s, 5 poles, 1,700 laps led

How 2024 ended: Despite rough outings at Atlanta 2 (37th) and Kansas 2 (26th) and falling short of the Championship 4 round, Larson had an otherwise strong overall showing in the playoffs, including wins at Bristol Night Race and on the Roval at Charlotte, plus five top-five finishes in the post-season overall, including finishes of third and fourth respectively at Martinsville and the season finale in Phoenix.

Best race: Larson earned wins in 2024 at Las Vegas, Kansas, Sonoma, Indianapolis, Bristol and the Charlotte Roval. But without question, his strongest performance in all six of those victories was the night playoff race at Bristol. It was one of the most dominating performances Larson has had in his Cup career, leading 462 of the event's 500 laps (including 251 of the last 252 laps). It was like the California native was shot from a cannon and didn't stop until he took the checkered flag.

RELATED: Larson rockets to win at Bristol

Other season highlights: Larson also dominated en route to his win at Las Vegas 1, leading 181 of 267 laps. And, although he ultimately finished fourth, he led 263 of the 367 laps in the final regular season race of the season at Darlington.

Stat to know: Larson has been a winning machine ever since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021. Of his 29 career wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, 23 have come with Team Hendrick over the last four seasons, including 10 in his championship-winning first season with the organization in 2021 and his six wins in 2024. Also of note, since joining Hendrick Motorsports, Larson has earned 13 poles (of the 21 he's tallied in his Cup career).

Quotable: "It was a great year. I was super happy with the performance of our race team all year long. We had a ton of speed from Race 1 to Race 38 (including two exhibition races), really. I was happy. Obviously, you want to make the final four and have a shot at the championship, but I also understand the format and know how crazy it can be, so I don't let finishing sixth in points take anything away from our season. We led the series in most every category, so I'm really proud of the team and their hard work. And I think we left some out on the table, so I'm excited about next year and hope we can continue to evolve and get stronger as a team and win some more races and lead more laps. ... I'm hoping for more good things for next year and I'm already excited to get the year started."

Looking ahead: Larson has always been the kind of driver who uses misfortune or frustration in one season as motivation for the following season. Example: missed 32 races in 2020 due to suspension and then returned to win his first Cup championship the following season in 2021. Having come so close and falling short of the Championship 4 round in 2024 - and finishing sixth overall - will definitely serve as great inspiration and motivation for what he hopes will be an even stronger season in 2025 and potentially earn his second career Cup championship.