Now Larson, like the rest of the Cup Series field, has to weather the storm of the new-for-2019 rules package designed to increase passing at 1.5-mile race tracks, which have lacked side-by-side action in recent years.

He’s hoping that his team’s adaptability will be a key to success amid the new landscape of the series.

“For next year, we have a new rules package and don’t know what to expect, but I’m confident in everyone at the shop that they’re going to figure it out,” Larson said. “I don’t think there’s a better team than we are — when a new rules package gets thrown at them — to come out the next season and preparing and being strong with that.

“We just have to do our homework during the offseason and attack the upcoming year and win some races early on,” Larson added. “If we can do that, I think we’ll be all right.”

Throughout his Cup Series career, Larson has only raced for one car owner —Chip Ganassi — and Ganassi has been key to some of Larson’s most-talked about moments.

It was Ganassi who gave approval for Larson to race in the Knoxville Nationals two years ago, the year he nearly beat Donny Schatz on the final lap to win sprint car racing’s biggest prize, and Ganassi who gave Larson a bear hug in victory lane at Michigan Int’l Speedway after Larson scored his first Cup Series win.

Larson claims he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“I think Chip, being a racer in the past, understands me and how much I love to race,” said Larson. “He knows that I love to race other things besides stock cars and that made it a good fit for me. I met with every single Cup team owner, pretty much, at the end of 2011 and I don’t know if many of them knew who I was at the time, but they all said that I needed to bring money and I didn’t have any money to bring to the table. Chip was the only guy that could see the potential in me, I feel like, and was willing to take a chance on a 19-year-old at the time.

“I’ve been very thankful and loyal ever since then because of that.”

In an era where money has often reigned supreme to talent when it comes to finding NASCAR rides, Larson remains thankful he found someone willing to look at his ability rather than his wallet.

“It does make it sweeter in that respect and I feel like it gets tougher and tougher in this era of the sport,” he noted. “For a while, even before I made it, it seemed impossible to make it to the Cup level … but I still think that if you have the talent and get the right breaks, you will make it to Cup. It costs a lot of money and I still think owners will choose cost in some situations, but you do have to be good enough as a driver to be at the highest level.

“I’m just thankful that Chip was willing to support me after just one season, really, of national racing. It all just fell into place, really.”

As he continues down the NASCAR road, does Larson believe he can win a championship with Ganassi?

Absolutely, but the young star knows it won’t come easy.

“We just have to continue to get our cars better. That’s what it comes down to,” said Larson. “I believe we have the smartest people in our building; it’s just about putting all of them in the right place and using them in the right ways to make our cars fast and get to where we need to be. Even though we didn’t win last year, I feel like we were so close to finding that one little thing to push us over the edge and get us into the winner’s circle.

“For sure, I believe we can win a championship someday. I’m young and I plan to still be around in this sport for a long time. We’ll just see what happens.”