4 Years Ago Kyle Larson Was Suspended by NASCAR: The Unfortunate Start to a Dominant Dynasty

They say that diamonds are made under pressure. When Kyle Larson came back to racing in NASCAR for Hendrick Motorsports, there was a lot of pressure on him. He had been suspended by NASCAR and fired from Chip Ganassi Racing for using a racial slur during an iRacing event that had a detrimental effect on his career. Four years later, the 31-year-old has made a fantastic comeback and is today one of the most successful and versatile race car drivers in the Cup Series.

NASCAR loves a good comeback story, and Kyle Larson gave them one

At the time of his suspension, everyone involved with the driver seemingly broke off all ties—NASCAR, Rick Hendrick and Co., and even his sponsor. It must have been an incredibly hard time for Larson, but given what he said in a public forum, he probably deserved it. But it’s not about the mistakes; it’s about how you make a comeback and dust yourself off. That’s what Kyle Larson did in a way that very few people at the time had expected.

He joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 and won the Cup Series championship in his very first year with the team. He has been a favorite in every single season ever since, and 2024 is no exception. Kyle Larson is also the best driver to have raced the Next-Gen car, if statistics are to be believed, after finishing in the top five more times than anyone in the new car with 32 in 80 starts so far.

This season, the driver of the #5 car has 4 finishes in the top five and one race win so far. Short tracks seem to be one of his strong suits in 2024, as he has finished in the top 5 at Bristol, Richmond, and Martinsville. But that’s not all he is up to this year. Yung Money will be a part of the 2024 Indianapolis 500, and in testing, he looked pretty darn good for a rookie.

Yung Money getting “comfortable” in IndyCar raises expectations for the Indy 500

The first Indy 500 Open Test of the season was on Wednesday, and Kyle Larson posted the second-fastest time of the session. The commentators were taken aback by the brilliance of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, and he could be well on his way to having a memorable debut in the #17 Arrow McLaren car. The 31-year-old has an innate talent for making anything that he sits in go incredibly fast, and after the testing session, he admitted to getting comfortable with the car.

“Just trying to learn all that and process all that and just knowing what I can do in the car to try to help cope with that and timing the runs behind me, just trying to figure out any big of like racecraft today, which I know is tough, but just trying to get an idea of things and just get notes in my head and all that. You know, just getting comfortable on pit lane and pulling in the pit stall and out of it. I feel like I’ve gotten more comfortable with the clutch and all that. You know, it’s been so far, so good, and just good to get laps,” he said.

It will be interesting to see how he performs in one of the biggest open-wheel races in the world. Driving for McLaren is an honor for any racer around the world, and Larson will be looking to do justice to the Woking-based car manufacturer and cement his name in global motorsports.