How Kyle Larson’s Father’s Vow Inspired the Ladybug Sticker on His Car

In all honesty, only eagle-eyed fans would be able to spot it. However, it appears that Kyle Larson has a small sticker of a ladybug on his car. It is believed that the tiny insect is supposed to symbolize good luck to a person. In the motor racing scene, three-time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford started this tradition.

In the buildup to his third Indianapolis 500 win in 1980, he noticed a ladybug land on him. The driver took this as a sign of things to come and dominated the iconic race. To be precise, he romped to a 29.29-second victory over Tom Sneva, with Gary Bettenhausen finishing third.

Where does the Kyle Larson connection come in?

Apparently, Larson’s father Mike Larson was so fond of that story, that he vowed to include it in his son’s car livery. Since then, he has always ensured that there is a good-luck ladybug sticker on Kyle’s cars. It is also worth mentioning that the ladybug has often featured on many of his shirts and racing souvenirs.

Obviously, the good luck charm is just a small contribution to the overall skill of Kyle Larson. Though if we’re being honest, sometimes, a driver does need a small spot of luck on occasion. Having said all this, the Asian-American driver will be anxiously waiting for the 2022 season to arrive.

This is because it will provide him a great opportunity to try to defend his title. Nobody in the NASCAR arena has been able to do that since Jimmie Johnson from 2006 until 2010. One thing is for sure, the iconic ladybug sticker will always be there with Kyle Larson for the entirety of his career. If it worked for Rutherford at his third Indianapolis 500, it can definitely work for Larson, though he is likely not a very superstitious person.

Kyle Larson Feels He is Positively Impacting Diversity in NASCAR: “Now That I’m a Champion, It’s Going to Explode”