At Perth Motorplex, Kyle Larson delivered another reminder of why counting him out is a mistake. One timely caution and a calm reset were all he needed to flip the race in his favor, holding off a hard-charging 20-year-old Hendrick Motorsports prodigy with $110,000 AUD on the line. What briefly looked like a youth movement breaking through instead ended with Larson finding a way to close, just as he’s done so often.

“You can never count yourself out,” Larson told Flo Racing. “I’m just proud of [crew chief’] Trevor Canales and [car owner] Jason Pryde, everybody on this car for giving me great equipment and never quitting to work on it. I had trouble execute there, and I feel like I did that. I don’t know if I was the fastest at times, but when I had to step up and hammer it, I was able to do that.”

Larson’s path to the front wasn’t immediate. Over the opening two nights of the three-race High Limit International event, he hovered inside the top five without ever controlling a feature, setting up Tuesday night as his last chance to cash in. Starting fourth in the 35-lap feature, he settled into rhythm early while the lead changed hands ahead of him.

Dayne Kingshott led the opening six laps before a lap-6 caution reset the field, from which Buddy Kofoid surged into the lead. As Kofoid stretched the gap, Larson lost track position, getting shuffled back to fourth behind Jock Goodyer, where he remained through the middle portion of the race.

That changed on lap 14, when Australian champion James McFadden crashed and brought out another caution. The restart that followed gave Larson clean air and an opening. Buddy Kofoid, who had led laps 7 through 14, was still in control until Larson went to work immediately after the green, clearing both Kofoid and Kingshott in quick succession to take the lead within a single lap.

From there, the pressure only intensified. Australian favorite Dayne Kingshott refused to fade, even with visible wing damage, a bent nerf bar, and a right-rear tire nearing its limit. Kingshott, who had led the opening six laps, stayed within striking distance and nearly pulled off sliders on the final restart with two laps to go, crossing the line just half a second behind Larson in a heroic effort.

Adding to the pressure was the 20-year-old Hendrick Motorsports prodigy Corey Day. After erasing a 1.5-second deficit with nine laps remaining, Day went on the attack, throwing sliders at his mentor and pushing the high line to its limit. But the aggression came at a cost. After brushing the wall multiple times, Day’s right-rear tire blew on the final restart, ending what had been a thrilling charge.

The next restart ended Day’s charge. After brushing the wall earlier in the run, his right-rear tire failed under acceleration, forcing him out and triggering another caution. By that point, Kingshott was also compromised, having sustained additional damage earlier after contact with a spun Rico Abreu.

The final restart left Larson in control with limited resistance. He led the last three laps unchallenged, crossing the line ahead of Kingshott, Buddy Kofoid, and Cole Macedo. Luke Oldfield finished sixth, followed by Carson Macedo, while Goodyer slipped back to seventh ahead of Callum Williamson, Daniel Harding, and Brock Zearfoss.

When the dust settled, Larson stood atop the podium once more, $110,000 AUD richer! He is now a two-time High Limit International champion. Larson once again proved that counting him out at Perth Motorplex…is a mistake nobody should make.

Tulsa Shootout is next on Larson’s radar

With the Perth Motorplex payday secured and another High Limit International trophy packed away, Kyle Larson isn’t wasting time soaking it all in. The focus has already shifted forward to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and one of the most grueling indoor dirt events in motorsports.

From December 30 through January 3, the 2026 Tulsa Shootout will once again turn the SageNet Center into controlled chaos. More than 1,700 drivers from across the United States and overseas are already entered, and the number is still climbing. As of mid-December, the entry list had crossed 1,730, putting the event on track to shatter records yet again.

Larson’s name is right there among them. The Hendrick Motorsports star returns as the defending Tulsa Shootout winner in both the Winged Outlaw and Winged A-Class divisions. This time around, however, logistics and travel demands mean “Yung Money” is expected to focus solely on the Winged Outlaw class. If you look at the broader perspective, then this is a decision that could work in his favor given the depth of competition.

Practice gets underway on Monday morning, December 29, with heat races following on Tuesday. From there, it’s a relentless march of qualifiers, B-mains, and feature races leading up to Saturday night’s Golden Driller finales. There’s no room for mistakes, no margin for bad luck, and absolutely no breaks in momentum.

For Larson, the Shootout has become a proving ground as much as a tradition. It’s where raw talent meets endurance, adaptability, and mental toughness. Coming off a confidence-boosting win in Australia, he arrives in Tulsa once again wearing a target, but also carrying the quiet belief that, no matter the odds, you can never count him out.