Kyle Larson made his final Xfinity Series start of 2025 in late July. However, the result was not so endearing for the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. After a late restart at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Larson suddenly got loose in Turn 2 and clipped Justin Allgaier’s car. The contact sent the No. 7 into the wall, ending Allgaier’s day. According to the latter’s teammate, Connor Zilisch, this was a fallout of Cup race drivers’ inability to start more Xfinity races.

2026, however, has a different plan set for NASCAR stars. In mid-August, NASCAR and O’Reilly Auto Parts announced a multiyear partnership, replacing Xfinity as the title sponsor. Although the new name did not sit well with veterans, NASCAR’s second tier would be more attractive to Cup stars – including Kyle Larson.

Closing one door to open another

Recently, NASCAR announced that Cup drivers with three-plus years of full-time experience can compete in at most 10 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races a season beginning in 2026. So Kyle Larson told Kevin Harvick on the Happy Hour Podcast, “I don’t think I’ll be able to get to the limit on the Xfinity side. I think we’re all going to share a car like we typically have done. But yeah, I picked out a few, so I’m already excited about whatever that series is called next year, too. But um yeah, no, it’s fun. I enjoy doing that stuff.” 

Clearly, the newly crowned 2025 Cup Series champion is looking to up his game in NASCAR’s second tier. Kyle Larson competed in four Xfinity races in 2025, at Bristol, Homestead-Miami, Texas, and Indy. However, opening the door for more Xfinity races will require Larson to cut down his sprint race schedule. This year was busy, especially the months of May and June, when Larson juggled duties in IndyCar, NASCAR, and sprint racing under his team, High Limit Racing. So he said, “I’ll probably tweak my schedule a little bit next year, but still you’ll get in 30 sprint car races, which is a lot. But maybe not 50 that I have on my schedule before the season starts.”

Kyle Larson confessed that adjusting his sprint schedule to NASCAR became hectic. Larson won the Chili Bowl Nationals in early 2025 and picked up three NASCAR trophies – but could have done way more. “When they start getting these dirt racing schedules out, I get a whole spreadsheet going of, you know, all the races I could run throughout the year, which is usually over a hundred. And then I kind of start weeding some out and whatnot. But, I’ll be honest, the last couple of years I’ve probably done too much, and I do get a little bit burned out in the summer.” 

What’s more, Kyle Larson’s three children – Owen Miyata, Audrey Layne, and Cooper Donald – occupy his life. Owen is embarking on his own sprint racing career. “You’ve got to factor in like my kids’ schedule too. So I try to get to those when I can.” Larson continued, “I’ll probably try to dial it back a little bit the best I can, but it’s also tough ’cause I want to compete at a high level in everything I do…So, it’s like a hard balance of how much I compete so we can get our car better and stay competitive with those guys…and then also balancing the family.” 

Clearly, Kyle Larson is juggling many responsibilities. Nevertheless, expectations for his NASCAR success are high.

Encouraging him to soar further ahead

Granted, the Phoenix Raceway finale was not what anybody expected. Denny Hamlin looked like the legitimate champion with a 6-win season, and after leading for 208 laps. However, the late-race caution allowed Kyle Larson to beat Hamlin with a strategic two-tire call. Even Jeff Gordon, HMS vice-chairman, directed all credit to Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing for an incredible season. At the same time, however, Gordon also acknowledges this as Larson’s first step to becoming a legend.

Kyle Larson picked up his second Cup Series championship on Sunday. This puts him one trophy closer to Tony Stewart’s record and two trophies closer to Gordon’s four-title record. And according to Jeff Gordon, the goal is not too far away. “It takes you to another level and puts you in elite company, right? Gets you closer to what’s next, three [championships]. Me and Larson, we like to jab one another,” Gordon said. He also praised Larson for his sustained brilliance at HMS. “He’s an incredible race car driver. But more so than that, he’s an incredible teammate at Hendrick Motorsports.”

So as 2026 approaches, we may see Kyle Larson in a revamped mode. Only three months to go until the next Cup Series season starts!