Kyle Larson Unleashes Bitter 6-Worded Reality Check That Fueled His ‘Prime’ in NASCAR

Published 03/26/2024, 4:33 PM EDT

Kyle Larson saw his top-five dreams slip out through the window after an incident at the COTA Cup race. JGR driver Christopher Bell spun him on lap 21 and later apologized as well. However, Kyle Larson is still on a golden streak this season, having snagged the COTA Xfinity win, besides the Las Vegas Cup win. The hefty prizes are what fuel his drive to do better.

The Hendrick driver’s current standpoint is all due to immense hard work and resilience. Ever since he entered the Cup Series in 2013, Larson has proven his mettle. Yet, just like anyone else, his motivation to excel stems from a basic human need.

Kyle Larson assigns race motivation to buck needs

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If you turn back time to 2013, you will witness an amateur Kyle Larson getting battered in NASCAR races. The Daytona Xfinity Race saw his car going airborne, and shattering the catch fence. In 2020, Larson was suspended from NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing for breach of protocol.

Fast forward to 2024, and the Hendrick driver is a 24-time Cup winner with the 2021 Championship title under his name. What fueled his rise to glory other than sheer hard work, you may ask? Kyle Larson will promptly give an answer that will match any other hardworking family man on the globe.

Recently, Larson explained in a SpeedFreaks interview why he is obliged to appear for every race. “I wish there were more days of the week or less races sometimes for me to run. But I don’t know, it’s hard to answer it. I wish I was there, but I also don’t wanna miss out on racing either, because I feel like right now, I’m young. This is my prime and I’m trying to take advantage of that…But my family understands I understand that I wanna be the best race car driver I can be, as well as a father and a parent.”

He further highlighted his ultimate goal to provide for his family. “But this is what pays the bills…you know if I wanna set them up for their lives and hopefully their children’s lives, I need to work my ass off right now. You know, race, and build my brand, and hopefully make a bunch of money.”

Kyle Larson makes $10 million as per his Hendrick contract. He invested a hefty sum in the 6,500-square-foot home in Scottsdale, Arizona in November 2022. The main objective was to spend more quality time with his family. In contrast to their home in North Carolina, he gets more time to relax with his wife Kaitlyn, and three children.

Larson credits his racing talents to his birth family, as his father inspired him to become the calm racer he is today.

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Larson attributes his on-track composure to paternal influence

NASCAR is a motorsport heavily loaded with conflicts and controversies. A driver can show his fists to another due to a track scuffle lasting barely seconds. As we saw at COTA, Kyle Busch fiercely faced Christopher Bell for spinning him on the track. Kyle Larson also fell prey to Bell’s antics but chose to let it go.

Larson credited this personality trait to his father, Mike Larson, along with his mother, Janet Larson. “My dad is definitely one of my biggest role models. He’s always been there to support me and give me advice, both on and off the track. From the time I started racing, both he and my mom taught me to be respectful of other competitors and encouraged me to have a good attitude regardless of what happened on the track.” He further said: “Those qualities continue to help me in my career and have definitely helped me earn the respect of veterans in NASCAR.”

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Currently standing 5th in driver rankings, Larson is clear about his priorities. Instead of engaging in futile scuffles, he chooses to win and quietly work for his family.

“It Looks Dumb”: Kyle Larson Suggests NASCAR a Major Change in COTA

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Written by:

Sumedha Mukherjee is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports who is known for her in-depth track analysis as well as her lifestyle coverage of Cup drivers like Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick. Inspired by the Kiwi's journey so far, Sumedha has also written pieces on Shane Van Gisbergen, predicting how the Supercars Champion would do in the new and unfamiliar American setting. Pairing her research skills with her vast experience as a writer, Sumedha creates stories her readers can easily get lost in.

Edited by:

Shreya Singh

Kyle Larson Unleashes Bitter 6-Worded Reality Check That Fueled His ‘Prime’ in NASCAR

Kyle Larson assigns race motivation to buck needs

Larson attributes his on-track composure to paternal influence

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