After Vegas, the ‘Greatest Race Car Driver’ conversation is once again a hot topic of discussion in the NASCAR world. Safe to say, Kyle Larson‘s landslide win this past weekend impressed the masses. For reference, he led 181 out of the 267 laps in the race, which isn’t a small feat. However, as per Kyle Petty, giving Larson the ‘GOAT’ status while Kyle Busch is around may very well be discrediting and, in a way, disrespecting the 2-time Cup Series champion’s record of 63 Cup Series wins.

Following Larson’s third career win at Las Vegas, the veteran chimed in with his take, essentially saying that Larson has a long way to go.  

Kyle Petty gives his verdict on the Kyle Larson – Kyle Busch conversation, picking ‘Rowdy’ over the HMS Ace

After a rather dull off-season that lasted about 90 days, the 2024 season kicked off with a bang. While the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway failed to live up to its expectations, the second race in line upped the ante, thrilling the community with a photo finish, making it one for the history books.

Coming in third, only 0.007 seconds behind Daniel Suarez, Kyle Busch showed that he was not past his prime. Moreover, the 38-year-old stole the show, acing the Truck Series race at the same venue to etch his name down as the series’ most winningest driver. In fact, Busch is the only driver from the current Next-Gen era that is on the list for the most wins, standing tall alongside legends at the ninth spot, against Larson’s 36th place. But with the rise of Kyle Larson of HMS, is Busch’s reign as the greatest at stake? Well, Kyle Petty doesn’t think so.

Even the numbers tell the same story, with Busch having a clear advantage over the 31-year-old. Petty said, “We talk about Kyle Larson being the greatest race car driver on the face of the earth at this point in time. You read it in any paper, you pick it up, you see it all the time. 31 years old, 24 wins, one championship. Kyle Bush – 38 years old, seven years older, 63 wins, two championships. Once he [Larson] surpasses Kyle Busch, I’ll give you that he’s one of the greatest race car drivers on the face of the earth and he can do anything anytime, but Kyle Busch is still getting it done.” 

While the veteran publicly shared his take favoring the elder Kyle, he did not outright denounce Larson’s dominant run at Las Vegas, which also happens to be Busch’s home track.

Petty lauds Larson’s impressive run with HMS

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Busch may have the numbers advantage with more wins and titles to his name, but that did not matter in Las Vegas in Sunday’s Cup Series race when the #5 HMS driver put on a clinical performance. The 267-lap feature was essentially a masterclass by Larson on how to capture the lead and keep it till the end of the race.

Even Petty, who was vocal about Busch’s legacy, couldn’t ignore this fact. He admired the driver, saying, ‘It was a different kind of race than we saw in Atlanta. And I think that’s why we look at it the way we look at it. The fantastic race, the fantastic finish that we had at Atlanta, up against a good old-fashioned bu** kicking by Kyle Larson in Las Vegas.” 

“When Kyle Larson is on, like he was on yesterday, he forces other teams to raise their game. And when they do, and they’re not ready for it, they make mistakes. Everyone that challenged had a miscue or had a mistake at some point in time and left the race to him because he just took the race,” said the 63-year-old.

He then briefed about Larson’s time in HMS that turned his career around as opposed to the tough tenure he had with the defunct Chip Ganassi Racing. Petty said, “When Kyle Larson is on, as I said he is on and he has been on since he has been at Hendrick Motorsports, he has 18 wins in three-plus years, one championship, the six previous years he had six wins.” 

After hearing what Petty has to say, who are you backing in a Busch vs. Larson debate?

READ MORE: Awestruck Richard Petty Drops 3-Word Verdict on Daniel Suarez’s Atlanta Photo Finish