Ever imagined Kyle Larson to be on a winless streak? Unthinkable, right? Yet, the Hendrick Motorsports star did experience such a draught six years ago. In 2019, Larson was donning No. 42’s  green and black colors instead of the current blue-white for the No. 5. And he flew the banner of Chip Ganassi Racing instead of Hendrick Motorsports. Although he was yet to reach the peak of his fame, Larson achieved a jaw-dropping victory nonetheless.

Between September 2017 and October 2019, Kyle Larson was winless. For an impeccable racer who fetches wins every other weekend, a two-year hiatus seems like a very bad joke. Nonetheless, it was true, and the way Larson broke out of it was remarkable, as he did it at Dover Motor Speedway.

Kyle Larson slayed the Monster in style

Ahead of the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 race in Dover, a 6-year-old memory tingles NASCAR fans’ minds. That belongs to the Drydene 400 race, a playoff race held at the intermediate oval in October 2019. Kyle Larson started in the front row alongside Denny Hamlin, the polesitter. Hamlin was the dominator, leading for 218 laps, but Larson never left his side. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver took the race lead during the Stage 2 break and pulled out to a five-, then six-second advantage on the field. Martin Truex Jr was another contender, winning stage 2 and leading for 15 laps. However, the 2017 Cup Series champion was disadvantaged by a slight pit stop miscue.

Besides contending opposing two main rivals, Kyle Larson had to tackle several lapped cars. Drivers like Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney were bogged down with technical glitches on their cars. Larson balanced dealing with lapped traffic while maintaining a 3-4 second lead over both Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. With 130 laps to go, Hamlin’s engine faltered, and Truex got around him. With 50 laps remaining, Larson’s advantage over Truex held steady at 5.7 seconds. Eventually, Larson maintained that gap and snapped a 75-race winless streak at Dover. “This was a really critical win,” Larson said after the race.

Indeed, it was, as it cemented Kyle Larson‘s place in the playoffs’ semi-finals regardless of how he finished in the next two races. He secured his first playoff win, and his Chip Ganassi Racing team their first-ever berth in the upcoming Round of 8. Larson recollected after the race how the following wildcard race at Talladega could cease to be a headache for him. “Everybody in this playoff deal is going to be stressing next week at Talladega except for me, so that’s good. I could still end up on my lid next week, but it’s not going to matter after this win.” Larson also reflected on how conquering the Monster felt: “This is unbelievable. I’ve always wanted to win a Cup race here. I’ve been close a number of times, so to get a Golden Monster (trophy) is going to be pretty sweet.”

As far as the signs are right, it looks like Kyle Larson will conquer the Monster again this year.

A veteran is rooting for a repeat

Well, Kyle Larson’s 2019 left a mark on his peers. They include 2014 Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, who finished in 4th place on that fateful day. Six years later, Harvick is even more convinced that Larson’s brilliance in Dover will continue. For the upcoming Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway, Larson is tied with Denny Hamlin as the favorite to win the 2025 race. They are the early favorites at +500 according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Kevin Harvick’s show co-host Mamba Smith rooted for Bubba Wallace. “I’m just going to send it because I said it earlier. He needs it. This is one of his best racetracks. We’re going with Bubba Wallace,” he said.

Nevertheless, Kevin Harvick‘s gaze is fixed on Kyle Larson. Besides his 2019 victory, Larson owns 7 top fives at the Monster Mile. This year, Larson boasts three Cup Series wins along with a smooth streak of 9 top fives. Hence, Harvick predicted his Dover winner: “Kyle Larson. I just, you know, he was fast last year. Yeah. And I like the speed. I like that you have to drive the crap out of it. And I think they know that they’ve got to get their stuff together.”

Clearly, the impact of the 2019 victory is yet to wear off in the NASCAR Cup Series garage. Let us wait and see how Kyle Larson performs in Dover this Sunday.