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Racing Obsessed Kyle Larson Unbothered by ‘Normal’ Son Shunning His Racing Roots

Published 03/27/2024, 7:11 AM EDT

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When Kyle Larson started racing at the very young age of seven, had he imagined that he would, one day, reach the highest echelons of racing in the US? Perhaps not. But as things stand, Larson can be counted as one of the best drivers of this generation. Many might attribute his brush with racing to his parents, who often took little Larson to races and familiarized him with the sport. And now, the #5 driver has taken up the same role for his son, who can often be seen accompanying his father to the tracks. But perhaps, for 9-year-old Owen, there’s not much else to it except being a spectator, which Kyle Larson recently revealed. The 2021 Cup Series champion got vocal, mentioning that Owen is more of a ‘normal’ child and not as obsessed as he was at his age.

Kyle Larson gets candid about his son’s racing interests

To put it bluntly, Owen Miyata Larson is not as interested in racing as his father was at the same age. Speaking on Speedfreaks, when Larson was asked about his son’s racing affinity, the 31-year-old driver quickly responded saying, “I mean, Owen’s nine and he’s definitely not into racing as much as I was at that age.” 

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However, Larson also revealed how he’s not upset about it all while sharing tidbits from his own childhood. “All I cared about, still to this day.was racing and I don’t…It doesn’t upset me at all that he doesn’t like, he likes it and he likes to race when he wants to race and all that but like, you know I was racing and video games like all day long, playing with my race cars in the ground you know all day long. He’s into other stuff. He’s into more sports, baseball, you know, flag football, you know, skating,” the driver shared.

Iterating that he actually likes his son’s varied interests and ifthat  given the chance to change something about his younger days, he’d do the same, the HMS racer said, “That stuff that, you know, if I could change something about my childhood and still know that I was going to be in the same position I’m right now, I would’ve experienced more like normal kid things back then. So, it doesn’t bother that he’s not like obsessed with racing.” 

While young Owen still has time to pick the pace and come to terms with his father’s legacy, another youngster already has Larson as his inspiration, motivating him to push the envelope even further.

17-year-old uber talented Truck Series debutant reveals Kyle Larson’s impact

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Young phenom and Late-Model racer, Connor Zilisch, made a statement in his first NASCAR race, acing his debut Truck Series race at COTA. The Trackhouse Racing development driver drove his #7 Chevy Silverado across the finish line in the fourth position after starting the race from the front from the pole.The debutant forayed strongly into the season and now sees himself as a multifaceted motorsports prodigy like Kyle Larson who has dominated the Stock Car world, Sprint car world, Midget racing world, among other tourneys.

Following his stellar debut, the phenom was seen at the DBC studio floor along the crew, where he revealed how Larson inspires him to go beyond his limit. He said, “Ever since I was 12 years old, I basically got to take every opportunity I can get and you know, I feel like I can be competitive in anything I get. You know guys like Kyle Larson who do the same thing, right? Race sprint cars during the week and then go win on Sundays. That’s the kind of guy I want to be, and you know I want to be able to get in any car and be competitive.”

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Kyle Larson Rubbishes Dirt Superiority Battle Narrative After Unexpected Truce With $144-Million Worth Rival

While it’s true that Kyle Larson might not get to see his son on race tracks anytime soon, he surely doesn’t have a dearth of admirers. Is he, perhaps, the next Tony Stewart? Only time will tell.

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Written by:

Kishore R

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Kishore is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. He actively covers live events and does detailed race analyses, helping fans understand the very nitty gritties of the sport. Using the right mix of storytelling and game expertise, Kishore can take his readers on a journey to see how a particular race was for some of their most loved drivers, like Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott.
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Edited by:

Ariva Debnath