Kyle Larson wanted Sprint Car drivers to have a bigger platform to shine on. It was the main reason behind him starting High Limit Racing with his brother-in-law Brad Sweet in 2022, and it has since gone from being a mid-week showcase to a national extravaganza. The payouts are bigger, and Larson, in spite of Cup Series scheduling conflicts, shows up on most weekends. Naturally, questions surrounding his priorities have arisen.
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Currently in Knoxville ahead of the Nationals and the Cup Series race in Richmond, Larson had to clear the air on exactly what his role is in the series he founded. He doesn’t make money from it and does exactly what he does for Hendrick Motorsports in NASCAR, week in and week out.
“Paul and Trevor do this for a living. I think universally in NASCAR media, they think that I own this. I pay for everything. All this comes out of my pocket. I’m strictly a driver, and I race for Paul Silva, so whenever I race, it’s an opportunity for him to make money,” Larson told journalist Matt Weaver on Thursday.
Larson shares a special relationship with Sprint Car racing and doesn’t compete in these events just to make money. Before launching HLR, he realized that if Late Model Series races could pay their drivers $20,000 for winning, Sprint Car races should be able to offer similar payouts.
“I just thought it was a good opportunity for others to race more, make money, the owners make money, all that,” he said in an interview with USA Network in 2023.
As of 2026, Larson has turned Sprint Car racing into what he envisioned. There’s an $18 million team payout plan, with a 10-team franchise model. The teams split a $2.6 million purse, with payouts determined based on performance averages from the previous two years. The top performers can earn up to $500,000. It means better payouts for teams and their drivers. But Larson doesn’t.
His No. 57 team isn’t a full-time entrant. So, even though owner Paul Silva makes money, it’s not from the guaranteed purse. And neither does Larson.
Sweet, in the USA Network interview, also said about Larson, “So, essentially Kyle, instead of getting paid to show up, he brings the fans in then races for the purse.”
Larson does it for the love of the game. And boy, is he also good at it.
The inaugural winner of the High Limit Racing championship in 2026, Larson has won Chili Bowls, 40 World of Outlaws races, the Kings Royal, and the Knoxville Nationals, which he had also hoped to compete in this year. Sadly, his Cup Series duties will force him to travel to Virginia.
Larson on missing the Knoxville Nationals for the Cook Out 400
It would have been understandable for Larson to feel upset about missing out on the Knoxville Nationals on 15 August. But he admitted that he’s made his peace with it. He ran in the races he could, and will now head to Richmond with no regrets.
“That’s also a misconception of what people think about me. When I’m in a car, that’s all I think about. Right now, as soon as the chequered flag waves, my mind shifts literally to, ‘Alright, it’s Richmond. Practice. What do I need to feel in qualifying? I go out early, what do I need to do?” said Larson.
He had a dominant week in Knoxville. Larson won the Capitani Classic last Sunday, right before the Iowa Corn 350 in NASCAR. He then won the Front Row Challenge on Monday. In Thursday night’s preliminary, he went from eighth to win the $12,000 feature. With 485 total event points, he earned pole position for the championship main event, which gives drivers a chance to win $200,000.
But for this race, his crew member Trevor Canales will take his place instead. As a result, the No. 57 team’s pole position will turn into a back-of-the-grid start for Canales.
It’s true what they say: racing drivers have to have short memories. For someone like Larson, who competes across different disciplines, he cannot afford to dwell too much on one race while preparing for another.
For Larson, that’s simply the nature of being a driver who competes across multiple disciplines. High Limit Racing may be his passion project, but when it comes to NASCAR, his focus remains firmly on Hendrick Motorsports