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Seeing Kyle Larson dominate the current season and eventually lift the trophy, many fans, professional drivers and experts concluded Larson is arguably the best racing driver in America currently.

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But most of them have seen and taken notice of the 29-year-old driver in only the last few years. There’s someone who has seen and believed in the Hendrick driver’s talent many, many years before the rest; his father.

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After his win in Phoenix, Kyle Larson recreated an old photo with his father.

Seeing this tweet, many fans had a sweet reaction.

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The Elk Grove resident had his first racing experience at a ‘tender’ age of seven days. He was taken by his parents to a racing event well before he could open his eyes properly.

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Larson himself began racing when he was only seven years old.

Since then, the Cup Series champion probably hasn’t looked back much, both literally and metaphorically.

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USA Today via Reuters

The sheer dominance of Kyle Larson in 2021

Now that the season is over, Kyle Larson’s growing dominance can be put into perspective.

The Hendrick driver finished the season with 10 wins, which is a number no driver has achieved since 2007. In fact, only seven drivers have achieved this in the last 40 years.

The short list includes names like Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott and Darrell Waltrip and now Kyle Larson. That’s some company to be in.

Moreover, the No.42 driver finished second in six other races, meaning he finished first or second in 45% of all the races he started in.

This season, he had 20 Top 5 finishes and the NASCAR record of most laps led in a season with 2581 laps to his name.

The Camaro driver won three races in a row once and two races in a row twice.

In his comeback season, Larson broke many records on his way to Phoenix where he deservedly won the race.

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USA Today via Reuters

Yet regardless of how great this season was for Kyle Larson, he’ll be starting level with the rest of the drivers in 2022. Team and drivers will analyse and study his style, his weaknesses to get ahead of him.

Nevertheless, he has one advantage that only he and his father are completely aware of.

His true racing talent.

Also Read: Kyle Larson Opens Up on Potentially Banging Wheels With Jimmie Johnson at Indy 500

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Written by

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Shaharyar

2,079 Articles

Shaharyar is an experienced Senior NASCAR writer at EssentiallySports. A journalist by heart and profession, he has been at the ‘wheel’ for nearly a decade after starting with Formula 1. He has penned over 1,700 articles on the sport. Shaharyar is known for his quick reporting on controversies and feuds in NASCAR and is one of the masterminds behind "NASCAR In and Out", a Reader-Connect Program of EssentiallySports that boasts a weekly reach of fifty thousand subscribers in the US. Shaharyar believes in the conversational style of journalism, where fans are at the heart of the conversation. As a big fan of Kyle Busch, he maintains a commitment to journalistic neutrality in his coverage. A graduate of journalism from a professional university, Shaharyar blends his love for storytelling with the fast-paced nature of the sport to deliver compelling content that resonates with his readers. Despite his admiration for Kyle Busch, Shaharyar is now turning his attention to Hendrick Motorsports star Kyle Larson, whom he believes is a legend in the making. He is always looking to bring fresh perspectives and insights to his readers and engages in healthy debates and discussions about the latest developments in NASCAR. In his free time, Shaharyar enjoys watching soccer and taking long walks to unwind.

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