| Kyle Larson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Name: | Kyle Miyata Larson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 31 July 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Place: | Elk Grove, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5ft 6in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 135lb | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements: | 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Champion 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Champion 2019, 2021, 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race Winner 2021 Coca-Cola 600 Winner 2022 Daytona 500 Pole Winner 2023 Southern 500 Winner 2024 Brickyard 400 Winner 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona Overall Winner 2012, 2016, 2019, 2023 Turkey Night Grand Prix Winner 2019, 2023 Hangtown 100 Winner 2020, 2022, 2023 Brad Doty Classic Winner 2020 Hoosier Hundred Winner 2020, 2021 Chili Bowl Nationals Winner 2021 Prairie Dirt Classic Winner 2021 37th Kings Royal Winner 2021 BC39 Winner 2021, 2023, 2024 Knoxville Nationals Winner 2022 Hillbilly 100 Winner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Awards: | 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Rookie of the Year 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year 2022 ESPY Awards Best Driver Named as one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) 2024 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year
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Kyle Miyata Larson (born July 31, 1992) is an American professional auto racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports, part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro for the same team, and part-time in the NTT IndyCar Series, driving the No. 17 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren. Before and throughout his stock car racing career, Larson has been highly successful in dirt track racing, with wins in countless prestigious events including the Kings Royal, Knoxville Nationals, and the Chili Bowl Nationals. He also raced in many other forms of racing as an overall winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race, having won the event with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2015. Larson was named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023. In 2024, Larson set a NASCAR record at Kansas for the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history.
Born on July 31, 1992, in Elk Grove, California, Kyle Miyata Larson attended his first race with his parents a week after his birth.[1] He began racing at the age of seven in outlaw karts in Northern California. As a teenager, he raced open-wheel cars, including the United States Auto Club (USAC) midget, Silver Crown and sprint cars, competing for Keith Kunz Motorsports and Hoffman Racing with Toyota backing;[2] During his early career in USAC, a series official gave Larson the nickname "Yung Money" in recognition of his talent.[3] Larson also raced in World of Outlaws sprint cars and his first sprint car race win came at Placerville Speedway where he was one of the youngest drivers to ever compete. He won the 2011 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway, winning in all three types of USAC cars in a single night, only the second driver in history to accomplish the feat.[4] He won two silver crown races that season and was named the 2011 Rookie of the Year.[5] Larson holds the sprint car track record at Ocean Speedway in 2010.[6] In 2012, he won six USAC National Midget races including the Turkey Night Grand Prix.[7] Even during his stock car career, Larson continued racing open-wheel cars for midweek races in addition to going to New Zealand in some off-seasons to race.
While Larson expressed some interest in IndyCar racing, he was signed for the 2012 racing season by Earnhardt Ganassi Racing (EGR) as part of the team's driver development program.[8] In February 2012, Larson won his first race in a full bodied stock car in the Pete Orr Memorial Orange Blossom 100 at New Smyrna Speedway. A week later, he won again at the speedway during the World Series of Asphalt.[9]
On June 9, 2012, Larson won his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Gresham Motorsports Park.[10] He scored his second K&N Pro Series East win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. On June 15, Larson finished 13th in his ARCA Racing Series debut at Michigan International Speedway for Eddie Sharp Racing.
On November 3, Larson won the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Championship with 2 wins and 12 top tens in 14 races, overcoming the five wins of Corey LaJoie (son of two-time Busch Series champion Randy).[11] He also earned the K&N Pro Series East Rookie of the Year award. On June 7, 2014, Larson scored his first ARCA win at Pocono Raceway.[12]
On June 28, 2012, Larson made his Camping World Truck Series debut at Kentucky Speedway in the No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado for Turner Motorsports where he finished 10th.[13]
On April 14, 2013, Larson scored his first Truck Series win at Rockingham Speedway in a close finish with Joey Logano.[14] During the celebration, Larson performed donuts without his steering wheel on, a practice he had acquired when racing go-karts. The celebration prompted NASCAR to request him to keep it attached, regarding safety concerns because Larson would not have much control of the truck without the steering wheel.
In 2016, Larson drove the No. 24 truck for GMS Racing at Martinsville Speedway, finishing 4th. At Eldora Speedway, Larson held off Christopher Bell to score his second career Truck Series win.[15]
On February 28, 2020, Larson announced he would be re-joining GMS Racing to drive the No. 24 truck at Homestead-Miami Speedway to pursue a bounty offered by Kevin Harvick to full-time Cup drivers to beat Kyle Busch.[16] Following his suspension from NASCAR, Larson was released from the team.[17]
On March 17, 2021, it was announced that Larson will drive the No. 44 truck for Niece Motorsports at the inaugural Bristol dirt race.[18] He finished 35th in the race.
In 2023, Larson scored his 3rd career Truck Series win at North Wilkesboro.[19]
In February 2013, it was announced that Larson would compete full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2013, driving the No. 32 Chevrolet for Turner Scott Motorsports.[20] On the last lap in the season opener at Daytona, Larson was involved in a violent crash when his car got caught onto the right side of Brad Keselowski's car and then hit the outside wall. At the same time, he was hit in the right rear by Brian Scott which sent his car airborne hitting a crossover gate, and piercing the catch fence, completely ripping off the front end of his car. Larson came across the start-finish line in 13th. He was unharmed, but the debris hurt 28 spectators in the grandstands, two of whom were in critical condition. However, there were no deaths.[21] In the season-finale at Homestead, Larson led the most laps but lost the lead to eventual winner Brad Keselowski with 3 laps remaining and finished 2nd. Larson earned the 2013 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year award, becoming the first Asian-American and first Drive for Diversity participant to win a Rookie of the Year Award in one of NASCAR's national touring series.[22]
In 2014, Larson returned in the Nationwide Series to run part-time in the No. 42 car for Turner Scott Motorsports. On March 22, Larson scored his first career Nationwide Series win at Auto Club Speedway after a tense battle with Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch.[23] [24] Larson once again celebrated by doing burnouts in the infield without a steering wheel.[25] [26] In victory lane, Larson stated, "Those last 11, 12 laps were the longest laps of my life. I've been so close to winning so many times, but the fashion we did it in was extra special." At Charlotte Motor Speedway, he scored his second career Nationwide Series win.
In 2015, Larson ran part-time again in the Xfinity Series for HScott Motorsports. He scored his 3rd career Xfinity Series win at Homestead and the first win for HScott Motorsports.[27]
In 2016, Larson continued to drive the No. 42 car part-time for Chip Ganassi Racing. He scored 2 wins at Pocono and Texas.
In 2022, Larson drove the No. 17 car for Hendrick Motorsports at Road America where he finished 2nd to Ty Gibbs. On August 20, Larson scored his 13th career Xfinity Series win at Watkins Glen in the No. 88 car for JR Motorsports.[28]
In 2023, Larson scored a win at Darlington after a dramatic finish with John Hunter Nemechek.[29]
In 2024, Larson won at the Circuit of the Americas after overtaking a dueling Shane van Gisbergen and Austin Hill on the final lap.[30]
On August 27, 2013, The Charlotte Observer reported that Larson will drive the No. 42 car for Chip Ganassi Racing starting in 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and would compete for the Rookie of the Year honors.[31] The deal was officially announced on August 30.[32] [33] On October 1, it was announced that Larson would make his Sprint Cup Series debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the No. 51 car for Phoenix Racing to prepare for his rookie season.[34] In his Cup Series debut, Larson started 21st and finished 37th after an engine failure on lap 247.[35]
In his Daytona 500 debut, Larson got into the wall twice and came down pit road in the early laps of the race. Despite the car being fixed, Larson spun out on lap 22. Later in the night race, he got wrecked by another rookie contender Austin Dillon who triggered a 7-car wreck on lap 163 and finished 38th. At Auto Club Speedway, Larson finished 2nd to Kyle Busch, his career best finish in the Cup Series.[36]
At Richmond Raceway, Larson recorded a speed of 126.88mph. After qualifying was rained out, he earned the pole based on being the fastest in practice.[37] On the first lap, Larson got spun out by Clint Bowyer while going into turn 1 and later finished in 16th.
At Michigan, Larson spun out on lap 7 while coming off at turn 2. Later in the race, he made a block on one of his strong supporters Tony Stewart while trying to go for the lead and the block damaged Stewart's grille. In response, Stewart tried to retaliate during a yellow-flag period. When told that Stewart was mad at him for the block, Larson shrugged it off replying "Tony being Tony, I guess. I was pretty tight on whoever was inside of me on the restart and I was looking in my mirror and saw him juke to the right so I juked to the right and he hit me and I don't know, he was just trying to teach me a lesson, I'm guessing."[38] Before the Sonoma race, Stewart warned Larson, angrily saying "He'll learn not to block me anytime soon."[39]
Larson earned his first Cup Series pole for the 2014 Gobowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway where he set the track record with a lap speed of 183.438mph.[40] He finished 11th in the race. Following the 2014 season, Larson earned the Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year award with 8 top fives and 16 top tens. His statistics being higher than other rookie seasons in history, such as those of Richard Petty and Jeff Gordon.
Larson began the season with a DNF at the 2015 Daytona 500. During an autograph session at Martinsville Speedway, Larson fainted and was hospitalized. He was replaced by Regan Smith.[41] Two days later, Larson was released from the hospital with a diagnosis of dehydration as being the cause of the faint. After a disappointing season, he finished 19th in the points standings.
Larson began the season with a seventh-place finish at the 2016 Daytona 500, his first top 10 and first non-DNF. On May 21, 2016, Larson won the Sprint Showdown after edging out rookie contender Chase Elliott to earn a spot in the All-Star Race for the first time.[42] At the 2016 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Larson took the lead on the final restart, but was caught by Joey Logano and hit the wall with two laps to go and finished 16th.[43]
On August 28, Larson held off Chase Elliott to score his first ever Sprint Cup Series win at Michigan.[44] Larson's victory qualified him into the Chase for the first time in his career.[45] In his first Chase appearance, Larson finished 18th at Chicagoland and followed up with a 10th-place finish at New Hampshire. Larson was eliminated from the Round of 16 at Dover where he finished 25th.
Larson began the season with a 12th-place finish at the 2017 Daytona 500 and followed up with 3 consecutive second-place finishes at Atlanta, Las Vegas and Phoenix that moved him up to 1st in the points standings. On March 26, Larson scored his second career Cup Series win at Auto Club Speedway.[46] At Michigan, Larson scored his second win of the season after he held off Chase Elliott.
At Kentucky, Larson started at the rear of the field after he was unable to set a qualifying time as he was stuck in an inspection. He finished second to eventual winner Martin Truex Jr. but lost his points lead in the standings when he was penalized 35 points for an improper rear brake cooling assembly.[47] Crew chief Chad Johnston was suspended for three races and Tony Lunders took his place.
A week later, Larson won the pole for the Loudon's Overton's 301, but was forced to surrender it to Truex after failing post-qualifying inspection for an unapproved rear deck fin lid.[48] He finished second in the race after starting 39th. On the final restart at the 2017 Pure Michigan 400, Larson restarted 4th and made a four-wide pass for the lead with 2 laps to go and went on to score his third straight Michigan win.[49] He scored his fourth win of the season at Richmond (and his first win that is not a two-mile track) in the final race of the regular season.[50]
Larson made it to the Round of 12 after he scored top 5 finishes at Chicagoland, New Hampshire, and Dover. At Kansas, Larson finished 39th after an engine blew up on lap 72 that ended his championship hopes. After being eliminated from the playoffs, Larson finished 37th at Martinsville and Texas both due to crashes and a last-place finish at Phoenix from an expired engine.
Despite being winless throughout the 2018 season, Larson made it to the Playoffs by staying consistent with five second-place finishes, eight top 5's, and 13 top 10's. At Charlotte Roval, Larson led 47 laps and was in contention for the win until he was involved in a multi-car wreck on a late restart that also included playoff contenders Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch. Despite the car being heavily damaged as a result of the wreck, Larson was still able to advance to the Round of 12 after finishing 25th.
Larson experienced further bad luck at Talladega when a right front tire blew and spun out on lap 105 and finished 11th. 3 days later, the No. 42 team was docked 10 driver and 10 owner points after the team violated the damaged vehicle policy by using metal tabs instead of fasteners and/or tape to repair the torn right front fender.[51] Larson was eliminated in the Round of 12 after he finished 3rd at Kansas fall race. He finished the season ninth in the points standings, the highest of the winless drivers in 2018 along with a third consecutive top 10 points finish.
Before the start of the 2019 season, Larson lost his primary sponsor DC Solar, whose headquarters had been raided by the FBI on December 18, 2018.
Larson started the season with a 7th-place finish at the 2019 Daytona 500. A week later at Atlanta, Larson led over 100 laps before he was penalized for speeding on pit road which sent him to the back of the field and finished 12th.
On February 26, 2019, Larson sparked controversy on the NBC Sports segment Splash & Go! with host Rick Allen when he jokingly implied that Hendrick Motorsports starts "cheating and finding some speed" a couple of months into the start of a season.[52] Larson later apologized to Rick Hendrick for his comments.[53] On the final lap at the Talladega spring race, Larson was involved in a major accident when his car went airborne and rolled over multiple times. He was uninjured.
On May 18, Larson won the Monster Energy Open to transfer into the All-Star Race. At the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race, he scored his first All-Star win and became the third Cup driver to win both the Monster Energy Open and the All-Star race.[54] After finishing second at Darlington, Larson clinched his spot in the playoffs for the fourth straight year despite no wins.
At Dover, Larson ended his 75-race winless streak and advanced into the Round of 8.[55] During Talladega fall race, Larson was involved in a multi-car wreck on lap 108 that left him with a fractured lower rib. Despite a 4th-place finish at Phoenix, Larson failed to make the Championship 4. He finished the season sixth in the points standings, his career-best to date.
Larson began the season with a tenth-place finish at the 2020 Daytona 500.[56] During the Auto Club 400, Larson got turned into the turn 1 wall by Denny Hamlin, relegating him to a 21st-place finish.[57] When the season was placed on hold after four races due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Larson was seventh in the points standings with 2 top 10's and 1 top 5 finish.
On April 13, 2020, Larson was indefinitely suspended by Chip Ganassi Racing without pay after he used a racial slur during an iRacing event the day before.[58] Shortly after Ganassi's announcement, NASCAR also suspended Larson indefinitely and ordered him to complete sensitivity training before he is allowed to race again.[59] Larson would also be suspended by the World of Outlaws, but his suspension had lifted prior to their return to racing. Multiple corporations such as McDonald's, Credit One Bank, and Chevrolet also terminated their sponsorship of Larson.[60] The following day, CGR fired Larson.[61] [62] [63] [64] Matt Kenseth took over the No. 42 car for the rest of the 2020 season.[65]
In October 2020, after months of inactivity on social media, Larson posted an essay on his website, apologizing for using the slur and denying that it was representative of who he was. In the statement, Larson said that when racing overseas, he encountered people who used the word regularly. He accepted accountability for his actions, including his suspension and dismissal from CGR, and said that although he finished the sensitivity training, he did more than what was required of him to change his behavior; for instance, he went to Minnesota after George Floyd was murdered and participated in a variety of classes to learn more on the African-American community.
The statement also said that some of the people in his career, including Ganassi, kept in touch with him during his rehabilitation which convinced him to have hope in saving his career. Larson also said that he hopes his setback "was a lesson for everyone," and was in the process of seeking reinstatement to the Cup Series.[66] In mid-October, it was reported that Larson officially applied for reinstatement.[67] On the same month, it was announced that NASCAR had reinstated Larson's competition privileges effective on January 1, 2021.[68]
On October 28, 2020, it was announced that Hendrick Motorsports signed Larson to a multi-year deal to drive the No. 5 car beginning in 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. At the time of the announcement, it was also announced that the No. 5 car was not sponsored yet, though Hendrick announced that he would self-sponsor the car through his HendrickCars.com and NationsGuard companies until they found long-term sponsors.[69] It was also announced later on that, although Hendrick normally did not allow their drivers to race anywhere other than their NASCAR team, the team negotiated a clause in the contract allowing Larson to continue racing dirt races, provided that he focused primarily on the Cup program.[70]
Larson began his 2021 season with a 10th-place finish at the 2021 Daytona 500. At Las Vegas, Larson scored his first win with HMS after he led 103 of 267 laps.[71] He had finished second nine times on 1.5-mile tracks prior to his victory.[72] [73]
On May 30, Larson scored his first Coca-Cola 600 win after he led 327 of 400 laps. Larson's victory was also the 269th career Cup victory for Hendrick Motorsports, surpassing Petty Enterprises for the most Cup victories as a race team in NASCAR history. One week later, Larson scored his first road course win at Sonoma. On June 13, Larson won the 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race, becoming the 9th driver to win the All-Star Race more than once. He also became the 8th driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to win the Coca-Cola 600 and the All-Star race in the same season. At Nashville, Larson scored his third consecutive win (All-Star races, as they are not points-paying, are not included).
On the final lap at Pocono doubleheader race 1, Larson was on the verge of a 4th consecutive win until the left front tire went down that caused his car to hit the turn 3 wall and his teammate Alex Bowman won the race while Larson finished 9th. The next day, despite resorting to a backup car as a result of the incident, Larson rebounded to finish 2nd to eventual winner Kyle Busch after a fuel gamble.
At Watkins Glen, Larson scored his 5th victory of the 2021 season, a career-high. After the Watkins Glen race, Larson and Denny Hamlin were tied for the points lead in the regular season standings. Following the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400, Larson clinched the regular season championship.[74]
In the first round of the playoffs, Larson finished 2nd to Hamlin at Darlington and followed up with a 6th-place finish at Richmond. At Bristol night race, Larson held off Kevin Harvick to win his 6th race of the season. His win would somewhat be overshadowed by an altercation between Harvick and Chase Elliott after the race due to an on-track incident.
At Charlotte Roval, Larson scored his 7th win of the season after overcoming electrical issues. He became the first driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to win three different road courses in the same season and also became the first driver since Kasey Kahne in 2006 to sweep both Charlotte races.
At Texas, Larson scored his 8th win of the season to secure a spot into the Championship 4. A week later at Kansas, he scored his 9th win of the season and became the first driver since Dale Earnhardt in 1987 to win three straight races twice in the same season.
In the Championship 4 at Phoenix, Larson started on the pole and led 107 laps en route to his 10th win of the season and his first NASCAR Cup Series championship. He became the first driver to have 10 wins and a championship in the same season since Jimmie Johnson did it in 2007 season. Larson ended his 2021 championship season with 10 wins, 18 stage wins, 20 top fives, 26 top tens, 2,581 laps led, and an average finish of 9.1.
Larson began the season by starting on the pole at the 2022 Daytona 500 and finished in 32nd after he was involved in a crash at the frontstretch on lap 192. A week later, Larson scored his first win of the season at Auto Club Speedway. At Sonoma, Larson's No. 5 car lost a tire on lap 84. As a result, crew chief Cliff Daniels was suspended for four races.[75] Kevin Meendering, who served as a crew chief for Jimmie Johnson during the 2019 season, filled in for Cliff.
At Watkins Glen, Larson took the lead away from his teammate Chase Elliott on the final restart and held off A. J. Allmendinger to score his second consecutive Watkins Glen win.[76] On September 16, 2022, HMS announced that Larson had signed a multi-year contract extension to remain with the team through 2026. Larson was eliminated following the Round of 12 after he finished 35th at Charlotte Roval.
On lap 94 at Las Vegas, Larson got wrecked by Bubba Wallace down the frontstretch after Wallace got into the wall and Christopher Bell was also involved in the crash. During the caution, Wallace confronted Larson in a shoving match.[77] A week later, Larson scored his 3rd win of the season at Homestead.[78] He finished the 2022 season seventh in the points standings.
Larson began the season with a DNF at the 2023 Daytona 500. On March 15, 2023, the No. 5 was served an L2 penalty after an unapproved hood louver was found installed on the car during a pre-race inspection at Phoenix. As a result, the team was docked 100 driver and owner points and 10 playoff points. In addition, crew chief Cliff Daniels was suspended for four races and fined 100,000.[79] On March 29, the National Motorsports Appeals Panel amended the penalty, upholding the fine and Daniels' suspension, but the No. 5 team has restored the owner, driver, and playoff points.[80]
Larson scored his 20th career Cup Series win at Richmond.[81] Two weeks later, he won at Martinsville and it was also the first win for the No. 5 car at that track since 1984.[82] At the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race, Larson scored his third career All-Star win, tied Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon as a three-time All-Star winner and the only driver to win the All-Star race on 3 different race tracks (Charlotte, Texas & North Wilkesboro).[83]
At Darlington, Larson held off Tyler Reddick to score his first Southern 500 win to clinch a spot into the Round of 12.[84] It is also the 500th overall win by Hendrick Motorsports' engine department.[85] One month later, Larson won at Las Vegas after he held off Christopher Bell to make the Championship 4.[86] Following the season finale at Phoenix, he finished the 2023 season second in the points standings.
Larson started the 2024 season with an 11th-place finish at the 2024 Daytona 500. Two weeks later, Larson scored his first win of the season at Las Vegas after he held off Tyler Reddick.[87] At the Kansas spring race, Larson won by 0.001 seconds over Chris Buescher, the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history.[88] On May 26, Larson attempted to run both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, but due to the rain that delayed the Indy 500, he was unable to make the Charlotte race and was substituted by Justin Allgaier who finished 13th.[89] Despite missing the Coke 600 race, Larson was granted a waiver to maintain his playoff eligibility.[90]
At Sonoma, Larson scored his 26th career win that tied him with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Fred Lorenzen on the all-time wins record list in the Cup Series.[91] The victory also made Larson the 10th driver in NASCAR Cup history to win five road course races. On July 21, Larson scored his first Brickyard 400 win at Indianapolis.[92]
Larson owned a World of Outlaws sprint car team named Kyle Larson Racing that fielded a car for Carson Macedo. He acquired full ownership of the team, formerly named Larson Marks Racing, after the 2017 season.[93] The team closed following the 2020 season due to COVID-19 pandemic and other issues.[94] He drives for his own team (midgets) and Paul Silva (winged sprint car) on a limited schedule.
On January 18, 2020, Larson won his first Chili Bowl after he held off 3-time winner Christopher Bell.[95] On May 5, It was announced that Larson will compete in the World of Outlaws at Knoxville Raceway beginning in the spring after a suspension and subsequent reinstatement to the series.[96] At Knoxville, Larson finished 10th.[97] Two weeks later at Federated Auto Parts Raceway, Larson set a qualifying lap time of 9.995 seconds, the first sub-ten-second time in track history.[98] After Larson finished second to brother-in-law Brad Sweet in the friday feature, he held off Brent Marks and Sweet in the saturday event to score his first World of Outlaws victory since suspension.[99]
Larson joined the USAC series for the 2020 Indiana Midget Week in June. He won all six races in the Hoosier state, as well as the championship. Larson continued to win in nine straight sprint car features. On June 25, 2020, Larson competed in the full Pennsylvania Speedweek for 410 Sprint cars.[100] Larson won at Grandview Speedway after he made a pass on Freddie Rahmer with two laps remaining.[101] Larson picked up his second win that same week, leading the led the entire race at Hagerstown.[102]
On July 3, Larson won the Mitch Smith Memorial at Williams Grove Speedway.[103] The following night, he won again in the final event at Port Royal Speedway. Larson won the Pennsylvania Speedweek title with four wins and three podiums.[104] [105] Larson competed in the All Star Circuit of Champions sprint cars at Knoxville Raceway where he set a series record and scored his seventh consecutive win.[106] Following the 2020 season, Larson was named the 410 Sprint Car Driver of the Year.[107]
After a test at Cherokee Speedway in August 2020, Larson announced he would be making his debut in a dirt late model at Port Royal Speedway in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for owner Kevin Rumley.[108] After finishing 5th in the first night of the event, Larson led flag-to-flag in the second night's race to win in his second dirt late model race.[109]
On October 18, Larson won the USAC Silver Crown Series finale at the Springfield Mile to take his 42nd feature win of the season.[110] On October 27, it was announced that Larson would make his World of Outlaws Late Model Series debut at Charlotte.[111] He competed the final two races of the season on The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway where he set a new track record in qualifying and finished 8th.
Following his reinstatement by NASCAR and signing with Hendrick Motorsports in October 2020, Larson noted in an interview with The Dale Jr. Download that he would be permitted to continue dirt racing, in addition to the Cup Series, provided the latter be his primary commitment.[112]
On January 16, 2021, Larson won his second consecutive Chili Bowl Nationals.[113] A week later, Larson raced in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series' Winternationals for dirt late models where he won the season-opener at All-Tech Raceway.[114] He won the third annual BC39 race against 74 USAC National Midgets on the dirt track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Larson won the Knoxville Nationals three times in 2021, 2023, and 2024, becoming the eighth multi-time winner as well as the eighth back-to-back winner of the event.[115] [116] [117]
On January 12, 2023, it was announced that Larson would attempt to qualify for the 2024 Indianapolis 500 with Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports.[118] After a rain-delayed start of the race, Larson started fifth and finished 18th in his first IndyCar Series race. The rain delay impacted Larson's tight schedule, causing him to miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600. Larson was named the 2024 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year.[119]
On January 4, 2014, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that Larson would enter the 24 Hours of Daytona in the No. 02 car alongside Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Marino Franchitti.[120] During the press conference, Larson stated, "You grow up watching the NASCAR guys then you're like, ‘wow’ when you meet them. And then watching the guys in different series there's a 'wow' factor to meeting them and working with them." In his Rolex 24 debut, Larson's car stalled and received a speeding penalty, but finished his stint with a fifth-place finish.[121]
Larson returned in the No. 02 Ford Daytona Prototype for the 2015 event along with Chip Ganassi Racing teammates from IndyCar Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan and NASCAR Jamie McMurray. The team ultimately won the race.[122] [123]
In 2016, Larson once again returned for the 24 Hours of Daytona in the Ford EcoBoost Daytona Prototype for Chip Ganassi Racing. The team consisted of the same drivers from the 2015 winning car but ran into issues with brake failures plaguing the team throughout the race.[124]
Larson made a cameo appearance as a limo driver in the 2017 film Logan Lucky.[125]
Larson's mother is Japanese American and her parents spent time in a Japanese internment camp. Larson's wife is Katelyn Sweet, the sister of former World Of Outlaws Sprint Car Series driver and NASCAR driver Brad Sweet. Larson announced on June 13, 2014, that he and his girlfriend were expecting their first child.[126] On July 16, Larson announced that the baby was a boy.[127] Owen Miyata Larson was born on December 22, 2014.[128] On November 8, 2017, Larson announced on social media that he and Katelyn were expecting a second child, due in May 2018.[129] Audrey Layne Larson was born in 2018. On December 22, 2017, Larson and Sweet became engaged,[130] and they were married on September 26, 2018.[131] On December 31, 2022, Larson and Katelyn’s third child Cooper Donald Larson was born.[132]
| Year | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Points | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | NASCAR K&N Pro Series East | Rev Racing | 14 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 536 | 1st | |
| NASCAR Camping World Truck Series | Turner Motorsports | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 134 | 35th | ||
| ARCA Racing Series | Eddie Sharp Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 102nd | ||
| 2013 | NASCAR Nationwide Series | Turner Scott Motorsports | 33 | 0 | 9 | 17 | 0 | 995 | 8th | |
| NASCAR Camping World Truck Series | Turner Scott Motorsports | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 01 | 85th | ||
| ARCA Racing Series | Turner Scott Motorsports | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 220 | 95th | ||
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series | Phoenix Racing | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 01 | 57th | ||
| 2014 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series | Chip Ganassi Racing | 36 | 0 | 8 | 17 | 1 | 1080 | 17th | |
| IMSA Tudor United SportsCar Championship | Chip Ganassi Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 46th | ||
| NASCAR Nationwide Series | Turner Scott Motorsports | 28 | 2 | 14 | 21 | 1 | 01 | 80th | ||
| NASCAR Camping World Truck Series | Turner Scott Motorsports | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 01 | 92nd | ||
| NASCAR K&N Pro Series West | Turner Scott Motorsports | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 47th | ||
| ARCA Racing Series | Turner Scott Motorsports | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 250 | 66th | ||
| 2015 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series | Chip Ganassi Racing | 35 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 872 | 19th | |
| IMSA Tudor United SportsCar Championship | Chip Ganassi Racing | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 23rd | ||
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | HScott Motorsports | 14 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 01 | 87th | ||
| NASCAR Camping World Truck Series | JR Motorsports | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 01 | 93rd | ||
| 2016 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series | Chip Ganassi Racing | 36 | 1 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 2288 | 9th | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | Chip Ganassi Racing | 16 | 2 | 11 | 14 | 0 | 01 | 87th | ||
| IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship | Chip Ganassi Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 29th | ||
| NASCAR Camping World Truck Series | GMS Racing | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 01 | 82nd | ||
| 2017 | Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series | Chip Ganassi Racing | 36 | 4 | 15 | 20 | 3 | 2320 | 8th | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | Chip Ganassi Racing | 11 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 01 | 86th | ||
| 2018 | Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series | Chip Ganassi Racing | 36 | 0 | 12 | 19 | 3 | 2299 | 9th | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | Chip Ganassi Racing | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 01 | 83rd | ||
| 2019 | Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series | Chip Ganassi Racing | 36 | 1 | 8 | 17 | 1 | 2339 | 6th | |
| 2020 | NASCAR Cup Series | Chip Ganassi Racing | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 121 | 34th | |
| 2021 | NASCAR Cup Series | Hendrick Motorsports | 36 | 10 | 20 | 26 | 2 | 5040 | 1st | |
| NASCAR Camping World Truck Series | Niece Motorsports | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 01 | 115th | ||
| 2022 | NASCAR Cup Series | Hendrick Motorsports | 36 | 3 | 13 | 19 | 4 | 2354 | 7th | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | Hendrick Motorsports | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 01 | 74th | ||
| JR Motorsports | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2023 | NASCAR Cup Series | Hendrick Motorsports | 36 | 4 | 15 | 18 | 2 | 5034 | 2nd | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | Kaulig Racing | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 01 | 75th | ||
| Hendrick Motorsports | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | Spire Motorsports | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 01 | 86th | ||
| 2024 | IndyCar Series | McLaren-Hendrick |
(key) (
Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 16 | align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;" | 38 |
| 2015 | 29 | align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;" | 34 | ||
| 2016 | 14 | align=center style="background:#FFDF9F;" | 7 | ||
| 2017 | 16 | align=center style="background:#DFFFDF;" | 12 | ||
| 2018 | 38 | align=center style="background:#DFFFDF;" | 19 | ||
| 2019 | 26 | align=center style="background:#FFDF9F;" | 7 | ||
| 2020 | 8 | align=center style="background:#FFDF9F;" | 10 | ||
| 2021 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 13 | align=center style="background:#FFDF9F;" | 10 |
| 2022 | align=center style="background:#FFFFBF;" | 1 | align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;" | 32 | |
| 2023 | 2 | align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;" | 18 | ||
| 2024 | 17 | align=center style="background:#DFFFDF;" | 11 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | Pts | Ref | ||
| 2012 | Turner Motorsports | 4 | Chevy | DAY | MAR | CAR | KAN | CLT | DOV | TEX | KEN 10 | IOW | CHI | POC | MCH | BRI | ATL 6 | IOW | KEN | LVS | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO 2 | HOM 27* | 35th | 134 | [154] | ||
| 2013 | Turner Scott Motorsports | 30 | DAY | MAR | CAR 1* | KAN | CLT | DOV | TEX | KEN | IOW | ELD 2 | POC | MCH | BRI | MSP | IOW | CHI | LVS | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | 85th | 01 | [155] | |||
| 2014 | 32 | DAY | MAR | KAN | CLT | DOV | TEX | GTW | KEN | IOW | ELD 26 | POC 18 | MCH | BRI | MSP | CHI | NHA | LVS | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | 92nd | 01 | [156] | |||||
| 42 | HOM 2* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | JR Motorsports | 00 | Chevy | DAY | ATL | MAR | KAN | CLT | DOV | TEX | GTW | IOW | KEN | ELD | POC | MCH | BRI | MSP | CHI 7 | NHA | LVS | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | 93rd | 01 | [157] | |
| 2016 | GMS Racing | 24 | Chevy | DAY | ATL | MAR 4 | KAN | DOV | CLT | TEX | IOW | GTW | KEN | ELD 1 | POC | BRI | MCH | MSP | CHI | NHA | LVS | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM 4* | 82nd | 01 | [158] | |
| 2021 | Niece Motorsports | 44 | Chevy | DAY | DRC | LVS | ATL | BRD 35 | RCH | KAN | DAR | COA | CLT | TEX | NSH | POC | KNX | GLN | GTW | DAR | BRI | LVS | TAL | MAR | PHO | 115th | 01 | [159] | ||
| 2023 | Spire Motorsports | 7 | Chevy | DAY | LVS | ATL | COA | TEX | BRD | MAR | KAN | DAR | NWS 1* | CLT | GTW | NSH | MOH | POC | RCH | IRP | MLW | KAN | BRI | TAL | HOM | PHO | 86th | 01 | [160] | |
Season still in progress
Ineligible for series points
| NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Pts | Ref | |
| 2012 | Rev Racing | 6 | Toyota | BRI 9 | GRE 17 | RCH 4 | BGS 5 | JFC 1 | LGY 7 | CNB 2 | COL 21 | IOW 2 | NHA 1 | DOV 5 | GRE 4 | CAR 6 | 1st | 536 | [161] | |
| 69 | IOW 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
(key) (
Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)| ARCA Racing Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Pts | Ref | |
| 2012 | Eddie Sharp Racing | 6 | Chevy | DAY | MOB | SLM | TAL | TOL | ELK | POC | MCH 13 | WIN | NJE | IOW | CHI | IRP | POC | BLN | ISF | MAD | SLM | DSF | KAN | 102nd | 165 | [163] | |
| 2013 | Turner Scott Motorsports | 4 | Chevy | DAY 2 | MOB | SLM | TAL | TOL | ELK | POC | MCH | ROA | WIN | CHI | NJE | POC | BLN | ISF | MAD | DSF | IOW | SLM | KEN | KAN | 95th | 220 | [164] |
| 2014 | DAY | MOB | SLM | TAL | TOL | NJE | POC 1* | MCH | ELK | WIN | CHI | IRP | POC | BLN | ISF | MAD | DSF | SLM | KEN | KAN | 66th | 250 | [165] | ||||
(key) (
Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Class | Make | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Points | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Chip Ganassi Racing | P | Ford EcoBoost Riley DP | Ford Ecoboost 3.5 L V6 Turbo | DAY 8 | SEB | LBH | LGA | DET | WGL | MOS | IMS | ELK | COA | PET | 46th | 24 | |
| 2015 | DAY 1 | SEB | LBH | LAG | DET | WGL | MOS | ROA | COA | PET | 23rd | 36 | ||||||
| 2016 | DAY 7 | SEB | LBH | LAG | DET | WGL | MOS | ROA | COA | PET | 29th | 25 |
| 24 Hours of Daytona results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Class | No | Team | Car | Co-drivers | Laps | Position | Class Pos. | Ref | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | P | 02 |  Chip Ganassi Racing | Ford Riley DP |  Scott Dixon Tony Kanaan Marino Franchitti | 667 | 15 | 8 | [167] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | P | 02 | Scott Dixon Tony Kanaan Jamie McMurray | 740 | 1 | 1 | [168] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | P | 02 | Scott Dixon Tony Kanaan Jamie McMurray | 708 | 13 | 7 | [169] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)