Kyle Larson leaves no doubt about his ambition to follow in Tony Stewart’s footsteps
Kyle Larson clarified that he's not looking to race in the NHRA. However, the Hendrick Motorsports driver said he's open to changing his mind about drag racing once he turns "old", a path follow by Tony Stewart, who pivoted to drag racing in 2022, the year he turned 51.
2021 Cup Series champion Larson has notable NASCAR accolades to his name. His resume boasts the championship, 31 Cup Series wins, including three crown jewel races - 2021 Coca-Cola 600, 2023 Southern 500, 2024 Brickyard 400, and several other achievements. Moreover, the HMS ace is proficient in midget and sprint car racing, and his four Turkey Night Grand Prix wins, three Chili Bowl championships, and three Knoxville Nationals triumphs serve as a testament to his versatility.
Similarly, Tony Stewart is renowned not only for his NASCAR prowess, raking in three championships and 49 Cup Series wins, but also for being the only driver with both NASCAR and IndyCar titles, the only person to complete the exhausting 1100-mile Indy-Charlotte double on the same day, and more. He won his first NHRA Top Fuel win at the recent 4-wide Nationals.
That said, during this week's Stacking Pennies podcast, Corey LaJoie's co-host asked Larson if he'd like to give a shot in drag racing. Larson replied, "It's not on the table currently", but didn't rule out pivoting in the future.
"I don’t know. It’s not on the table currently. No, I don’t think so, but I’m only 32, I feel like that’s what people do when they turn 50, it’s like 'oh let’s go 300-something miles per hour, that’s a great time in my life to do that.' Maybe once I turn 50 and get old like him (Stewart), I’ll change my mind," Kyle Larson said (45:04).
Larson won the most recent Bristol race after leading 411 laps in the 500-lap battle.
Kyle Larson will attempt the Indy 500, and new rules allow Tony Kanaan to replace him
Kyle Larson's Memorial Day double hopes turned into a disappointment after inclement weather delayed the 2024 Indy 500 and forced the Coca-Cola 600 to be cancelled before the HMS driver could replace Justin Allgaier and run a lap to safeguard his playoff odds.
As a result, if the weather is troublesome during his second Indy-Charlotte attempt, slated for May 25, Larson will forfeit his Indy 500 effort and fly for the Cup Series race.
Until the recent rulebook update, Arrow McLaren, the team for which Larson will field the #17 entry, wouldn't have been able to replace the driver with team principal Tony Kanaan if the main event had been green-flagged with Larson behind the wheel. The rule applied to all the teams whose primary driver had started the race.
The updated rulebook says that if the primary driver participates in another marquee event on the same day, as Kyle Larson in the Coca-Cola 600 in this scenario, the replacement would be considered eligible.