Kyle Larson has the makings to be a championship contender in 2023. (Photo: Erik Smith | The Podium Finish)
LEANDER, Texas – On the track, Kyle Larson is savvy, tenacious and determined, driving at the absolute maximum in his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.
The 30-year-old Elk Grove, California native is the modern era version of yesteryear’s on track heroes. When he is not driving his weekend warrior ride at a NASCAR Cup Series race, he is likely throwing it down in a dirt modified or sprint car at a track near you.
While Larson’s primary focus is pursuing his next Cup championship, chasing after the checkered flag is his eternal passion. If it means traveling to the nearby dirt track and battling against the best, local competitors to hoist the next trophy, there is a good chance that Larson will be around.
Of course, the 11-year NASCAR Cup Series veteran wants to add to his stock car legacy. Sure, the 2021 championship is one of his career highs, but that next title is on his mind along with those with the No. 5 team, on campus and at the next track.
Presently, Larson has made a compelling case to contend for this year’s championship. In this case, he has contended for the win at Daytona, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Atlanta. Even when mechanical issues took the 19-time Cup race winner out of contention, there was no quit with the cagey veteran racer nor with his crewmates.
Prior to last Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, I caught up with Larson for a quick but insightful interview at Circuit of the Americas. Although time was limited for Larson’s first, in-depth interview with The Podium Finish, much like his race pace, the mood went from all business to a genuine conversation as the interview progressed.
Larson, who started 13th and placed 14th in an eventful race in Austin, Texas, realizes it is only a matter of time before his team hits paydirt with trips to Victory Lane. In the meantime, it is time for Larson’s first stint “In the Hot Seat” here on The Podium Finish!
Rob Tiongson: Kyle, good to see you again here in Austin for the second year in a row. And unlike last year, you’re starting a little bit better this year. So tell me about how the car is running so far.
Larson overcame a slew of issues, some unforced, to rally from two laps off the pace to a respectable top-15 result at COTA. (Photo: Cody Porter | The Podium Finish)
Kyle Larson: No, I mean, our car is good. Just was hoping to qualify a little better there. Just had some miscommunication or lack thereof, I guess, and didn’t make it out for the to make a second run in the first round and. Didn’t make it to the next round.
Tiongson: But hey, at least in the top 15. Got good pace in the car. So how confident do you feel about getting to the sports to front and knowing that you don’t have the stage breaks to at least get back to the front?
Larson: Yeah, it’ll make it makes it a little tougher just because I mean, potentially you have less restarts, less opportunities to get the field bunched up to pass. So the cars are all yeah, everybody’s pretty tight on time too, so that makes it a little a little tougher to pass.
So, we’ll see. But we’ll try and get get a handful here early in the race and then pick them off one by one.
Tiongson: What is it about COTA that makes it such a challenging racetrack? I mean, from your perspective, how do you attack it?
Larson: Well, there’s so many corners. I think that’s what makes it tough, really. I mean, you could be off, you know, a half a second, which looks like a lot, but it’s just a little bit here and there and you’re right there. So, piecing all that together, it can get difficult, but it’s a flowy track, some heavy braking zones. It’s a fun place. It’s got definitely gotten rougher over the last year or so, I’m trying to adapt to that, too, for sure.
Tiongson: And talking about adapting, I mean, you have got an interesting stretch of races in the next month and a half. It Started with Atlanta. We’re here at COTA, and then you pretty much go to like a dirt track, superspeedway, and a concrete track. How excited are you to attack these different kinds of tracks?
A diverse schedule means Larson and his rivals are always on their toes. (Photo: John Arndt | r/NASCAR)
Larson: Yeah, that would be fun. I feel like our team is very good at all all the tracks. It is cool that our schedule is so diverse and I mean, there’s probably not… there’s definitely not a more diverse schedule than what we have in the Cup Series. So yeah, it’s fun to be a part of and fun to test yourself and your team, and your competitors.
Tiongson: And speaking of your team, I mean, you guys have been coming out like gangbusters. I know despite what happened a couple of weeks ago, you guys have been so close to winning your first race of the season. How confident are you about breaking through and earning your first victory of 2023?
Larson: Yeah, I think we definitely can. I mean, our speed has been there to race cars every week, you know, And I feel like we’ve, in a way, been in some sort of contention every every race so far. You know, Fontana, on paper, we weren’t. But speed wise, we were the fastest car.
And then Atlanta, you know, we run up front and the No. 10 got a flat kind of one. Could’ve won Vegas and Phoenix. Had a shot there late at Daytona.
So, you know, it’s there. It’s just been a been disappointing that we haven’t gotten any wins or really any consistently good finishes.
Tiongson: And how satisfying will it be when you break through and you’re like, “OK, we can breathe a little bit easier. But we also know. We probably need to get two wins to be safe?”
Larson: Yeah. I don’t know. I mean, yeah, I mean, it’d be a relief for sure to get a win on many levels, but yeah, just try to do the best job you can each week and not put too much pressure on yourself.
Tiongson: I got to ask you, my friend, you became a father for the third time recently, so congratulations on that.
Larson: Thanks.
Tiongson: How rewarding has fatherhood been for you and raising your your kids with your wife, Katelyn?
Larson: Yeah, no, it’s been a lot of fun. And, you know, the third Cooper, he’s been the toughest out of the three so far, So, you know, it can be frustrating at times, but it is also very satisfying to watch them grow up and see our two other kids, you know, loving on him all the time.
And, you know, those two are getting along with each other. It’s really satisfying because everybody’s happy. It’s fun and just yeah, you know, it’s just cool to see your kids grow up and find things that they love and try and pursue them.
Tiongson: And I love how close you and and Owen are. I mean, the little dare, he said, “Daddy, if I win, do I get $100?” And you’re like, “Pay the car owner 70%.” Is it fun to kind of tease him and just see him succeed with that motivation?
Larson cherishes time well spent with his son, Owen, wherever they go. (Photo: Trish McCormack | The Podium Finish)
Larson: Yeah, it’s it’s all fun. I like picking on him some, too. So, teaching him about real life, I guess. A little bit. But no, it was cool. He got his first win last week or two weeks ago or whatever it was now. And he’ll race again this coming Tuesday. So we’ll see if we can repeat it.
Rob Tiongson: Do you think you’ll be racing long enough for you and Owen to be teammates in the future?
Larson: I don’t know. He doesn’t show a super strong interest in the driving part of it currently. But, you know, maybe after his first win, it’ll change some. So, I don’t know. I mean, I definitely… I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
And he’s already eight years old. So yeah, I mean, it probably won’t be honestly too long until we get to race with each other.
Tiongson: That’s fair enough. If you were a contestant on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire and you needed to have a lifeline that would help you win the million bucks, which Hendrick driver would you make to be your lifeline?
Larson: Well, I guess it depends on the question. So I don’t know, but I would say in general, probably William because he’s the youngest and the freshest out of school and I think the only one of us to go to college, so probably William.
Editor’s Notes
Thank you to Kyle Larson for taking the time for this interview last weekend at Circuit of the Americas. Special thanks to Autumn Darracq and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team for making this interview possible! Catch the podcast edition of Larson’s interview on the next, exciting episode of The Podium Finish Live!
Along with The Podium Finish, keep up-to-date with Kyle on social media via his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels!
