Kyle Larson has an interesting path to contend in Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. (Photo: Riley Thompson | The Podium Finish)
LINCOLN, Ala. — Whenever Kyle Larson faces Talladega Superspeedway, he must feel like Steve Young and the San Francisco 49ers before the 1994 NFL season.
The same questions about overcoming challenges and adversaries arise each time. Instead of taking on the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium, Larson battles 38 rivals at a 2.66-mile superspeedway.
Larson thrives on obstacles. It is ingrained in his all-or-nothing driving style even if he starts 25th in Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500.
Before arriving at the 55-year-old Alabama track, Larson reflected on the gains his No. 5 team made at drafting-style tracks, citing his podium finish at Atlanta in February. In that race, he started 17th, won Stage 2, led 12 laps, and finished third.
Some of that teamwork with crew chief Cliff Daniels may show in the second race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
“Talladega is probably the best drafting track for myself and our team, even if the results do not show it,” Larson said in a team release. “We were able to get a top five earlier this year at Atlanta, so I am hoping that with Cliff’s strategy we can once again have a good showing.”
Kyle Larson takes to Talladega Superspeedway during qualifying for Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500. (Photo: Hayden Hutchison | The Podium Finish)
Talladega’s thrilling three- and four-wide racing may steal the spotlight, but handling still matters. Speed means little if a driver cannot hold a steady wheel through the 33-degree banked corners and wide straights that resemble Dallas rush hour.
Before last October’s YellaWood 500, Larson and Daniels opted for raw speed, as seen in their qualifying performances. However, those strong top-10 starts were wasted in four of the five prior races, with Larson finishing 15th or worse.
Handling was emphasized in their most recent Talladega visit, where Larson started 12th and placed fourth. Despite feast-or-famine results, he has tallied the third-most points at Talladega in the past six races, behind only teammates Chase Elliott and William Byron.
Much like Young’s press conferences before facing the Cowboys, Larson faces constant attention on drafting-style tracks.
Competing at Talladega is as unpredictable as a pro football mock draft. No matter the analysis, the element of surprise cannot be overlooked.
It is no surprise Larson does not favor drafting-style races, where chance and positioning dominate, compared to tracks that demand skill and teamwork.
Kyle Larson had a colorful adjective for Talladega Superspeedway before qualifying for the Jack Link’s 500. (Photo: Riley Thompson | The Podium Finish)
“I would rather come here once. I enjoy coming here,” he said during Saturday’s media scrum. “The crowd is probably the most into it than a lot of racetracks. So I enjoy that atmosphere part of it. I do not enjoy the racing. I do not know if many people do. We come here twice. We go to superspeedways now six times a year. You kind of learn to get in the right mindset for it.”
Before the 1999 DAYTONA 500, Buddy Baker told Rusty Wallace, “You have to learn to love this place (Daytona). As long as you feel badly about it, you will never win it.” Wallace never won “The Great American Race,” but he overcame superspeedway challenges by racing with confidence.
Maybe some of that outlook has seeped into Larson’s approach at Talladega, even if he has a colorful metaphor for the track and its chaotic environment.
“I have not finished too well. I say the same answer every time I come to these fucking tracks,” Larson said with his dry wit. “We have not finished well that many times but I feel like, in the Next Gen era, at least with Hendrick Motorsports, we are in position at the end. So, roll the dice and hope it works out.”
