Kyle Larson hopes to replicate his Xfinity race success with a Goodyear 400 win on Sunday. (Photo: Trish McCormack | The Podium Finish)
DARLINGTON, S.C. – As Kyle Larson continues to check off his list of tracks he has yet to win at in his NASCAR career, he gazes at his strongest case to emerge triumphant at Darlington Raceway with Sunday’s Goodyear 400.
On Saturday afternoon, Larson, driving a No. 10 Kaulig Racing entry, earned an exciting Shriners Children’s 200 victory in a last lap duel against John Hunter Nemechek.
Ahead of Sunday’s Goodyear 400, Larson, who starts seventh in his Tony Stewart 2009 NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener throwback, expressed optimism about his chances.
“I always look forward to going to Darlington,” Larson said in a team press release. “I want to win everywhere, but especially at tracks I haven’t won at yet. Darlington would definitely be one of the top on my list of tracks I hope to win at. I’ve been really fast there before and I’m excited to race at ‘The Lady in Black’ again.”
While last year’s Cup races were less than ideal for Larson with an engine failure in the Goodyear 400 and 12th in the Cook Out Southern 500, it is a much different situation in 2023. For starters, the driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has the right mindset with taking on the challenging 1.366-mile speedway.
Cliff Daniels, Larson’s crew chief, has just as much desire to win at Darlington. If drivers enjoy the idea of winning at this 73-year-old track because of its tire management aspect, crew chiefs have as much thrills with this track with setting up the cars for race day.
“Kyle loves Darlington,” Daniels said in a team press release. I love Darlington. It is such a great track because it is so challenging. Every aspect of the track is so much fun. It’s got the character of bumps, different lanes and different age asphalt. You’ve got the patch of (Turns) 1 and 2 that is newer pavement and has a lot of grip and then the rest of the track doesn’t have much grip. It’s a track that we love going to.
“What it takes to get it done there, of course, is in the department of having a fast car, great execution and all of those things. I feel like we’ve done that before and it still hasn’t quite paid off for us. Hopefully, we find whatever the final tokens are that we need to get it done.”
Kyle Larson hopes to have a fun time like Tony Stewart did in 2009. (Photo: Kevin Ritchie | The Podium Finish)
Thus far, Larson has the right mentality with approaching the “The Track Too Tough to Tame” in terms of his desire and focus with Sunday’s race. Moreover, he is one of the latest drivers named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list, an honor that left him smiling after his victory in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race.
“This is such a special weekend,” he said. “Every time you get to come to Darlington, it’s special. But throwback weekend, 75th season, I think we have a brunch with all of us so that’s going to be really fun. Get to see legends, hall of famers and everybody who’s still alive that’s on the 75 list.
“So, I really look forward to that. I think it’s going to be a special kind of thing and morning for me. It’s one I’ll probably never forget, getting to be surrounded by so many great drivers. I look forward to that.”
Few drivers look forward to less than ideal conditions in a stock car where heat, humidity and fatigue will likely set in like a weekend warrior mowing their lawn. Then again, Larson cannot wait to do battle at Darlington in the hot, beading sunlight that will perplex drivers all afternoon long.
“It’s great to get a win (in the Xfinity race) and hopefully, we can cap it off with a win (in the Cup race),” Larson said. “I just love this place and love racing in the daylight. I really, really enjoy this track when the sun’s beaming down on it.”
