DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson has taken a new step by founding a micro-racing team dedicated to his children, aiming to develop their talents in the sport through 2026. The team, equipped with trucks, trailers, cars, engines, parts, and staff, supports his 11-year-old son Owen and 7-year-old daughter Audrey as they prepare to compete in scaled-down sprint car events more frequently.
“We are fully invested,” Larson stated, highlighting his commitment to building this team. Despite this enthusiasm, Larson expressed some concern about potentially expanding the operation to include his youngest son, 3-year-old Cooper, whom he describes as the most unpredictable racer in the family.
In a perfect world, I would love for Cooper not to race,
Larson said.
He’s the craziest, for sure, of the three. I think he’ll be the most expensive, probably, because I’m sure he’ll be tearing up the most equipment. So, we’ll see if we can keep him out of it.
Given Cooper’s spirited nature, Larson acknowledges that keeping him from racing could be difficult, especially if the youngest aims to keep up with his father’s pace on the track.
Larson’s Recent NASCAR Success and Challenges at Daytona
Coming off his second NASCAR Cup title, Larson secured the championship despite not winning any of the final 24 races last season. He finished ahead of other top contenders like Chase Briscoe, William Byron, and Denny Hamlin during the season finale. Hamlin’s chances were hurt late in the race when Byron suffered a flat tire, triggering a late caution that favored Larson.
Looking ahead to the Daytona 500 this Sunday, Larson hopes to improve on his record at the event, where he remains winless after 12 attempts. Daytona stands out as the only track where he has yet to secure a top-five finish, finishing 20th last year.
I would imagine the feeling of winning (it would) be extremely massive, if it ever happens,
Larson quipped, underscoring the elusive nature of victory at Daytona for him.
Previously, Larson often found himself caught in crashes at Daytona. Reflecting on last season, he said,
“Prior to last year, I would just get caught up in wrecks and whatnot. I wouldn’t say I have any more confidence this year than I did last year. I just hope that we have the same sort of good fortune as we did last year. Maybe it can be a few spots better to get a win.”
Challenges Faced by Top Drivers at the Daytona 500
Larson is not alone in his struggles at the Daytona 500. Kyle Busch has also yet to win the event in 20 starts, which is puzzling given his success at nearly every other track on the NASCAR circuit. Brad Keselowski, the 2012 series champion with multiple superspeedway victories, remains winless in 16 Daytona 500 attempts.
Several Hall of Famers, including Tony Stewart, Rusty Wallace, and Mark Martin, never managed a Daytona 500 win despite notable careers. It often takes many tries for drivers to capture NASCAR’s signature race: David Pearson won on his 15th attempt, Kurt Busch on his 16th, and the legendary Dale Earnhardt finally triumphed in his 20th try, creating one of the sport’s most iconic moments.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who won the 2023 Daytona 500 on his 12th attempt, explained the difficulty of winning the event.
You feel it, for sure,
he said.
Most people get to double digits before they win a Daytona 500 these days. The more races that go by, the more you wonder if you’ll ever get one.
Stenhouse also acknowledged the pressure drivers face, remarking,
You look at guys like Mark Martin and Tony Stewart who been super successful in our support and never got one. Kyle Busch is still trying. The more that goes by, the more pressure that ramps up every February.
Despite this, Larson insists he is not anxious about winning at Daytona and is focused on other racing endeavors.
Larson’s Expanding Racing Involvement and Adjusted Priorities
In 2023, Larson launched his own High Limit Racing Sprint Car Series, which has grown to host 60 events. He continues to compete in various racing disciplines and made attempts to complete The Double, a challenging feat involving racing the Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.
However, his 2024 attempt was cut short due to weather, and he failed to finish the Charlotte race last year after a crash. NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick expressed concerns about Larson’s dual-race pursuits, calling it “a huge distraction” and was pleased that Larson will not attempt the double again this season.
Not only was it a distraction with the team, but coming back and wrecking in the 600 was mentally just a downer that he had to work his way through,
Hendrick said.
I’m super excited about this year.
Larson shares that enthusiasm and looks forward to focusing on his racing projects, especially his new micro-racing team.
It’s honestly been a lot of fun, and I look forward to kind of having our own little touch on things,
Larson said.
