I was being interviewed on a radio show a couple of weeks ago when the host asked me if my life was on the line and I had to pick any driver in NASCAR history to win a race to save me, who would it be?
I dabbled with that Earnhardt guy but “Kyle Larson,” was my gut response.
A shocking answer to many, but I tell this story only to point out the deep admiration I have in Larson – the wheel man – in balancing out my passion for dirt late models.
It was the middle of last week when I stupidly said in an episode of “Uncle Dick’s Pit Box” here at Always Race Day, that I believed Larson would finish in the middle of the pack during the Lucas Oil Late Model Series’ trip to Port Royal over the weekend.
Idiot.
My late model bias took over, but I had perspective to draw back on as to why I thought this would be the case.
I grew up in southwest Iowa where because of the Kosiski influence in eastern Nebraska, late models are and always will be king. Sprints were more of a novelty to us than anything.
My favorite part of being a dirt late model fan growing up, and even when I announced in the region for nearly a decade, was seeing how our local heroes – regional champions and multiple time track champions – fared when the big boys came to town.
It rarely turned out well for the guy working at a factory during the week and winning trophies on Saturday and Sunday.
Pardon me for being absolutely stunned that even perhaps the greatest race car driver I have ever seen with my own two eyes – Kyle Larson not only recorded two top fives over the weekend in in the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series, but WON Saturday night’s main event, out-dueling the best team in the sport – Brandon Sheppard’s Rocket house car.
“I wasn’t expecting to do this,” Larson told Dirt on Dirt after the race. “After the first night, I felt like if I could start on the first row, I could win.”
Indeed.
Sorry. A question I have to ask: How much did equipment play into this?
Obviously some. Larson was running a hell of a lot stronger car than my heroes did when the Hav-a-Tampa Series rolled into the Adams County Speedway in the early 2000’s.
But this was a statement for Larson – the Dirt King – plain and simple.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself,” Larson said. “The late model fan base, you know, saying that I wasn’t going to do good. It feels good to not necessarily make a statement about sprint car drivers but make them proud and show that we are really good drivers and hopefully me coming to run late models will get some of these fans to come around and pay attention to what’s going on in sprint car racing too. It’s all really excited racing, that’s for sure.”
Could you throw Jimmy Owens into a 410 sprint car, and expect him to win a World of Outlaws race in his first weekend ever driving the car?
No offense to the Newport Nightmare, but there is no chance in hell.
My gut tells me that this is more about the greatness of Kyle Larson than the age-old sprint vs. late model debate. We’ve seen Donny Schatz in a late model during his prime. He didn’t come close to accomplishing what Larson did this weekend.
“These guys are the best that there is, especially with the Outlaws being off,” Larson said. “You had Brandon Sheppard here and Jimmy Owens here and myself. That’s a lot of wins between three people here.”
Good news from Larson.
“It’s definitely not a one and done. We have some other races planned coming up.”
Who knows what Larson’s future is in NASCAR. He will be back there at some point. But for a short track fans, as awful as 2020 has been in so many areas, Larson has made it a summer to remember. In return, he’s developing a cult-like following at the most pure level of racing who will follow him back up to the top.
Personally, I hope he runs dirt again next year. Hop from series to series. Try to win the Indianapolis 500. Keep at it while repairing an image that was tarnished earlier this year. Regardless, wherever Kyle Larson races, I know we will all be watching.
