“A lot of us just don’t even know what we’re capable of,” said Josh Wise, the American former professional stock car and dirt track racing driver who is currently a trainer for Chevrolet’s development program. Josh Wise has come so far in his career. From in the Nationwide Series to driving the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevy part-time in 2010 and 2011, he has shared the ride with the likes of Danica Patrick. Backed by GoDaddy and HowDoYou.com, he even averaged a 13th-place finish, completing every race on the lead lap with Dale Earnhardt and Team.

However, the capability part he said when he first sat down with Kyle Larson. And this is so relatable because people can achieve only what they think they’re competent to achieve. If people undersell and undercut themselves, they’ll never have any shot at anything greater than their belief.

But Kyle Larson is not one of those people who lets go of the opportunities that easily. Although his latest winning streak has sparked some controversy.

How did Josh Wise get through Kyle Larson’s laid-back attitude?

Kyle Larson is a tough nut to crack because of his passive involvement in any sort of interaction. He is self-assured, which makes him one of the most stubborn drivers to train, and he needs relatability and respect to let others grow in him. And fortunately, he struck that chord with Josh Wise.

During the first meeting with Larson, Wise jotted down the four key pillars of success for a racing driver, namely physical, psychological, technical, and tactical. The latter had this thought process for preparing Larson to the best of his capability, to which Larson simply responded, “I’ll give it a try.”

Larson has been a prodigious driver ever since his NASCAR debut in 2012. With a year each in the Truck and Xfinity series, Yung Money got promoted to the top series in 2014. He debuted the NASCAR Cup Series with Chip Ganassi Racing and made his way to Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 when he won the championship. And he is in a race for seemingly another win this year with his championship lead.

But rewinding that back to the start, how did Wise get Larson to this form? Dale Jr. asked Josh Wise how he got into Larson’s head and convinced him to do the things he needed to. “To have someone that can see your true potential and then help you identify a process that you can reach that potential is exciting for most people, especially if it’s in a relatable authentic way.”, Josh Wise told Dale Jr. on the Dale Jr. Download.

Something in common! Larson and Wise had their roots in open-wheel racing. The Hendrick Motorsports driver had followed Wise since he was a kid, and then vice versa when Wise left sprint racing and observed Larson. “I knew he was really good, you know, long before a lot of people did, right, ‘cause I was monitoring that kind of racing,” added Wise.

Recalling the Chip Ganassi times when Josh Wise had recruited Larson for the Cup, the Chevy trainer said, “I was really like just gritty to start. I’m coming over whether you want me to or not. I’ll be right there 10 am tomorrow. And that’s how I kinda started with those guys.” In a way, it was the persistence that got Larson and Jamie McMurray into the form that they were and still are.

It looks like Josh Wise was the teacher Larson needed and deserved, and the student proved himself worthy in return. Now, Kyle Larson has embarked on his own journey of raising a prodigy. What can he learn from his master?

Even great drivers need someone to help them see the gaps and grow

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Learning from mistakes is one of the most cliche things, but it is also the most natural way of learning. When drivers race and experience their flaws, they’re better equipped to correct those. More so when they have a spotter to identify and pinpoint their exact shortcomings. But this is just on-the-fly learning.

Racing drivers are athletes who need rigorous training. So, a disciplined workout schedule is crucial to any scope of success. That is how drivers learn the ability to keep calm under strenuous conditions and make the right decisions in split seconds. When Dale Jr. asked Josh Wise about his training program, Wise didn’t hesitate and said, “I kept their bikes in my Sprinter van; I kept some helmets for karting in my Sprinter van, I’d go to their house and I’d be like, ‘Hey, time to work out. Time to get ready.”

While a fixed routine is good, some spontaneity keeps the drivers on the kind of edge that they need to be prepared for.

Do you think Kyle Larson can win the championship this season?