Only last week, Kyle Larson was under heavy criticism for his statements regarding leaving the prestigious tournament of Chili Bowl. The Golden Driller is one of the most respected trophy in the stock car racing scene in the country. Also known as Kingmaker, the race sees many stars in action from various parts of racing.
While Larson was unhappy with the cash prize they were offering, long-time rival Christopher Bell also dropped out, citing the same. One particular fan, who was angry at Larson, suggested on Twitter to be a bit more considerate and distribute the winnings among other drivers.
Hopefully you will share some of the money you win with the guys who are doing this for a living. Money you don’t necessarily need.
— Dave Krause (@theonlydako) June 21, 2023
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Although Larson defended himself at that point, in a recent revelation, he addresses the issue and takes another cheeky dig at the fandom.
Kyle Larson on Sharing His Prize Money: “Give Everybody a Couple Hundred Bucks”
Hitting back at the fan, Larson claimed that like every other one on the grid, he is a professional driver. Although the sport puts the emphasis on a driver being the sole winner in a race, there is much more in the backdrop that contributes to it. It might be a good show of sportsmanship, but the final decision ultimately stays with Larson itself. Joined by brother in Law and defending three-time winner of World of Outlaws, Brad Sweet in a recent episode of High Limit Room, Larson’s very own initiative, he speaks on fans’ demand for more sportsmanship.
Last time I checked I fall into the category of “professional race car driver”. I race for a living just like the rest of them. https://t.co/xUDeZRel2W pic.twitter.com/FkD1pa4NSd
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) June 22, 2023
“Yeah I don’t know. I’ve seen there was what 60 cars in the pit area so maybe I could walk by and give everybody a couple hundred bucks. You know, I think that would make these fans happy anyways or some of them,” said Larson sarcastically, while talking about his prize money [approx: $20,000] for the recent High Limit Sprint Car Series win.
“But no, its been fun to win lots of races and you know, each race we’ve won I think this year is paid pretty decent. I think we’ve got like under 10 races in our belt and we’re probably second or third on the money list right now in sprint car racing compared to guys who ran 30 nights or so. So, it’s been kinda cool to be upfront and contending every night and Paul’s been getting the car really close every night so it’s been fun to out there.”
Larson is looking to add more to his financial tally as he banks on being this year’s million-dollar all-star race winner. He’s named Yung Money quite rightly.
What Actually Made Larson Leave Chili Bowl and Its Prestigious Title
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The Twitter post that sparked the whole saga was Larson showing his interest in a $175,000 cash prize at King’s Royal. Well, that is certainly more than the $10,000 cash prize that Chili Bowl offers. Larson has been vocal in expressing his unhappiness over that.
It looks like the opinion of Larson about the Golden Driller has changed a bit with time. Previously, he was one of the most active advocates of the tourney, but it is the complete opposite of it now.
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Neither Larson nor Bell are running the Chili Bowl. They have been advocating for bigger purses for midget/sprint-car events and the Chili Bowl pays $10K to the winner (plus $150 per lap led in the main event) https://t.co/mDMbgPN4d1
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 8, 2023
“I’ve spent half of my life going there. But now that I’ve started racing in these other big events, against big names, and they just feel like a bigger deal to me than the Chili Bowl.” This is what Larson had to say about abandoning his streak. Larson’s rival Christopher Bell is another big name to follow suit. The NASCAR duo has scored 4 titles in the last five years at the Big Chili.
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He has also previously spoken about wanting to know the scope of an improvement in the purse, saying, “I’m just at the point where I want to see the purse grow a lot. So, for the time being, and unless that happens, I won’t be running it this year and I know there are a lot of racers that feel the same way.”
Watch This Story: Why did Kyle Larson get fired from NASCAR? Who saved him?