What’s your take on the Kyle Larson v. Max Verstappen debate? Both racers have so much in common… on polar opposite sides of the motorsport spectrum. In 2021, those two coincidentally won their first-ever premier series titles in their respective racing disciplines. 

While Verstappen has won two more F1 World Drivers Championships since then, Larson’s built an equally impressive, if not more versatile, resume. He had won his third Knoxville Nationals title on dirt when he sparked the divide that got people talking in the first place. But that’s an entirely different conversation. Regardless, fellow 2x Cup Series champion Kyle Busch might have some funny feelings to share about the matter. And unfortunately, it comes at Max Verstappen’s expense.

Kyle (Busch not Larson) v. Max Verstappen for the ultimate driver showdown

“There once was a time when Lewis Hamilton and Kyle Busch were the dominant guys if this conversation ever happens. I’m jealous frankly. Maybe it didn’t happen because I didn’t bring on the conversation myself.” – That’s what Kyle Busch had said during a press conference before the Southern 500 at Darlington. But now, it seems like the Rowdy One wants to be in on that conversation. However, the timing of his statement was quite ironic, considering Darlington was the last straw for Busch to make the 2024 playoffs. He fell one spot short to Chase Briscoe, who secured automatic eligibility into the Round of 16. With that, KFB failed to make the post-season for the first time in 12 years.

But now, with reduced responsibilities and expectations for a third championship, the Nevada native is making quite an impressive ‘analyst’ run with multiple appearances on NASCAR Studio’s new weekly recap show, ‘Inside the Playoffs.’ He was there with the fixed cast of Steve Letarte, Shannon Spake, and Mamba Smith when the show debuted early in September before the Atlanta Playoff opener to provide us with all the expert insights straight from the driver’s seat. And this week before the last elimination race at Martinsville, he’ll be back again to talk about all things NASCAR. But it looks like Hendrick Motorsports star Kyle Larson will also make an appearance.

In a pre-release promo, the duo was spotted trading laughs and racing each other… in a good-natured game of NASCAR trivia. Shannon Spake asked the hard questions, as the pair of Kyles picked their answers. With the rounds winding down, all eyes locked on one hot-button question that had everyone buzzing for the longest time. Between themselves, Busch and Larson had to pick which “Kyle was a better overall driver than Max Verstappen.”

While the others would take a moment to ponder on that question, Kyle Busch didn’t hesitate. He picked himself over Larson in a heartbeat. And when Larson saw his Cup colleague pick himself over the guy who ran a literal Indy 500 race this year, he chuckled and followed his lead. In a heartwarming moment, the younger champion elected the 38-year-old Rowdy to trump Max Verstappen. But as Mamba Smith probed Kyle Busch on if he truly believed his own words, he would say, “I mean once upon a time. Maybe not now. I don’t know.” And we must credit Rowdy for calling it exactly how it is.

Maybe 10-15 years ago Kyle Busch would’ve been the perfect NASCAR racer to pick in the subjective ‘world’s best wheelman debate’ against the most in-form F1 driver. He’s gotten up there in age, and the last two seasons he’s seemed like a shell of his former self. But with that said, it wouldn’t stop Kyle Larson from backing his namesake with an even more hilarious take, as he cheekily asserted, “I mean, Max Verstappen is not winning Millbridge races.”

It might be purely in jest, but Larson’s justification loosely coincides with what he said back in August when he stirred up the debate after winning the Knoxville Nationals for his third straight time. “There’s no way (Verstappen) can get into a Sprint Car and win the Knoxville Nationals,” he had boldly declared in his now-infamous post-race interview. “There is no way he can go win the Chili Bowl. There’s no way he can go win a Cup race at Bristol… Probably no way, I can go win a Formula 1 race at Monaco, but I think I’d have a better shot at him,” 

And for all his confidence, Kyle Larson might finally get his shot to test a McLaren F1 car once the 2024 season caps off in Abu Dhabi this December. McLaren’s CEO, Zak Brown, even confirmed it on Kevin Harvick’s podcast a few weeks back, saying, “I’d love to see Kyle in an F1 car. It’s something we’ve talked about, and I think it will happen down the road.”

But as for a direct showdown between Max Verstappen and Kyle Larson? Now, that’s where it gets complicated. Which track would they even race on to settle that debate? Would they be driving stock cars or open-wheel machines if they really went head-to-head once and for all? There are a lot many more questions than answers when you envision the whole thing going down in reality. Truthfully, maybe this rivalry belongs as one of those classic ‘what if’ scenarios that NASCAR and F1 fans love to conjure up about every ten years when two drivers from completely different worlds dominate their respective fields in a way we’ve never seen before.

However, if we’re talking about the next generation of on-track rivalries, we might have a much more interesting one brewing between the sons of Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson.

Brexton Busch, and Owen Larson setting the stage for future battles

Now, we all know Kyle Busch is struggling on the NASCAR circuit. But he just won the 600cc Winged Micro track championship at Millbridge Speedway, down in Salisbury, North Carolina. And he wasn’t alone. In a full circle moment, Rowdy’s 9-year-old son, Brexton, who’s racked up 45 feature wins this year, topped the Restricted Micro division the same night as his father. It was a moment every father-son duo would love to have, and the Busch household is lucky to witness that firsthand.

Both drivers finished with four wins in the season, which will surely be something to look back on in the future. Although Brexton could’ve made it five, had it not been for an unlikely competitor — Owen Larson. Yes, that Owen Larson, who joined his father, Kyle, for a ride to Bristol Motor Speedway’s Victory Lane a few weeks ago in Hendrick Motorsports’ #5 car. Young Owen will turn 10 in December, but he’s already a force to be reckoned with.

Only the year before, he won his first-ever career victory in a Box Stock race on Millbridge Speedway’s 1/6-mile dirt layout. On Wednesday, November 30th, Owen won his 6th career victory over Brexton Busch in Millbridge. Although Kyle Busch’s kid has the better record sheet at this point, hopefully, it won’t be too long before Kyle Larson’s son catches up to him. After all, it would bring back some memories twenty years down when we see those two names racing alongside/against each other in the NASCAR Cup Series. Besides, it’s a much more believable scenario than the entire Max Verstappen v. Kyle Larson debate.