“He Was Winning Everything..”: Hendrick Motorsports Star Kyle Larson Once Revealed the Fallen From Grace NASCAR Driver Who Was “The Guy to Beat” While He Was Growing Up

2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, Kyle Larson, has been on a fantastic career run. Although he missed out on the championship four this year, doesn’t mean he isn’t good enough. Larson has proved to be a valuable driver for the Hendrick Motorsports outfit. Nonetheless, on his way to the top flight of NASCAR, Larson has had some moments where he has found inspiration by racing against what he called the best.

Back in 2019, during an interview with Michael Waltrip, Kyle Larson explained how he defeated a former NASCAR driver while they were younger. And how overcoming them in competition brought him a sense of accomplishment.

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Kyle Larson stated in a Waltrip Unfiltered Podcast, “Matt DiBenedetto is actually the kid to beat. When I was, you race at Cycleland (Speedway), yeah pretty baby blue, 44. Really nice stuff and they were really fast. And he was the guy to beat. We just got a new car a few weeks before. And yeah, I somehow won. I don’t remember if he finished second or where he finished, but I remember it was just it was a cool accomplishment winning your first race, but really cool knowing that you beat Matt DiBenedetto. Because he was winning everything at the time. And you know, I was probably lapped traffic before we got the new car.”

Kyle Larson won at every level in his Junior career

Kyle Larson started his racing career at age 7, in karts. Slowly, he proved his talents and started climbing up the ranks. Winning at each and every stage he would go on to. Aside from NASCAR, he has also won the Weathertech SportsCar Championship back in 2015.

With Larson’s undoubted skill and fabulous run in the ARCA Menards, Truck, and Xfinity Series, he was ready for the call-up to the Cup Series. He joined the Chip Ganassi Racing team in 2014 in a full-time capacity. However, after spending several years on the team and also scoring wins, the team let him go in 2020.

The main reason for his dismissal was a controversial live stream where he apparently stated racing slurs. Following the incident, Chip Ganassi Racing ended their partnership.

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Larson was left without a seat and with no certainty of a future in the sport. However, just that year, a blessing in the form of Hendrick Motorsports would arrive for Larson. Soon they thrust him back into competition for the 2021 season with the Hendrick Motorsports outfit. At the end of the season, Kyle Larson emerged as the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season champion. At age 30, Larson still has a long future ahead of him, and that would be just enough time for him to start planning for the second championship title.