Kyle Larson had his first outing to the racing track when he was a week old! Albeit on his parents Mike and Janet Larson’s laps. That speaks volumes about how deep racing is rooted in the close-knit family. The family spent years together trekking around the West Coast, watching Larson dominate, winning karts and USAC features, ever since he was a little boy. And while doing all this, the boy who grew up in Elk Grove, California, used to worship another legendary Californian driver. So much so that he dressed up as 4X NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon for Halloween. Kyle still has the photo safe in his collection!

His first encounter with Gordon happened toward the end of 2011. And as Kyle put it, Gordon, who was still racing with HMS (Hendrick Motorsports), already knew his name (read his talent). Indeed, Kyle had a breakout season that year. He won the 2011 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway, winning in all three types of USAC cars in a single night, only the second driver in history to accomplish the feat. “I talked to Jeff Gordon quite a bit. That was definitely cool, and I was a little star-struck, I guess, because it was Jeff Gordon. At that point, I had never met anyone really famous,” Kyle recalled. A decade later, he had a closer association with the NASCAR Hall of Famer.

Gordon became one of the key figures in Kyle’s negotiations with HMS in 2022 as the vice chairman of the organization. “Jeff is more of a friend I feel like than I view him as a boss or somebody like that,” Kyle had said. “I think it’s good to have that kind of relationship with him. I think it makes going through negotiations and stuff like that even easier.” So after knowing Kyle so closely for all these years, Gordon had an observation about the No. 5 in 2023. He was asked if Kyle was better than he was.

“Uh, yes!,” Gordon emphatically answered, according to NASCAR. “I’m glad I didn’t have to race him. I got my bu** kicked by one guy at Hendrick Motorsports as my teammate, I didn’t need to have two of them.” Comparing Larson to seven-time Cup Series winner Jimmie Johnson is huge, especially from someone of Gordon’s ranks, indeed. But, lately, the legend, who completed three career Grand Slams, is worried about finding Kyle struggling with one particular area of his racing as he believes the issue lies in Kyle’s mind rather than on the tracks.

Kyle Larson is the kind of driver who makes racing look effortless—most of the time, be it dirt tracks, short tracks, road courses, or anything in between. But one glaring weak spot in an otherwise dazzling resume is superspeedways. Daytona and Talladega have never been kind to him, and after another Daytona 500 slipped through his fingers, Jordan addressed the issue during William Byron’s post-race press conference. “Gosh, the guy is not perfect,” Gordon said. “I think now I’m starting to see it’s getting in his head. I’ve had a few conversations with him, and like, man, just go for it, just forget about it, don’t try to even overthink it.”

“But you can’t win that many races in a row, doesn’t go your way. I don’t know what advice to give him other than — all I told him today is just be Kyle Larson. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Don’t look at what somebody else is doing that’s having success. Just go out there and execute, and the other things will turn around and come your way eventually. I think,” Gordon added. For the unversed, Gordon has three Daytona 500s and four Talladega 500s wins to his name. Larson rolled into Speedweek, determined to break the cycle. He wasn’t outwardly stressed about it—at least, not at first.

He even cracked a joke at Media Day, comparing himself to Tony Stewart, another all-time great who never managed to win the Great American Race. “I’m not going to lose sleep if I don’t ever win this race,” Larson said with a shrug. But the race showed that his carefree mindset didn’t reflect on the track.

He struggled for outright speed in qualifying, meaning he’d have to earn his place on the grid in the Duels. Those races are a recipe for chaos at the best of times, and sure enough, Kyle Larson found himself in the middle of it. A last-lap wreck left him with a damaged car and a 22nd-place starting spot for Sunday’s race.

Starting mid-pack, he picked his way forward with patience and precision, biding his time, dodging wrecks left, right, and center. And for a while, it looked promising. He was in the mix when it mattered, running inside the top ten as the laps wound down. But superspeedway racing is unpredictable, and fate had one last cruel twist in store. Cole Custer and Christopher Bell triggered a late-race pileup, Denny Hamlin spun, Ryan Preece was sent flying into the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, and Kyle Larson—once again—got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

His car limped back to the pit road, the damage too much to recover from. Another Daytona 500, another finish outside the top 20. Meanwhile, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron survived the chaos to make history, becoming the first back-to-back Daytona 500 winner since Hamlin in 2019-2020. Byron’s execution was flawless. Larson, once again, was left watching someone else celebrate.

Even his 10-year-old son, Owen Larson, seemed to pick up on the tension. Owen was asked about his dad’s chances in the 500 and his response was as brutally honest as it was hilarious: “He probably has to try really hard because he’s not good at superspeedways.”

Can Larson ever conquer his demons?

Kyle Larson isn’t used to being second-best at anything. But when it comes to superspeedways, the numbers don’t lie. In 41 starts at Daytona and Talladega, he’s never won. His best Daytona 500 finish remains a P7 from his Chip Ganassi Racing days, and since the Next Gen car arrived, he hasn’t cracked the top ten.

So, what now? Gordon thinks the answer isn’t in the car—it’s in Larson’s mindset. That’s easier said than done. Superspeedway racing isn’t just about raw speed or talent—it’s about instinct, positioning, and sometimes just dumb luck. For a driver like Larson, who thrives on control and precision, that randomness is maddening. He can out-drive just about anyone in a sprint car, on a short track, or on a road course. But at Daytona and Talladega, he’s still searching for the missing piece.

For now, the monkey on his back isn’t going anywhere. But if there’s one thing we know about Kyle Larson, it’s that he doesn’t quit. He’ll be back. And maybe—just maybe—one day, he’ll finally get the last laugh over his son.