The 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals kicked off the racing season in thrilling fashion. Known as the biggest midget race of the year, the Chili Bowl was as intense as ever, with drivers battling it out on the track, jostling for position and doing everything they could to outpace their competitors. This year’s race, however, took a surprising turn. For the first time since 2012, the event was shortened from its usual 55 laps to just 40 laps.

The change threw the racers into a frenzy as they scrambled to adjust to the new, faster pace. In the end, it was Kyle Larson who emerged victorious, clinching the win in what was a hard-fought and dramatic race. Despite his triumph, Larson’s performance wasn’t without its faults. Fans noticed some mistakes along the way, and the fact that he won despite those errors left many in shock. However, Larson didn’t shy away from acknowledging his mistakes. Let’s see what he had to say!

Kyle Larson’s post-match ‘mistake’ breakdown     

Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion recently won his 3rd Golden Driller at the Chili Bowl 2025. But, the victory run did not start on Saturday Night Live. It began the previous evening when Larson locked pole position for the event. This played a pivotal role as he gained a jump on the field on restarts. ‘Yung Money’ led all 40 laps and emerged victorious. However, there were instances when things could have been ugly!

In an interview with FloRacing, Larson spoke about the two mishaps that could have cost him the race but, he got lucky! The first mistake unfolded in the 23rd lap. Racers Brenham Crouch and Jacob Denney’s midgets got together, sealing the path of the fast-moving Larson. With no other way out, he plowed over the former’s car and was airborne! 

Recalling the incident, Yung Money said, “Grant just kind of… I don’t know if he got in the left side of Brenham.. and I don’t know if he ran over him ‘cause, (he) turned in sideways directly in front of me and I had nowhere to go and had to just kinda run him over. And, yeah, basically just jumped him.”

The jump stalled his engine and there were chances of it shutting down when the wheels touched the ground. These are high-risk events with little to no chance of avoiding them. But, luckily the engine did not shut off when he landed. “And thankfully it didn’t,” he said in the interview with a grin. Caution was out right before he lost the lead, benefitting him immensely. Fans thought it was a close call, but, the closest call was yet to come. 

In the 36th lap, the second error unraveled. Larson caught the outer wall while speeding out of Turn 4 which could have been a costly mistake. “Even though I made a few mistakes, one that was almost really costly but then ended up benefitting me a lot, you know, ripping the banner out,” Larson said. But, luckily for him, the banner came out just in time for the second caution getting called for the match! He was leading before the caution and maintained his lead later.

Two more cautions were also called but, he was already in the lead by that time. Seems like Yung Money’s stars had aligned. Everything that could go wrong fell into place. Kyle Larson also quipped, “Yeah just had a lot of good fortune and I mean between Daison (Pursley) running out of fuel and the pole shuffle thing, He would have beat me in qualifying. And then I am starting outside the front row and then have to chase him all race. The night would have looked a lot different if he had a little bit more fuel in it.” Great luck led to his victory, but, isn’t it more than luck? 

Larson remembers the past while preparing for the future

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In previous runs of Chili Bowl, Kyle Larson has been subjected to bad luck. Like in 2019, he was stuck in traffic while C-Bell led his way to victory. In 2024, his car fell upside down after colliding with Townsend. Dirt is his home turf but, luck doesn’t support him most of the time. “Winning the first one (dirt race) was such a mountain for me like, to mentally get over. I had put so much pressure on myself and like, just have bad thoughts creeping into my head all the time,” Larson says remembering his past experiences.

But, in 2024, he promised fans something. After the Golden Driller, what’s the next stop for our champ this year? Well, last year he promised fans his second INDY 500 attempt! He will attempt “The Double” with Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren, making his second run at racing the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600. Fans await the unfurling of better things for Yung Money. But, witnessing it will be a whole new experience.