Kyle Larson Distances Himself from the Horrible Speedway Record by Blaming It on Wiped-Out Chip Ganassi Racing

Often touted as a once-in-a-generation talent, Kyle Larson is NASCAR’s current jack of all trades. Hendrick Motorsports driver is the next Tony Stewart for many fans, not because of his attitude or charisma but because of his talent behind the wheel. Whether it’s on asphalt or on dirt, Larson has his way of winning races, and he has often won too many races.

But this wasn’t the case back in the day when the 2020 Cup Series champion started his career at Chip Ganassi Racing. Recently, sitting down with Bob Pockrass, Larson was asked, “Do I need to tell you your super speedway stats?” Mentioning his poor superspeedway stats, Pockrass, ahead of the driver’s Daytona attempt, keyed in with a few more questions, to which Larson gave the obvious answer, throwing his former team and owner, Ganassi, under the bus. 

Did Kyle Larson snub his former team, CGR, and credit HMS instead?

Talking about potential, #5 HMS driver, Kyle Larson might have it more than anybody else on the roster. Drivers envy his uncanny ability to race on dirt and then go on to dominate tracks like Darlington and Las Vegas, which makes him a cut above the rest in NASCAR. He also has numerous sprint car races and dirt racing circles, including High Limit Sprint Car Racing to his name.

In a season where two of its ace drivers were struggling, Kyle Larson and his teammate got Rick Hendricks and Co. to the playoffs, with Larson racking up four wins in 2023. His strength lies in his ability to adapt and improvise, making him truly a force to be reckoned with in the Cup Series. With that being said, there’s another thing that has always put a blemish on the 2020 Cup Series champion’s track record.

Consistency hasn’t been his forte, so to speak. It’s either make it or break it; either he will win big time or wreck out of the race miserably. Now coming to the meat of the matter, praising his team at HMS, Kyle Larson threw his former employer under the bus, saying, “Yeah, I mean, on paper. It looks, obviously, super bad. I would say in the Ganassi days, yeah, it was a really, really bad super-speedway racer. But I feel like since joining Hendrick, I mean, when you really like watch the film, I’m up, you know, in the top.” 

“Six to eight in the final ten laps most times. And then I just get caught up in that final crash and don’t finish where we don’t need to. I think we look like we are the worst, but we are not really as bad as we look,” added Kyle Larson, answering Pockrass’ question after he mentioned his time in the now-defunct Chip Ganassi Racing. 

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“Extremely bummed” Larson details his 2023 fallout

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Following the grand finale in Phoenix, Larson just came in short behind Ryan Blaney, who brought the title back to the Team Penske camp. In an exclusive interview with Autosport.com, Kyle Larson was asked, “It seemed like you got beaten by a faster car for the championship. Are you at peace with how the season finale turned out?”

Larson credited his team for getting him that title shot but then went on to say the obvious about his disappointing 2023 season, wherein he had the initial laugh but the momentum fell towards the end. He said, “I mean, I’m at peace knowing that was all I had. I know it maybe didn’t look like it at the end of the race. Our team did a really good job of putting us in that spot. I am still obviously extremely bummed. Even though I didn’t feel like I had the fastest car, I had an opportunity. It’s a bummer when you don’t win.” 

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With that in the past, Larson is already looking at his future with major ambitions in 2024, including his much anticipated “Double” attempt. On a closing note, he said, “I’m probably more eager for next season already. I know where I need to improve, and I’m just ready to get back on the track and work on all that.”