Kyle Larson Explains Why He’s Not Daunted By Next-Gen Cars: “I Don’t Know That I Have Any ‘Habits,’ Bad or Otherwise”

Kyle Larson is the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion. Heading into the new season with a brand new set of regulations, one would think that he would struggle to get to grips with the changes. However, at the pre-season test at the Phoenix Raceway, he topped the session with an average lap speed of 131.728 mph.

Although this car is a completely different beast, the Hendrick Motorsports driver is not too fazed. He said, “The steering was maybe a little bit quicker, just the little things all seemed to happened a little quicker. The moments when you got loose – stuff like that. Other than that, it felt fairly normal which I was happy about.”

What else did Kyle Larson say about the session?

According to the #5 driver, there are still a few things to iron out, like the brake system. He observed that the brake pedal had a tendency to get pushed down further and further as the runs continued. As a result, he and the team have to look into the matter and sort it out.

Larson continued, “I was happy with how today went. It thought it was a smooth day and I thought we did a good job with the changes that we made and learned a lot of stuff… I feel like I adjust quickly to new cars and new situations. Just from my experience in all kinds of cars, I don’t know that I have any ‘habits,’ bad or otherwise. I’m trying to learn new things every week.”

Admittedly, the cars were a little slower than they were at the 2021 season finale. However, that can be chalked down to the cars having a 670-horsepower package. Last year at Phoenix, the cars had an output of 750 horsepower and the top speed was 135.384 mph. The driver believes that his diverse racing background is the reason behind his ability to adapt better to the rule changes. How do you think Larson will fare this year?

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