Who is the greatest race car driver ever? This has been an age-old question, with every generation of fans rooting for their favorite stars. Not just the best IndyCar or NASCAR driver, but the one who can win it all. Like most old-school gearheads, for Kenny Wallace, the greatest driver was AJ Foyt. But his opinion soon changed when Kyle Larson burst onto the racing scene.

We’ve seen many ardent Kyle Larson supporters even make a case for him as the best race car driver ever, and why wouldn’t they? He’s won racing the midgets, the outlaw sprint car, the Xfinity car, and is now dominating the Cup Series. However, Wallace took it a stretch further when he compared Larson to Jeff Gordon, claiming that the 2021 Cup Series champion will have an edge over the HMS legend because of his racing talents.

Larson is more than just a NASCAR driver

For the most part, a NASCAR driver is solely focused on the objective of acing their racecraft with the stock car. But the likes of Mario Andretti, AJ Foyt, and Tony Stewart were just built differently and never shied away from competing in other disciplines. And it looks like Kyle Larson is carrying on the mantle and elevating it further.

Speaking highly of Larson’s capabilities and his gift of competing in any racing series, Wallace opined, “We have not witnessed a race car driver that welcomes racing everything. My dear friend, Jeff Gordon, and I came into NASCAR with him. Jeff didn’t want to race everything; Jeff was burned out on racing. I think that’s what makes Kyle Larson stand out, he’s like a little kid. Kyle Larson is so excited to race everything he can get in, and I love it.”

There’s always a flip side to his fan-mongering. As it turns out, a few sections of the NASCAR fan base have their doubts regarding Larson’s qualities and the label of a great driver. But Wallace is stern in his stance, “So how many more times are we going to talk about how great Kyle Larson is? We’re just gonna keep saying it over and over … I’m gonna say it again; Kyle Larson is a gift from God above; we have never witnessed this much talent in the history of racing.”

While the thought of Kyle Larson being the greatest race car driver is valid, he was unable to register a win during his Indy 500 debut. The result did sting the 32-year-old driver, and he is eager to settle the score with another attempt at the Crown Jewel Open-Wheel race in 2025.

Kyle Larson is hoping to get a second bite at the Indy 500 cherry

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The driver of the No. 5 HMS car had long dreamed of competing in, and winning, the prestigious open-wheel race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. So he set out for the ambitious undertaking of completing the ‘double,’ running 500 miles in the Indy 500 and 600 in the Coca-Cola 600. However, Mother Nature forced his stay at Indy, which certainly didn’t fare well for the driver as he managed a P18 finish.

Having snubbed the start of the NASCAR event, he did make it to Charlotte Motor Speedway, but only to see it get washed out again due to rain. Larson is a fierce competitor, and the day when he was slated to etch his name in the history books turned into a nightmare. This wasn’t the fairytale end he and his team were hoping for from his double attempt. What followed next was controversy and the tedious process of getting a waiver from NASCAR; this certainly put question marks over his redemption arc for the Indianapolis 500.

But, after winning the Brickyard 400, Yung Money shared his feelings and teased a return to be back for his Indy 500 win in 2025. “I love you, Indiana fans. I know you guys love me, too. How about we come back next May and try to kiss these bricks in an Indy car?” He said this while clinching his fourth Cup Series win of the season at the Brickyard.

He certainly has all the makings of a great race car driver. However, going by the trajectory of his racing career, it feels like the best is yet to come.