“It feels amazing to win here again,” said Kyle Larson in the victory lane. Larson’s run at Homestead-Miami this weekend had each one of us on the edge of our seats! The guy nearly pulled off a clean sweep—conquered Truck Series, fourth in Xfinity on Saturday, then flat-out dominated the Cup Series on Sunday, passing teammate Alex Bowman with six laps to go for his 30th career win. But still, Larson’s stirring the pot and it’s got Tony Stewart’s legacy in the crosshairs.

Larson’s not satisfied but frustrated. He’s got this fire in him, a belief that he’s been held back. And that’s where it gets real. After the race, he didn’t just bask in the glory; he took a swing at NASCAR’s evolution, hinting at a legacy that could’ve dwarfed Stewart’s.

This wasn’t a perfect weekend, though. A pit road crash in the Xfinity race cost him a shot at history, leaving him disappointed after missing a chance to match Kyle Busch’s triple-header legacy, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. once dreamed for him. AJ Allmendinger admitted after watching Larson’s talent shine, “So, I think this track, at least in October, whenever we raced it with this car, it’s like I can move around and make speed… I can watch the 5 just ripping up there, and it’s sometimes jealousy and sadness and then in awe of watching him do it.” Sunday’s Cup win was a statement. That No. 5 Hendrick Chevy was untouchable.

Kyle Larson cheekily said, “I think if we would still have the 2021 car, I would have about 50 Cup wins right now. I think switching to this car has limited us from winning.” Oof. That’s an upper hook. Stewart’s 49 wins which were earned across years of grit, wild restarts, and old-school racing suddenly feel like a benchmark Larson thinks he’d already have smashed. He’s not wrong about his pace as the guy’s a freak behind the wheel. But to say the Next Gen car’s holding him back is a bold statement.

The Next-Gen car rolled out in 2022, changed everything—tire wear, handling, you name it. Chase Elliott and William Byron, his Hendrick teammates, have adapted fine, but Larson’s been vocal about its limits. Back in September, he had tweeted, “All this tire wear talk about Bristol got me wondering… have we ever had a lot tire wear at Bristol besides the spring of 24? Eh, not much of any. Have we seen great races there? Absolutely. Have we seen duds where Kyle Busch leads 300+laps? Sure.” Translation: they’re not as fun as the old Gen-6 cars. Joey Logano sees it differently, crediting the car for Larson’s edge at tracks like Homestead. So, what’s the truth? Is it the car or is Larson just that good?

“It was far from perfect. I gave up almost two spots by getting in the wall too many times. I knew I wasn’t going to get the best restart. I knew I wasn’t good on the short runs. Just had to keep plugging away at what I know and what’s good for me. Proud of myself. Proud of the team. Just a lot of gritty, hard work today between damage on pit road, qualifying bad, bad restarts. All that stuff. Just super pumped. One of the coolest wins of my Cup career because of all the heartbreak I’ve had here. The heartbreak yesterday. Just keep my head down and keep digging feels really good.” said Larson after his victory. He’s still critical of the places he knows he can work upon. With that attitude, he can even achieve Jimmie Johnson‘s record 7 Cup Series championships.

Tony Stewart’s legacy looms large with three titles, 49 wins, and a Hall of Fame career built on raw talent and fearlessness. Larson’s at 30 wins now, chasing that ghost. This claim is personal. He’s not just racing for trophies; he’s racing history itself. He wants to leave a mark and you can feel that hunger. Missing the Xfinity win stung and yet he still turned heads.

Larson’s 32, in his prime, and already a champ. If he’s right about the old car, he might’ve hit 50 by now past Stewart, breathing down Busch’s neck. But the Next Gen’s here to stay, and he’s still winning like Sunday for instance, where he cruised despite the chaos. Stewart’s a legend, but Larson’s hunger is unreal. Miami was his stage, and that claim was a warning shot. Watch out, NASCAR this guy’s not done.

Jeff Gordon can’t hide his awe as Kyle Larson steals Miami glory from Alex Bowman

Kyle Larson pulled off a stunner as he clawed past teammate Alex Bowman with just five laps left. Talk about heart-pounding! Bowman had it in the bag until he kissed the wall, and Larson pounced. You could feel the tension in the air and Jeff Gordon was practically bursting with pride.

Alex Bowman led late, scraping the fence like a champ, but that one slip cost him. “I guess I choked that one away, for sure,” he said after finishing second. “I burned my stuff up… saw Larson coming, moved around a bit, hit the fence pretty bad. I hate it for this group—they deserve better.” The what-ifs are piling up. But Larson has turned a rough day of pit road damage, and bad restarts into something unforgettable but something casual for him.

Jeff Gordon stepped in with a voice full of wonder. “You just can’t ever count out Kyle Larson,” he told FOX Sports. “His car just doesn’t fall off when he puts it on the fence the way he does. Overall, it was an impressive weekend. Just watching him at his craft at this track, it’s like watching him at Knoxville or Eldora.” Gordon’s seen it all and now he’s comparing Larson to a dirt-track wizard.

This win’s big stacking as Larson’s 30th in the Cup Series and his 24th with Hendrick Motorsports. Bowman’s gutted, sure, but Gordon’s right about Larson being magical. From heartbreak Saturday in Xfinity to triumph Sunday, he kept digging and Miami showed him the way. You can never bet against this guy.