Kyle Larson Refuses to Acknowledge the Ultimate Honor: “I Don’t Think I Should Win It”

NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, Truck Series, 410 Sprint Cars, Dirt Super Late Models, and even midgets, Kyle Larson does it all. Obsessed with racing, ‘Yung Money’ doesn’t just participate, he also dominates and wins in stellar fashion. Grabbing the Cup Series championship title in 2021, Larson went on to win the coveted Best Driver Award at ESPN’s ESPYS 2022.

Nominated once again for the 2023 ESPYS Best Driver Award, Kyle Larson has come out to say how he is struggling to accept the ultimate honor. 

Why Is Kyle Larson Conflicted by the Nominations?

Cashing in the $1 million cheque at North Wilkesboro’s All-Star race, Larson also won the NOCO 400 and the Toyota Owners 400 Cup Series races this season. But since he is lagging behind on the Cup Series Standings with 6 DNFs, Kyle Larson’s 2023 season is a far cry from his 2021 championship-winning performance. Being named alongside NHRA’s Brittany Force, IndyCar’s Josef Newgarden, and F1’s Max Verstappen on the ESPYS 2023 nominations list, Larson’s consecutive nomination has left him conflicted.

Speaking in a pre-race presser at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Hendrick Motorsports #5 driver was asked how he feels to have been nominated a second consecutive time for the Best Driver Award.

To this, Yung Money replied, “Honestly, it’s cool to be acknowledged. I was super surprised by it. I know there was a lot more deserving drivers – at least in American auto racing – than I was last year. But regardless, it’s an honor.”

Having a feeling that there were more deserving candidates than him, Larson seemingly struggled to accept the honor, adding, “I don’t think I should win it (laughs), but either way, it’s cool to be on the list. I feel bad for guys who didn’t get acknowledged for this award because, like I said, there’s a lot more that are deserving of it than me.”

Admitting there were better drivers than him who deserved to be nominated, the HMS ace’s words echoed the feelings of fans who had earlier bashed ESPN for its nomination choice.

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Fans Displeased With Kyle Larson’s Nomination

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When ESPN put out its 2023 ESPYS Best Driver Award nomination list last month, fans on Twitter were displeased. Not in agreement with the 2021 Cup Series champion being nominated for a second consecutive year, fans proceeded to bash ESPN.

The fans even put forth names of drivers whom they felt were more deserving of the nomination. One fan wrote, “Either put Truex or Byron there” while another commented, “Only one of these is wrong”. Here are some more comments from the fans.

“nhra – idk i don’t watch. nascar – kyle busch. indycar – alex palou. f1 – max verstappen (maybe fernando alonso)”

“NHRA – Force because I don’t watch. Nascar – Logano the defending cup champion. Indycar- Palou the undisputed pick IMO. F1 – Alonso for what he’s doing in the Aston Martin”

“Max is fair tbh with his performance.. idk what Laracist is doing on the list tho”

“nascar is kyle busch if you’re talking about this year it’s between Bayron or Busch.”

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While fans and Kyle Larson himself may be conflicted by the nominations, there is no denying the monster racing talent Yung Money possesses.