Kyle Larson’s Sprint Cars Mentor Spills the Beans Behind Surprise Chili Bowl Entry

One call is all it takes. In an incredible turnaround of events, Kyle Larson is returning to the prestigious Chili Bowl. The two-time champion at the Tulsa Expo Raceway has moved away from his decision to boycott the tourney over a disagreement about winning the prize and is set to race for the Golden Driller again. The surprising reversal occurred after Yung Money called KKM owner Keith Kunz to congratulate him on Tanner Carrick’s win on Monday.

Having previously raced for Keith Kunz Motorsports, Kyle Larson found a window of opportunity and seized it immediately. With the winning purse double and Keith Kunz ready to welcome his former driver with open arms, a return has been announced. Speaking to FloRacing, the team owner revealed the build-up to the surprising return of the Hendrick Motorsports star, despite denouncing it on a sour note.

Keith Kunz had no doubts about fielding Kyle Larson in a KKM car again

Kyle Larson and Keith Kunz go way back as a team. Since the early 2010s, Larson has represented KKM in several dirt car competitions and won the K&N Pro Series East championship in 2012. With a return of the dynamic duo on the cards, Kunz couldn’t help but agree to Larson’s proposal of a shocking return.

In a conversation with FloRacing, Keith Kunz divulged the details: “This morning at about 8:15, I got a text from him saying ‘Congrats on last night. If you got a minute, give me a call. I got a question.'”

“So I gave him a call, and we talked a little bit. He said, ‘You don’t have any extra cars, do ya?’ I said yes. He said, ‘I want to come back and run. I can get there on Thursday. If we can lock in, I got to go back and try to get back here on Saturday; what do you think? I said Let’s do it.“

Kyle Larson has mapped the plan according to his hectic schedule. A smooth operation of the plan would see him race at the Vado Speedway Park and Tulsa Expo Raceway on January 13. Larson will be in New Mexico for the Wild West Tour and will have to return to Tulsa for the Golden Driller as fast as he can. A quick move will also need some things to be put in order.

Revealing more details about the same, Keith Kunz added, “We had the call, and the people on our end were getting everybody cleared; he had some things to do on his end and finally got it all approved by afternoon and got with the Chili Bowl here, and here we are.

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KKM had prepared a backup midget car for Monday night’s winner, Tanner Carrick. With Carrick qualifying for the main event on Saturday, Kyle Larson will compete in the spare car on Thursday. “Going to get him back here on Thursday. I got a spare car for Tanner Carrick. We’re going to move some stuff, get some sponsors on it, and move it around. Kyle’s got to see a few things come in. So, we will work on it tomorrow and get everything ready, and then on Thursday, get it fitted in.” said Kunz.

A grand return has been added to Keith Kunz Motorsports’ dirt racing schedule. The reunion will turn some heads as another major contender, Kyle Larson, joins the fray. However, despite a connection that goes back a long time, Keith Kunz has yet to win a Golden Driller with the 31-year-old.

Keith Kunz wishes to win the Chili Bowl with Larson

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Keith Kunz has been involved in 8 Chili Bowl Golden Driller championship wins. With a glorious record in the tourney, one would expect him to have a gallery of incredible moments at the Tulsa Expo Raceway. When asked if Kyle Larson’s return made it to the list of those memories, Kunz said, “I don’t know.”

“Kyle just called last minute and said, ‘Hey, I’d like to come and drive for you and maybe go and win this thing.” Being a two-time champion in the competition in 2020 and 2021, Kyle Larson isn’t doubted one bit by the people at the Chili Bowl. Having reinforced his list of victories on dirt in his time away from the Chili Bowl, this will also be a chance to showcase his improved firepower.

Having watched Kyle Larson win the Chili Bowl independently, Keith Kunz felt that this reunion was another chance for the duo to finally land a Chili Bowl victory together. “It’s pretty cool because I never got to win with Kyle, and I really wanted to,” said Kunz.

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The 8-time Chili Bowl winner claimed, “He went on and won it by all by himself. Hopefully, he can come back, and we can get that Driller on Saturday.“

An exciting night of dirt racing awaits the fans on Thursday. With the prize money doubled this year, there has been no room for complaints. While Kyle Larson will likely start as a favorite after his ventures in Vado, another driver could pop a surprise in the A-Main race.