Gone are the days when NASCAR drivers scored wins for fun. We have Richard Petty leading the way with 10 consecutive wins back in 1967. Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt and even Jeff Gordon added to this trend with multiple-race wins during their illustrious career. However, the same cannot be said for modern-day NASCAR drivers, especially now that parity racing prevails over race shop tactics. Christopher Bell was in line to reach four consecutive race wins after a three-peat to start the 2025 season, but that didn’t happen.

After Josh Berry stunned everyone with a win at Las Vegas, Kyle Larson registered his first win of the season at Homestead Miami Speedway. Interestingly, before Bell’s three-race streak this year, it was Larson who held the record for the streak from his championship-winning year in 2021. It would be a fair assessment to label the HMS driver as the greatest driver of his generation, but can he match the winning glory of the past heroes?

The panel on PRN Live were discussing this topic on their show, and Kyle Petty weighed in on this debate. And let’s just say he wasn’t confident about Kyle Larson even reaching 50 career wins.

Kyle Larson’s talent is undeniable. But will he double his current 30-win total before retirement? That is the question that is on everyone’s mind after his win at Homestead. In a recent interview on Performance Racing Network with Kyle Petty, Brad Gillie believes it’s possible, saying, “He’s only 32 years old. He’s got plenty of time.” 

Kyle Larson has averaged nearly 4 wins per season till the end of the 2024 season since 2021, when he joined Hendrick Motorsports from Chip Ganassi Racing. If he maintains this average, 60 wins are well within reach, considering the current trend of NASCAR. Drivers are known for their long careers, often competing well into their late 40s. Kevin Harvick retired in 2023 at age 47 after a 23-year Cup career. Denny Hamlin, still racing in 2025, is 44 years old and is the oldest driver on the grid. We know that Larson has time on his side, so 60 wins should be within his reach.

Although Kyle Petty does not doubt the talent and intent Larson has, he believes that 50 race wins is far from his reach. “I think it’s doable, but I’m going to say black flag. I think 50 is going to be the new 200. You know what I mean? Or the new 100. I just think it’s going to be tough.” Petty’s assessment isn’t vague, as he understands the changing dynamics of competing at the top level. Take a look at star drivers from the last decade; we have seen both Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowksi struggle for wins.

Kyle Busch just has three wins in the Next Gen era, whereas Keselowksi had only managed a single win where spec cars and parity racing have made the sport more competitive. Kyle Petty believes the threshold of wins will come down significantly, but by no means will the 50 wins by Larson undermine his ability as a race car driver.

His point about 50 being the new 200 or 100 speaks about the new benchmark for the legendary status in NASCAR in the current climate. Since 2010, only two drivers, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch, have surpassed 60 wins. The path isn’t as easy as it once was. The new NextGen Era is challenging, to say the least, with drivers finding it difficult to rack up continuous wins regularly. 

Now, since Larson has secured his first win of the season, the question that is on everyone’s mind is: Is Kyle Larson back to his usual self after a shaky start to the season?

Kyle Larson’s Return to the Victory Lane

Homestead, however, being Larson’s strong suit, was not a done deal for Larson; he had to fight for the win. Larson started the race in the midfield after qualifying 14th and had to fight tooth and nail for the victory. “Proud of myself. Proud of the team. Just a lot of gritty hard work there today.” The No. 5 Chevy wasn’t the class of the field by any means. In fact, Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 car was the real contender as the race headed into the final stage. 

With Blaney out of the equation with an engine failure, it opened the door for Larson to bank on his long run speed. He methodically worked his way to pass Bubba Wallace and then cleared off his teammate Alex Bowman in a crucial race-winning pass. And this tenacity to fight out a bad day and convert it into a win has caught Harvick’s attention.

“So very dangerous a day for the rest of the field to see Kyle Larson starting to manage a car in a situation that’s not fast, not tear up his car, not make a mistake, and win the race. That to me is something we haven’t seen Kyle Larson do,” said Kevin Harvick on his Happy Hour Podcast talking about Larson and his return to form.

And this wasn’t just Harvick who was impressed by his drive; fellow driver and competitor Denny Hamlin couldn’t hold back the praise after Larson’s incredible performance and bold driving style. “What Kyle does better than the rest is he’s just higher on entry…He’s able to approach the corner with maximum throttle… that’s where I think he’s still better than the rest of the field.”

Whether it was the track or his racing style that aided Larson in his win at Homestead, one thing’s for sure: Kyle Larson is back in the victory lane, and he’s on his way to grab more checkered flags this year.