Kyle Larson: A Throwback Driver that Could Save the Sport

Kyle Larson is the hero NASCAR needs right now. In a year where attendance continues to drop and TV ratings are on the decline, Larson is finding success that may bring more fans to the sport. Not since the likes of AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti, or Tony Stewart has NASCAR seen a driver who could transcend the motorsports world like Larson can. Not only does Larson drive stock cars for Chip Ganassi Racing, but he has also driven a sports car in the Rolex 24 for his owner in the past. This year, Larson has collected three victories in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, most recently this past weekend at Michigan International Speedway, while also making three trips to Victory Lane in the CGR NASCAR Xfinity Series entry. While those may be stats most NASCAR drivers would hope to achieve in any given year, Larson is having even more success on the dirt tracks. Larson has racked up nine wins in 360 and 410 winged sprint cars this season and has an additional three runner-up finishes including one at the famed Knoxville Nationals in Knoxville, IA. Larson had to ask Ganassi permission to run the Knoxville finals, given that it occurred on a Saturday night, the day before he was to compete in the Pure Michigan 400. Ganassi gave his blessing, and he would have been crazy not to.

It seems NASCAR fans tend to gravitate towards the “good ol’ boy” type of drivers. That is most likely the reason for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s popularity in the sport. Larson is a young talent with just that type of persona. He can connect to the fans on asphalt, evidenced by the noisy crowd after his win and subsequent burnout at MIS. More importantly he can connect with the small-town, Friday-night, dirt-loving crowds, many of which he can hopefully bring to the NASCAR world to help stop the bleeding of declining attendance. Ganassi referenced this in his video answer to Larson’s request by asking the fans at Knoxville to make the trip to MIS on Sunday since he cleared Larson to race the Nationals.

A hot topic this past week the popularity of Earnhardt, and last week, Kevin Harvick made some comments stating that Earnhardt’s massive popularity, yet lack of success has, in part, “stunted” the growth of NASCAR. Whether or not the comments have any truth is up for debate, but Larson could be the guy to start to fill the shoes of Earnhardt when he retires. Larson won’t reach the level of popularity that Earnhardt has reached, winning 14 consecutive Most Popular Driver awards and on pace for a 15th. That’s just not possible given Earnhardt’s family legacy. What Larson can do, however, is build his popularity through success, something Harvick said Earnhardt didn’t accomplish. In his nearly six year career, Larson has accumulated 14 wins in NASCAR’S top three divisions, including four in its premier series. If he can put together one or two championship runs, and continue his success on the dirt tracks as well, Larson could be on his way to become NASCAR’s new most popular driver.