Kyle Larson has a habit of making the impossible look routine. Whether it’s tearing up dirt tracks, carving through road courses, or outclassing the field on short ovals, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion has a knack for making people believe in a little bit of racing magic. His natural talent, sheer versatility, and fearless approach have even led him to claim he’s a better all-around driver than four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen. But for all his brilliance, there’s one domain where he’s yet to crack the code—superspeedways. And if anyone’s going to call him out on it, who better than his own son, Owen Larson, who, at just eight years old, has already mastered the art of cutting to the chase?
Neither Owen nor the stats are lying about Larson’s superspeedway struggles
On paper, Larson’s résumé is stacked. With 23 Cup Series wins, he’s proven time and again that he can dominate just about anywhere. Short tracks? No problem. Road courses? He eats them for breakfast. Dirt tracks? That’s his bread and butter. But put him on a superspeedway, and the numbers paint a very different picture. In 41 attempts, Larson has yet to score a win at a superspeedway, and his best result at the Daytona 500 is a P7 finish from his days at Chip Ganassi Racing. Since the Next-Gen car’s arrival, last year’s P11 is the closest he’s come to taming NASCAR’s biggest event.
Owen, fresh off a big win at Darrell Gwynn’s fishing tournament, was asked about his dad’s chances of winning the Daytona 500. His response was a brutal yet hilarious dose of honesty: “He probably has to try really hard, because he’s not good at superspeedways.” And when pushed on how exactly his dad could improve? “If he tried harder.” Ouch. There’s nothing quite like getting roasted for your work ethic by your own kid.
Kyle Larson’s son Owen is talking to the media now. Had a big win this morning in Darrell Gwynn’s fishing tournament.
He was asked about his Dad’s chances of winning the #Daytona500 just now. “He probably has to try really hard, because he’s not good at superspeedways.”… pic.twitter.com/NEEWkfktAG
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) February 14, 2025
Larson’s superspeedway woes are no secret. Just a couple of years at the Daytona 500, he was in the thick of the battle for the win when chaos struck in overtime, leaving him with an 18th-place finish. In 2017, he was leading when the white flag waved—only to run out of fuel and watch Kurt Busch steal the glory.
“I’m just like a small decision away from making the right move and putting myself in the right spot there at the very end,” Larson admitted. “I do a good job of getting us to that point where so many times on the final restart, we’re lined up on the first, second row, and then I finish 28th.”
Fans have plenty of theories about why Larson struggles at superspeedways. Some believe it’s all about the mental chess game that comes with pack racing—something that doesn’t necessarily align with Larson’s aggressive, instinctive driving style. “Superspeedway racing is a lot of risk management and timing your moves,” one fan observed. “Larson rarely has to do that elsewhere because his talent allows him to just blow past others at will.”
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Others argue that his struggles stem from a lack of passion for this type of racing. “He’s admitted he doesn’t like it and doesn’t really see how to be good at it,” another fan pointed out. “How good is a guy’s prep when he has no clue or interest in finding a way?”
In a recent rapid-fire Q&A session, Larson was asked to “Start, Bench, or Cut” three track types—short tracks, road courses, and superspeedways. His answer was blunt: start short tracks, bench road courses, and cut superspeedways. For a driver who thrives on conquering challenges, it was a rare admission of defeat.
Another tough start for Larson at the 2025 Daytona 500
This year’s Daytona 500 hasn’t exactly been kind to Larson so far. In superspeedway racing, track position is everything, and during the single-lap qualifying runs, his No. 5 Chevy wasn’t quick enough to snag the pole. Instead, he settled for 10th as Chase Briscoe put down the fastest lap of the day in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. That meant Larson’s fate would be determined in the Duel races—a dangerous game where anything can happen. And, as fate would have it, the superspeedway demons struck again.
On the last lap of his Duel race, rookie Shane van Gisbergen attempted a bold move on the outside, only to misjudge his clearance on Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Toyota. The resulting contact sent van Gisbergen’s No. 88 Chevy into the outside wall before bouncing back into traffic, triggering a massive wreck. The pile-up collected Anthony Alfredo, Cole Custer, Riley Herbst, BJ McLeod, Cody Ware, and—of course—Kyle Larson.
Larson will now roll off 22nd on Sunday, far from an ideal spot. He knows he’ll need more than just good luck to have any real shot at winning the Great American Race. But if he’s feeling discouraged, he’s not letting it show.
“Things are going well, but… it’s a c——. It does, it definitely doesn’t affect confidence or anything, but, um, I don’t know, it just seems like things are going well for me right now. And, uh, it would be neat to, you know, check off another box that’s kind of, you know, wound me for so long,” Larson said after a recent Sprint car win at Volusia Speedway Park.
For Larson, superspeedways remain the final challenge. He’s conquered every other kind of track, but Daytona and Talladega remain the thorn in his side. Winning the Daytona 500 would be the ultimate prize—the one missing piece in an already stellar career.
“You want to win the big ones,” Larson said. “It doesn’t get any bigger than this one for the NASCAR schedule. Hopefully, someday I can add my name to the winners’ list.”
Until that day comes, he’ll keep chasing, keep learning, and keep trying. And if he needs any extra motivation? Well, there’s always Owen, ready with some more brutally honest feedback.
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