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‘Selfish’ Kyle Larson Drops a 5-word Bomb on NASCAR as He Oppose Chase Elliott Suggestion
‘Selfish’ Kyle Larson Drops a 5-word Bomb on NASCAR as He Oppose Chase Elliott Suggestion
Chase Elliott’s accolades driving for HMS were rightfully followed by Kyle Larson in 2021. His spectacular triumph was even sweeter after almost a year of no perceivable real-time, on-track practice.
Nevertheless, in 2024, continuing on the revised schedule and eliminating 30 minutes of practice from every race weekend, NASCAR fans were barely ready for another debate on the controversial practice timings. But with Dale Jr breaking the blazing hot topic of the week alongside one Chase Elliott, a crucial question emerges from their recent discussions: Has Kyle Larson, a little selfishly, always been used to this continuous lack of “practice”?
In a recent episode of the Dale Jr Download, Chase Elliott almost “convinced” Junior to change his demands for increased practice session timings, with an amazing analysis that harkened back to his #5 teammate’s prior history on regional dirt tracks. Referencing the fact that lesser-known racers “get literally five laps of hot laps” before running a race, Chase rhetorically summarizes that if an up-and-coming driver can make it all happen with minimal practice times, top Cup Series “professionals” such as himself warranting “an hour and a half” seems unnecessary.
On the weekly roundup of DJD: Reloaded, the cast touched upon an interview that Larson gave to another Dirty Mo Media Network podcast, Speed Street. With a hint of irony, quelling many concerns over the reduced timings of practice sessions, Larson echoed his teammate’s sentiments unaware through his own unique lens: “The best year I had in NASCAR we just showed up and raced. Truth is really like twenty minutes more than I’m used to in a dirt race. I’ll get three to five laps so.”
From the dirt tracks of USAC and World of Outlaws to driving HMS’ iconic #5 Chevy to championship glory right after 7x champ Jimmie Johnson’s retirement the year prior, Larson makes an impressive yet self-concerned statement. He says, “I don’t know. I mean, I think road courses and places I struggle, I would like to have more practice, and then places I feel like we have an advantage with our setups and stuff, I would like no practice so I guess just selfish… I kinda like the way things are.”
“And two, I think Indy’s going to feel really weird to me like that first week of just all-day laps and practice and stuff…” NASCAR’s latest double aspirant admirably observed his contrasting challenges to a tried-and-tested “routine,” that could potentially help elevate himself further in the GOAT debate.
On the same Darlington Raceway that Larson couldn’t compete on due to his suspensions, as the NASCAR schedule returned to on-track action post-COVID, he put up a P2 podium finish in his comeback tour. Then 28-year-old Larson had many interesting sentiments to share with the media, similar to what the 31-year-old version of himself did to Speed Street a few days ago.
Before going on a three-race P2 podium streak starting at Darlington, he would state, “Honestly, probably no practice benefits me a little bit. Just from being able to adapt quickly and not giving myself an opportunity to tune ourselves out with any bad feedback.” With the growing influx of eyes slowly accustoming to the various excitements of the world’s premier stock car racing experience, this reason previously iterated by Kyle Larson could hold, considering the increased criticisms and toxic social media interactions can often lead to unnecessary external stress during an act as simple as tuning the cars correctly for race day.
But before his “double” attempt on Memorial Day weekend, as he prepares to race 1100 grueling miles on the same day, Larson realizes an unlikely challenge – ‘too much practice.’ As conversations evolved on Speed Street regarding the “first week of just all-day laps and practice,” Larson put out an interesting point of view, “I don’t know if I want that much practice. I feel like for a guy like me who is so green I think there’s opportunity to learn a lot that those days of practicing but then I think there’s also opportunities to to trick yourself into thinking something’s going to be a certain way…
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A former Ferrari engineer has criticised the decision to bring in Lewis Hamilton and thinks the Brit’s presence will mean “a lot of potential for drama”.
At the age of 40, seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton will form a formidable driver partnership with Charles Leclerc. His big switch comes at the expense of Carlos Sainz, who has performed well for the Italian squad but who was axed so they had room for their blockbuster new signing.
But not everyone of a Ferrari persuasion is convinced that it will go well. Ernest Knoors, who spent many years as an engineer at Maranello, specialising in power units, worries that Hamilton’s presence could do more harm than good for a team that is finding its groove under Frederic Vasseur.
“A big name like Hamilton also brings a lot of politics and if politics within Ferrari are not managed well, then there is a lot of potential for drama,” he told Formule1.nl. “Hamilton has the tendency that if things do not work out, he turns his whole car upside down and starts experimenting.
“Ferrari believes very much in the big personalities and will follow him. But Hamilton is just someone you have to guide a little bit and not give the freedom to rebuild the whole car, because then it will go completely wrong. So I do not know if it is such a smart move, but of course it is nice for the sport.”
News of Hamilton’s planned move broke on February 1, coinciding with football’s Transfer Deadline Day. That the back pages of many newspapers were dominated by the decision of Hamilton to swap Mercedes for Ferrari was testament to the magnitude of the announcement.
Sainz was not surprised as he had been informed by his team of the plan ahead of it being made public. But the Spaniard responded well with two victories to date this season and five further appearances on the podium, on the way to what looks likely to be a fifth-placed finish in the championship – two spots and 54 points ahead of Hamilton.
Sainz has signed for Williams next year and, after several years of running at the front of the grid, will focus on his new challenge of helping restore one of the grid’s most historic teams to its former glory. But Knoors believes he should have been kept on by Ferrari instead.
The Dutchman added: “I see Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari more as a PR move. With all due respect, Hamilton is not going to take that Ferrari from P6 to P1. He will get the most out of it, but what Ferrari has to do is make that car faster. And if you make that car faster, you can easily drive at the front with the current line-up.
“Besides, as a team you have to look further on the horizon. If Hamilton becomes champion in the coming years, he and Ferrari will become immortal. But if you want to build a team with talent for the next five years, are you going to build on Hamilton? No, because he will really be finished after two or three years. That is why I would have kept the very strong line-up that Ferrari has now.”
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Chase Elliott had a front-row seat for one of NASCAR’s most bizarre moments of the 2024 Cup Series season. At the start of Stage 2, the pace car dove onto pit road in front of Elliott; however, it was a tad too late. The pace car made contact with the sand barrels at the entry of pit road and caused a red flag for cleanup.
Initially, there was some speculation on the NBC Sports broadcast, even from the No. 9 team, that Elliott made contact with the pace car. Fortunately, the pace car didn’t slide across the No. 9 car’s nose, but it undoubtedly provided one of NASCAR’s craziest red flag moments in recent memory.
Below, you can listen to Elliott and the No. 9 team react to the pace car crashing into the sand barrels on pit road at Phoenix during Championship Weekend!
Reflecting on the recent retirement of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Earnhardt didn’t mince words about the toll NASCAR takes on its drivers. Speaking candidly, the two-time Daytona 500 winner admitted that the pressure to perform every week left him feeling miserable for most of his racing career—a sentiment he believes is shared by many of his peers.
“Right or wrong, racing made me a miserable person 90% of the time,” Earnhardt confessed. “And him too. I mean, ask Kyle Busch, ask anybody—unless you’re winning, you’re not happy.”
For these elite drivers, the sport is a relentless grind. A podium finish might bring temporary relief, but anything short of victory is often a source of frustration. The immense effort poured into preparation and execution rarely feels like it pays off unless the checkered flag is theirs.
Earnhardt highlighted the mental toll of falling short, explaining how the relentless focus on winning can overshadow the joy of simply competing. Even a solid performance feels hollow compared to the euphoria of a win.
“Unless you’re winning, you’re not happy at all,” he said. “You’re okay with a good run, but for the most part, all the effort it takes just to run good—it doesn’t weigh out.”
For drivers, the stakes are sky-high every week. Sponsors, fans, and teams demand nothing less than excellence, leaving little room for error or personal satisfaction in anything less than a dominant performance.
Earnhardt also shared insights into his friendship with Martin Truex Jr., who recently announced his retirement. While the two often spend time hunting together during NASCAR’s off-season, Earnhardt noted that the stress of racing even creeps into their leisure activities.
“When I’m with him during hunting season, it’s always in the back of his mind,” Earnhardt said. “It’s that stressful part of the year when he’s as miserable as he’s going to be.”
Now, with Truex stepping away from the track, Earnhardt looks forward to seeing a lighter, happier version of his long-time friend. Without the weight of weekly competition hanging over him, Truex might finally be able to relax and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle he cherishes.
“It’ll be fun to see him loosen up,” Earnhardt added.
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