Kyle Larson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kyle Larson |
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Larson at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2026
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| Born | Kyle Miyata Larson July 31, 1992 Elk Grove, California, U.S. |
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| Achievements | Stock Cars: 2021, 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Champion 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Champion 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Champion 2019, 2021, 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race Winner 2021 Coca-Cola 600 Winner 2022 Daytona 500 Pole Winner 2023 Southern 500 Winner 2024 Brickyard 400 Winner 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona Overall Winner Dirt Cars: 2012, 2016, 2019, 2023 Turkey Night Grand Prix Winner 2019, 2023 Hangtown 100 Winner 2020, 2022, 2023 Brad Doty Classic Winner 2020 Hoosier Hundred Winner 2020, 2021, 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals Winner 2021 Prairie Dirt Classic Winner 2021 37th Kings Royal Winner 2021 BC39 Winner 2021, 2023, 2024, 2026 Knoxville Nationals Winner 2022 Hillbilly 100 Winner Records: 4 Wins at Kansas Speedway (Tied-most all time) |
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| Awards | 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Rookie of the Year 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year 2022 ESPY Awards Best Driver Named as one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) 2024 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year |
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| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 436 races run over 14 years | |||||||
| Car no., team | No. 5 (Hendrick Motorsports) | ||||||
| 2025 position | 1st | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st (2021, 2025) | ||||||
| First race | 2013 Bank of America 500 (Charlotte) | ||||||
| Last race | 2020 FanShield 500 (Phoenix) | ||||||
| First win | 2016 Pure Michigan 400 (Michigan) | ||||||
| Last win | 2026 YellaWood 500 (Talladega) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 124 races run over 11 years | |||||||
| Car no., team | No. 88 (JR Motorsports) | ||||||
| 2025 position | 76th | ||||||
| Best finish | 8th (2013) | ||||||
| First race | 2013 DRIVE4COPD 300 (Daytona) | ||||||
| Last race | 2026 Sports Illustrated Resorts 250 (Nashville) | ||||||
| First win | 2014 Treatmyclot.com 300 (California) | ||||||
| Last win | 2026 Andy's Frozen Custard 340 (Texas) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career | |||||||
| 17 races run over 8 years | |||||||
| 2025 position | 77th | ||||||
| Best finish | 35th (2012) | ||||||
| First race | 2012 UNOH 225 (Kentucky) | ||||||
| Last race | 2025 Weather Guard Truck Race (Bristol) | ||||||
| First win | 2013 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (Rockingham) | ||||||
| Last win | 2025 Baptist Health 200 (Homestead) | ||||||
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| IndyCar Series career | |||||||
| 2 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 33rd (2025) | ||||||
| First race | 2024 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| Last race | 2025 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
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| Statistics current as of October 25, 2026. | |||||||
Kyle Miyata Larson is an American champion race car driver. He drives fast race cars for a living. Larson races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. He also races part-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, steering the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro SS for JR Motorsports.
Larson is famous for being able to drive many kinds of race cars fast. Before joining NASCAR, he became a star in dirt track racing. He won huge dirt trophies like the Kings Royal, the Knoxville Nationals, and the Chili Bowl Nationals. He even won an endurance sports car race at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2015 with Chip Ganassi Racing. Larson won top rookie honors in both the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series and the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He later won two overall championships in the Cup Series, first in 2021 and again in 2025. In 2023, he was named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers.
Contents
Who is Kyle Larson? Fast Facts and Early Life
Kyle Larson was born on July 31, 1992, in Elk Grove, California. His parents loved racing very much. In fact, they took baby Kyle to a racetrack only one week after he was born! He quickly fell in love with speed, engines, and checkered flags.
Larson is Japanese American through his mother. When he was just seven years old, he started driving small go-karts in Northern California. These machines were called outlaw karts. He practiced turning on slippery dirt tracks, learning how to slide sideways without losing speed.
Racing Open-Wheel Dirt Cars as a Teenager
As a teenager, Larson moved up to race open-wheel cars that had open cockpits. He drove for the United States Auto Club, which people call USAC. He drove three different kinds of dirt machines: midgets, Silver Crown cars, and sprint cars.
Because he was so young and winning so often, an official gave him the fun nickname "Yung Money." Larson raced sprint cars for Keith Kunz Motorsports and Hoffman Racing, supported by Toyota. He also competed in the famous World of Outlaws sprint car series. He won his first sprint car race at Placerville Speedway, becoming one of the youngest drivers to ever win there.
Larson set a track record at Ocean Speedway in 2010. In 2011, at Eldora Speedway, he achieved an amazing feat during the 4-Crown Nationals. He won three completely different feature races in a single night! Only one other driver had ever done that before. In 2012, he won six big midget races, including the famous Turkey Night Grand Prix.
Starting in Stock Cars and ARCA Racing
Larson decided to try stock car racing, where cars look like family road cars with metal roofs. In 2012, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing signed him to their driver development team. He won his first stock car race at New Smyrna Speedway during the World Series of Asphalt.
He joined the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East series with Rev Racing and the Drive for Diversity program. Larson won his first race in this series at Gresham Motorsports Park. Soon after, he made his ARCA Racing Series debut at Michigan Speedway. He won again at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Larson won the championship title that year, beating tough competitors like Corey LaJoie, whose father is Randy LaJoie. Larson also took home the NASCAR Rookie of the Year award. In 2014, he went to Pocono Raceway and won his very first ARCA race.
Climbing Through NASCAR National Divisions
Winning in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Larson stepped into the Camping World Truck Series in 2012 at Kentucky Speedway. On April 14, 2013, he earned his first Truck Series victory at Rockingham Speedway by holding off champion Joey Logano.
To celebrate this big win, Larson did tire-spinning donuts on the grass while holding the steering wheel outside his window! He had learned this trick in go-karts. NASCAR officials worried about safety, so they asked him to keep the wheel connected in future celebrations.
Larson drove a truck for GMS Racing in 2016 at Martinsville Speedway and finished fourth. Later that summer, he won an exciting truck race on the dirt at Eldora Speedway. In 2020, driver Kevin Harvick offered a special prize bounty to beat Kyle Busch, and Larson signed up to try. In 2021, he drove for Niece Motorsports in the Bristol dirt race and tangled with Danny Bohn. In 2023, Larson won at North Wilkesboro for Spire Motorsports. In 2025, he spun out during the Homestead race, made a great comeback, and won!
Rookie Success in the Xfinity Series
In 2013, Larson moved up to the NASCAR Nationwide Series in the No. 32 car for Turner Scott Motorsports. In his very first race at Daytona International Speedway, he survived a giant crash with Brad Keselowski and Brian Scott. His car flew into the catch fence, but Larson walked away safely.
At the final race in Homestead, he finished second after battling Keselowski. Larson won the series Rookie of the Year award. He became the first Asian-American driver to win that top award in a national NASCAR series.
In 2014, Larson won his first series race at Auto Club Speedway and celebrated with another steering-wheel-free burnout! He won again at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 2015, driving for HScott Motorsports, he won the season finale at Homestead.
More Victories with JR Motorsports and Hendrick
Larson continued running selected races in the secondary series. In 2022, he finished second behind Ty Gibbs at Road America, then won at Watkins Glen for JR Motorsports.
In 2023, Larson passed John Hunter Nemechek on the very last lap to win the Darlington race. In 2024, at Circuit of the Americas, he made a thrilling pass on Shane van Gisbergen and Austin Hill on the final turn to grab the checkered flag.
In 2025, Larson won at Bristol. He also stepped in as a substitute driver for youngster Connor Zilisch at Texas and won that race too. In 2026, he drove the No. 88 to victory in the Texas event, followed by a strong eighth-place run at the Nashville track.
Kyle Larson in the NASCAR Cup Series
Learning the Ropes with Phoenix Racing and Chip Ganassi
The famous newspaper The Charlotte Observer announced in 2013 that Larson would replace Juan Pablo Montoya in the No. 42 car for Chip Ganassi Racing. To get ready, Larson made his very first Cup race in the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte in a car owned by Phoenix Racing.
Larson ran his full rookie season in 2014. At the 2014 Daytona 500, he spun early and was collected in a crash started by fellow rookie Austin Dillon. He quickly rebounded with a second-place finish at Auto Club Speedway. At Richmond Raceway, he earned the first starting spot, called the pole position, after driving 126.880 miles per hour (204.194 km/h) in practice. He also had a friendly rivalry with veteran champion Tony Stewart after an aggressive block at Michigan.
Larson earned his first official Cup pole at the Pocono race, zooming at 183.438 mph (295.215 km/h). He won the Rookie of the Year award, scoring more top finishes than legends Richard Petty and Jeff Gordon did in their rookie seasons!
First Cup Victories and Playoff Drama
Larson had a challenging 2015 season, missing a race when he felt sick from dehydration and Regan Smith had to drive. He bounced back strong in 2016. Larson beat Chase Elliott in the Sprint Showdown, then led late in the All-Star Race before brushing the wall against Logano.
On August 28, 2016, Larson scored his very first NASCAR Cup Series victory at the Michigan International Speedway. This big win put him in the championship playoffs for the first time in his career.
In 2017, Larson was leading the 2017 Daytona 500 until his car ran completely out of gas on the final lap. He then scored consecutive second-place runs, pushing him to first in total points. He won four races that year: the Auto Club 400, the June Michigan race, the August Michigan race, and the regular season finale at Richmond. He even made a daring four-wide pass to take the win at Michigan.
Hard Battles and Tough Lessons: 2018 to 2020
During the 2018 season, Larson did not win a race, but his great consistency kept him in championship contention. In an exciting playoff race at the Charlotte Roval, Larson crashed on a late restart. His damaged car limped around the final corner and passed a stopped Jeffrey Earnhardt, who had been hit by Daniel Hemric. That single pass earned Larson the exact point he needed to advance!
In 2019, Larson survived a wild airborne rollover crash at the Talladega track without getting hurt. He won the non-points All-Star Race and collected a one-million-dollar prize. Later that autumn, he snapped a 75-race losing streak by winning at Dover.
The year 2020 brought big challenges. During an online iRacing video game event, Larson made a huge mistake by using an offensive and hurtful word over the team radio. NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing suspended him, and sponsors like McDonald's, Credit One Bank, and Chevrolet ended their contracts. Larson took full responsibility for his mistake. He attended sensitivity classes, listened to communities to understand why the word was harmful, and did volunteer work to make things right. NASCAR saw his genuine remorse and reinstated his racing license.
The Hendrick Motorsports Championship Era
Historic 10-Win Season and 2021 Championship
Team owner Rick Hendrick believed Larson deserved a second chance and signed him to drive the No. 5 car for Hendrick Motorsports in 2021. Larson repaid that trust right away by winning at Las Vegas.
Larson went on a historic winning streak. On Memorial Day weekend, he won the famous Coca-Cola 600, which marked the 269th Cup victory for Hendrick Motorsports, breaking the all-time team record previously held by Petty Enterprises. Larson then won at Sonoma, won the million-dollar All-Star Race, and won again at Nashville.
After winning at Watkins Glen, Larson locked up the regular season crown after the Coke Zero Sugar 400. In the playoffs, he won at the Bristol night race, survived a loose alternator belt to win the Charlotte Roval, won at Texas, and won at Kansas.
At the final race at Phoenix Raceway, Larson started first, led 107 laps, and crossed the finish line to win the race and become the NASCAR Cup Series Champion! He became the first driver since Jimmie Johnson in the 2007 season to score 10 wins and a title in the same year.
Fighting for Wins: 2022 and 2023 Seasons
Larson won the pole for the 2022 Daytona 500 and grabbed his first trophy of 2022 at the Auto Club track. When his crew chief Cliff Daniels was suspended after a wheel came loose at Sonoma, Kevin Meendering took over for four races. Larson added wins at Watkins Glen and Homestead, finishing seventh in points.
In 2023, Larson celebrated his 20th career Cup win at Richmond, followed quickly by a grandfather clock trophy at Martinsville. He won the NASCAR All-Star Race at the restored North Wilkesboro track, joining Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon as a three-time All-Star winner.
Larson won the prestigious Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington and captured the playoff race at Las Vegas. At the season finale, he battled hard to finish third, ending up runner-up in the overall championship behind Ryan Blaney.
A Second Cup Title and Record Closest Finish
The 2024 season featured unforgettable racing history. At the Kansas spring race, Larson crossed the finish line side-by-side with Chris Buescher. Larson won by just 0.001 seconds—the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history! He also won at Las Vegas, Sonoma, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, the Bristol night race, and the Charlotte Roval.
In 2025, Larson achieved his greatest triumph yet by earning his second Cup Series Championship! He won at Homestead, Bristol, and Kansas. At the season finale at Phoenix, Larson overcame an early flat tire, gained his lap back, and charged to a third-place finish to secure the 2025 championship.
In 2026, Larson added thrilling wins at Gateway, Kansas, and took his first career win on a drafting track at the Talladega superspeedway.
Dirt Tracks and the Indianapolis 500
King of Dirt: Sprint Cars and Chili Bowls
Even while becoming a NASCAR superstar, Larson never stopped racing on local dirt tracks. He owned his own team, Kyle Larson Racing, competing with the World of Outlaws sprint cars until 2020. Today, he still races winged sprint cars and midgets whenever he gets a free weekend.
In 2020, Larson won the famous Chili Bowl Nationals indoor midget car championship, beating three-time winner Christopher Bell. That same summer, he won nine sprint car races in a row and took home the championship in Pennsylvania Speedweek. In 2021, he won the BC39 race on the dirt track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Larson won the prestigious Knoxville Nationals sprint car crown four different times, taking victories in 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2026. He also won his third Chili Bowl Golden Driller trophy in 2025 by leading all 40 laps from the start.
Racing the Greatest Spectacle: The Indy 500
Larson always dreamed of driving in the world-famous Indianapolis 500. In 2024, he partnered with Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports to try "the double"—racing the 500-mile IndyCar race in Indiana and the 600-mile NASCAR race in North Carolina on the exact same Sunday!
Stormy weather delayed the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Larson qualified fifth, ran near the front, but finished 18th after speeding on pit lane. The rain delay caused him to miss the start of the NASCAR race, where Justin Allgaier had to start for him. Even so, Larson was named the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. Larson returned for the 2025 Indianapolis 500, finishing 24th after an early crash.
Rolex 24 at Daytona Endurance Glory
Larson also proved his skills in sports car endurance racing. In 2014, Chip Ganassi invited him to enter the 24 Hours of Daytona, a race where drivers share a car and take turns driving for a full day and night. Larson drove alongside IndyCar stars Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan, plus sports car champion Marino Franchitti.
In 2015, Larson returned to the Rolex 24 with Dixon, Kanaan, and NASCAR teammate Jamie McMurray. The four drivers drove smoothly around the clock and won the race overall! Larson received a shiny winner's Rolex watch for his victory.
Movie Cameos and Family Life
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Larson is popular with race fans and gamers. He made a fun cameo appearance as a limousine driver in the 2017 racing heist movie Logan Lucky. Video game maker iRacing also selected Larson as the featured cover athlete for the NASCAR 26 video game, introduced during race events at the Coronado Street Course.
Off the track, Larson is a dedicated family man. He married his longtime girlfriend Katelyn Sweet on September 26, 2018. Katelyn is the sister of sprint car champion and former NASCAR driver Brad Sweet.
The couple has three children:
- Owen Miyata Larson, born in 2014, who loves go-kart racing just like his dad.
- Audrey Layne Larson, born in 2018.
- Cooper Donald Larson, born in 2022.
Whenever he is not driving at 200 miles per hour, Larson enjoys spending time at home playing sports, coaching his kids, and sharing his love for motorsports with the next generation.
Images for kids
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Larson battling Chase Elliott at Michigan
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Larson celebrating with the checkered flag at Richmond
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Larson's No. 5 car at Las Vegas in 2023
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Larson racing in Las Vegas during his 2025 title season
See also
In Spanish: Kyle Larson para niños
