The once-in-a-generation talent was always apparent. Regularly Kyle Larson exhibited why so many people often compared him to Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, former open-wheel sprint car standouts who evolved into NASCAR greats.
Yet unlike Gordon and Stewart, the 24-year-old Larson didn’t have immediate, transcendent success when he jumped into NASCAR’s top division in 2014. Oh there were moments, flashes where Larson looked just as Gordon and Stewart once did as they revolutionized the sport.
Still, that initial victory remained absent.
And with each race that passed where Larson didn’t win, where he failed to execute or luck worked against him, the murmurs began to grow louder that maybe this sprint-car prodigy-turned-NASCAR driver wasn’t the next Gordon or Stewart. It takes more than sheer talent to win at the Sprint Cup level, and Larson seemed to be lacking the full, necessary accompanying skill set.
But on Sunday, in Larson’s 99th career start, the breakthrough occurred. He got the better of another budding star, 20-year-old Chase Elliott, on a restart with nine laps left to win at Michigan International Speedway.
All the close calls, near misses and questions about why he hadn’t won suddenly vanished.
“After the way my rookie season started, coming close a few times, not getting it done, you can visualize the win that early in your career,” Larson said. “It’s going to happen. It’s going to happen. But it just never happened.
“This one’s different just because of how long we had to wait and how much harder I’ve had to work for it. It’s special because all the hard work’s paid off.”
Understandably, Larson was quite demonstrative. He admitted that when it became apparent the victory was his with a couple laps remaining, he began to shake, his legs went numb and tears welled in his eyes.
“We worked really, really hard to get a win, and just haven’t done it,” Larson said. “Finally all the hard work by everybody, hundreds of people at our race shop, people who have got me through to the Cup Series, it was all paying off.”
No steering wheel needed! #TheChase https://t.co/o3UdIi0EXj
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 29, 2016
After speeding beneath the checkered flag for the first time, Larson unleashed a madcap celebration that included a thick smoke-inducing burnout on the front stretch punctuated by him removing his steering wheel and hanging it outside the window before his No. 42 car came to a complete stop. When that concluded, he then climbed out and enthusiastically jumped atop the roof.
Once in victory lane, the emotion continued. First and foremost came a tribute to a close friend, Bryan Clauson, who died Aug. 7 from injuries sustained in a Midget car crash. Larson emphatically dedicated the win to Clauson by uttering the phrase Clauson would post on social media following one of his many triumphs.
“This one is for the Clauson family,” Larson said. “We really miss Bryan. We love you guys. We’re going to miss him. We ‘parked it’ for him, so that’s really cool.”
Parked it!!!!!
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) August 29, 2016
As he soaked in the moment, Larson acknowledged he was out of breath. The sequence of events along with the significance had taken its toll some.
And if the exuberance seemed unbridled, it’s because it was.
Such fanfare had accompanied Larson’s arrival three years ago, many figured it was a given he would soon win in bunches. However, the journey to get to where he stood on Sunday had been difficult. Had another race gone by where he came close to winning but failed, more questions would have lingered.
Was Larson really NASCAR’s next superstar driver? Or, was he merely more hype than actual substance, just like many before him who had come along touted as the next Gordon or Stewart?
One victory isn’t going to solidify Larson’s career. But Michigan represents the start of the next chapter. The belief within the NASCAR garage is that it’s always easier to win your second race than your first as the pressure and scrutiny, which can easily manifest itself into self-doubt, are alleviated.
Instead of continual reminders about what he hadn’t done, Larson can now focus on what’s ahead. He’s assured a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup where he will have a chance to compete for a championship when the NASCAR’s playoffs begin in three weeks.
Larson is at his best on fast intermediate speedways like Michigan where he can run up near the wall, his preferred groove. Such style tracks make up half the 10-race Chase, including the championship round at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It’s a favorable setup for a young driver brimming with confidence in the afterglow of his first win.
“Probably half the tracks are some of my best race tracks,” Larson said. “I feel we definitely have a shot to make it to the final eight. If we make it to Homestead, I’d be super excited because we can rail at the top there pretty good.”
Although capturing a series title may not yet be realistic, at least the possibility exists. Which is something that couldn’t be said before Sunday. Because Larson is officially, finally, a Sprint race winner and there is every reason to believe there will be many more to come.
