We all remember the comments Kyle Larson made about midway through August. Ya know, the ones about him being a better racecar driver than Max Verstappen. Now, comparing NASCAR and F1 is much like comparing apples and oranges, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. However, Kyle Larson is no doubt a special driver and does well in everything he climbs into. Also, seeing his, albeit brief, dabble in Indy Car be successful begs the question, is he the best in the world?
There is zero doubt that Kyle Larson is at least ONE OF the best racecar drivers in the world, however, let’s not call him THE best just yet. Yes, the man is a winner with everything he touches: Cup cars, Sprint cars, Xfinity cars, he even has 3 truck series wins, and showed great potential in an Indy car. The problem I have with calling Larson the best in the world is, he is not a good Super Speedway driver. And before you yell at me, I’m talking real Super Speedways such as Daytona and Talladega. Yes, the tracks that often produce unexpected winners that typically live on the bottom of the scoring pylon.
If you are sitting there, reading this, and thinking I’m crazy, you may be right. Let me point out a couple of stats, though. The first most glaring one, Kyle Larson does not have a victory at either Daytona or Talladega. In fact, Larson’s average finish at Daytona is 22nd and his average finish at Talladega is 24th. Heck, his average finish at Atlanta (a fake super speedway) is 25th.
Of course, Super Speedway stats do get taken with a bit of a grain of salt because of how chaotic and destructive they can be. Unfortunately for Larson, he just seems to be consistently subpar when it comes to Super Speedway racing. It’s hard to be the best in the world without first mastering every level of the current series you are in.
Another aspect to look at with Larson and an argument against him being the best driver in the world is his career before joining Hendrick Motorsports. Larson managed just 8 wins in his first 6 seasons while he was driving for Chip Ganassi; he now has 19 wins in 5 seasons with Hendrick Motorsports. A lot of credit for Kyle’s success is owed to Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon for giving him a second chance and putting him in better equipment. Racing fans understand that driving for Hendrick Motorsports compared to Chip Ganassi is like getting traded from the White Sox to the Dodgers right now.
Want to know what else is a bad look for Larson? Since the comments about being better than Verstappen, he has finished 34th (Michigan), 21st (Daytona), 4th (Darlington), and 37th (Atlanta). Could this all be circumstantial? Sure. But also, look at the speedway types…… three of the four tracks are what NASCAR considers Super Speedways.
Kyle Larson is a 27 time race winner in the Cup Series and the 2021 Champion. He has raced every type of race car/truck and won in most of them. Kyle Larson is an amazing driver, no doubt. I just don’t think he’s the best. Maybe, just maybe, there is no best driver in the world. With all the racing series that are out there, and the numerous world class drivers, perhaps you can only group the best drivers together instead of declaring one of them as the best.
Header Image: Patrick Vallely
