Kyle Larson Appreciation Thread

jaqua19 said:
The clear point is...while ALREADY being arguably the most talented driver in the world, he may be performing even better if he focused exclusively on cup.

I've also pointed out throughout the year that he's had the most success in cup since 2021, and am in agreement that he's been the best in the series. Yes, and I absolutely catastrophized over my driver getting eliminated with the speed he's had. If you weren't so focused on distorting the opinions of others to make yourself right, you'd realize no one here is disagreeing with you. Stop arguing with yourself

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Please tell me how Larson could be performing better lol. He's first place in the Nascar series locked into the final 4, he is leading in Nascar's owner points, and he just won The High Limit Sprint car championship. Don't give us any tapped the wall B.S. or car setup problems, save us from that. We do have the Hamlin and Ross chicken**** moves that took 2 potential wins away.
 
jaqua19 said:
Agreed. I'd rather see him do this than be forced to pick one or the other.
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And putting him in that predicament would have changed a lot of things, not the least of which may have been his arrival to Cup in the first place. Not that drivers statements are the Lord's Gospel, but in the Dirt documentary he discusses his entry to NASCAR and the fact that A] Ganassi had money to pay him whereas everyone else he met with wanted him to bring cash he didn't have B] Ganassi wouldn't stop him from racing dirt which was key for him. Change one of those factors and he might be on World of Outlaws title #10 right now with zero Cup wins and only an appearance at Bristol Dirt.
 
jaqua19 said:
The clear point is...while ALREADY being arguably the most talented driver in the world, he may be performing even better if he focused exclusively on cup.
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Or he might perform worse if he focused exclusively on cup. How would we know? He has always raced other series while in cup. Maybe doing so keeps him sharper and is more advantage than disadvantage. Saying he would or wouldn't do better is just a guess.
 
StandOnIt said:
Please tell me how Larson could be performing better lol. He's first place in the Nascar series locked into the final 4, he is leading in Nascar's owner points, and he just won The High Limit Sprint car championship. Don't give us any tapped the wall B.S. or car setup problems, save us from that. We do have the Hamlin and Ross chicken**** moves that took 2 potential wins away.
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Why would I do that? You've already acknowledged right here that you won't entertain this discussion. I mean, look at what you had just said lol.

"Good sir, explain how he could be performing better by focusing exclusively on cup, but spare me, oh jaqua19, spare me the BS of discussing driver error and performance! I will hear your argument, but only if you stay away from the topic!"

I mean,what in the ever loving hell of bad faith argument is that SOI? Lol

Larson is the best in the world, and he's the best in the series. I'm with you there. Agree to disagree on everything else my friend, whatever the heck that is lol



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Daytripper said:
Or he might perform worse if he focused exclusively on cup. How would we know? He has always raced other series while in cup. Maybe doing so keeps him sharper and is more advantage than disadvantage. Saying he would or wouldn't do better is just a guess.
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Yeah of course. It's an opinion. It could make it worse, it could make him better, or it could be an entirely net neutral. My guess is that his habit of aggressively pushing the car past its limit is something he's learned from dirt racing.

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jaqua19 said:
Why would I do that?
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Because you do not have a leg to stand on? Facts matter. Opinions are just that opinions. Should uh, could uhs pale in comparison when you look at the year Kyle Larson has had compared to anybody racing cars period.
 
StandOnIt said:
Because you do not have a leg to stand on? Facts matter. Opinions are just that opinions. Should uh, could uhs pale in comparison when you look at the year Kyle Larson has had compared to anybody racing cars period.
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That has nothing to do with the point being made.

And of course I have a leg to stand on. But you've already decided with your usual rigid thinking and lack of contest that the rules of a gray hypothetical discussion, which you didn't initiate, are entirely black and white, and therefore, the gray isn't worth discussing. Congratulations.

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jaqua19 said:
Apparently he was ready to give up dirt racing if Rick Hendrick wanted it.
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Move on with your nonsense. Can you see who's name is on those cars?
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2 Sweet said:
Kylie should STFU and keep his mouth shut about other teams and drivers!!!!!! C.Bell is MY driver and loves racing for MY team which means he loves his owner controlling every aspect of his life!!!!!!!

:rolleyes:
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Kyle gave your guy one of the best compliments a driver could get. What are you so upset about...oh, I forgot, he beat your guy. :D
 
StandOnIt said:
It been around before Nascar, it's taken Bell awhile to learn Nascar. Bell is as good on dirt as Larson, has more Chili Bowl victories.
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The 2017 Turkey Night at Ventura CA was one of the best battles I have seen there...and I was front and center for a great view of that awesome battle between Bell and Larson. :punkrocke
 
StandOnIt said:
Hendrick has made room before. So would many other team owners. I doubt they would turn Bell down if he came knocking.
That's why I say it's Bell's choice to stay or go. He has a number of reasons to jump, But it is his choice. If he wants his dirt career back something is going to have to change.
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I would love to see Bell become a part of the great HMS family. :punkrocke
 
virtualbalboa said:
Serious question: do you think Larson loves NASCAR? Because I don't think he does. I feel pretty confident his primary interest in NASCAR is the money. I do, however, think Larson loves racing dirt.
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My guess would be no. I bet there are very few that actually loves racing in NASCAR. They all love the success, attention, and money if it comes. But you have to beat to a whole different drum if you are going to race in NASCAR. The younger drivers know that if they do succeed in NASCAR that they will become pretty rich, but I doubt they really enjoy it that much after they have been there for a while. NASCAR is a cash cow if you are one of the elites and I think that is the main fuel that motivates most of the drivers in NASCAR.
 
2 Sweet said:
Kylie should STFU and keep his mouth shut about other teams and drivers!!!!!! C.Bell is MY driver and loves racing for MY team which means he loves his owner controlling every aspect of his life!!!!!!!

:rolleyes:
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Well said. Chain Gang mind games.
 
StandOnIt said:
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This just in, and a new twist to the horror of the Preacher's Bunch....Christopher Bell was forced to sign with JGR. He is being held hostage in an underground tunnel below Joe Gibbs house only to be let out to race NASCAR.
 
StandOnIt said:
Move on with your nonsense. Can you see who's name is on those cars?
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Ay! Yes, my comment prior to this discussion which validates Larson's willingness to be a serious cup driver...which actually contracts the stance you assumed that I had.

You know, you could have actually used that comment in a different context to make a stronger argument against what I and Nature Boy seemed to suggest, I would have taken it a bit more seriously. Instead... yeah. You sir, are all over the place, and are arguing against yourself, again. ;) Till next time my friend.

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Nitro Dude said:
My guess would be no. I bet there are very few that actually loves racing in NASCAR. They all love the success, attention, and money if it comes. But you have to beat to a whole different drum if you are going to race in NASCAR. The younger drivers know that if they do succeed in NASCAR that they will become pretty rich, but I doubt they really enjoy it that much after they have been there for a while. NASCAR is a cash cow if you are one of the elites and I think that is the main fuel that motivates most of the drivers in NASCAR.
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I think a lot of these guys love racing enough, that they can go to work everyday and enjoy it.

Unless you're Kurt Busch.

"God! I hate my ****** job!!!!"

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StandOnIt said:
It been around before Nascar, it's taken Bell awhile to learn Nascar. Bell is as good on dirt as Larson, has more Chili Bowl victories.
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Do you really think Bell having 3 vs Larson's 2 Chili Bowl wins makes Bell a better dirt racer? I can't wait for your response...
 
The Nature Boy said:
Larson would be a GOAT tier Cup driver if he focused solely on Cup. Larson is a generational talent that has his attention diverted in too many places. He often struggles to close races and makes mistakes that are beneath his level of talent.
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You really have no clue...
 
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You probably should read that again. "as good" doesn't mean better or worse. We will probably never know as long as Joe Gibbs and the yotas won't let Bell race.
 
Nitro Dude said:
My guess would be no. I bet there are very few that actually loves racing in NASCAR. They all love the success, attention, and money if it comes. But you have to beat to a whole different drum if you are going to race in NASCAR. The younger drivers know that if they do succeed in NASCAR that they will become pretty rich, but I doubt they really enjoy it that much after they have been there for a while. NASCAR is a cash cow if you are one of the elites and I think that is the main fuel that motivates most of the drivers in NASCAR.
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I don't agree with that. NASCAR offers these guys to run nearly every weekend & it's sort of an endurance type of racing (3+ hours) so for a diehard racer it is the best option in professional motorsports
 
Mispeedway15 said:
I don't agree with that. NASCAR offers these guys to run nearly every weekend & it's sort of an endurance type of racing (3+ hours) so for a diehard racer it is the best option in professional motorsports
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A lot of self-hating NASCAR "fans" like to believe that their favorite driver actually hates driving NASCAR and would rather be driving a winged sprint car on a dirt track somewhere. Anyone who comes up through the stock car racing grassroots scene would consider racing in Cup to be the pinnacle of their career. Maybe guys like Larson and Bell don't?
 
The Nature Boy said:
A lot of self-hating NASCAR "fans" like to believe that their favorite driver actually hates driving NASCAR and would rather be driving a winged sprint car on a dirt track somewhere. Anyone who comes up through the stock car racing grassroots scene would consider racing in Cup to be the pinnacle of their career. Maybe guys like Larson and Bell don't?
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There's a really good interview that Corey Lajoie did with Justin Haley where Haley talks about attending the Indy 500 and Indycar in general - Lajoie just eggs him on like "Bro you should run the Indy 500!" and Haley is just like "I dunno my guy." I bring this up not to shame Haley for being afraid of getting in what Lajoie also referred to as a "coffin" (Indycar), but to reference Lajoie's statements in that same part of the interview. For him, the Indy 500 is just another car race for other guys because he grew up around NASCAR in North Carolina. It was a novelty to watch but not a thing anyone he knew or cared about did or was motivated to be involved in. There was no pathway that would ever lead to Lajoie being in an Indycar, much less many other types of race cars (whether F1 or trophy trucks) and so it didn't matter.

My sense on what Bell and Larson have said in interviews is that NASCAR was to them what Indycar was to Corey Lajoie, except that someone actually did decide to expend real money to get them in the ladder to Cup. It doesn't mean they don't care about NASCAR or don't want to be in NASCAR or whatever because fundamentally no racing series on the planet will pay either of them what NASCAR will to compete. Only F1 could and they aren't going to ring either Larson or Bell. But do you see Christopher Bell spending his free time in pavement late models like so many other NASCAR talents? Kyle Larson ran a single pavement late model race as a "trade" to get Jr. to attend a High Limit event, and I don't see him going back for more. When they aren't in NASCAR, what sort of racing are they promoting (like with Micromania this past week in Texas) or running in? Open wheel dirt racing. Kyle Larson is making 7 figures in a stock car but would rather spend his free time racing micros at Linda's for $1000 (and risking his life and lucrative career doing so!) than anything pavement stock car related. Take away believing them at face value and just look at their actions, and it seems clear to me what they emotionally value more.
 
also as an addendum: I think Erik Jones, Chase Elliott, and William Byron would run 80 stock car races a year if they could. They all absolutely 100% love doing this. Ross Chastain seems like he probably does too, and Kyle Busch just wants to race for money every day and doesn't care about the specific vehicle he's in. Some of the other guys - especially the guys who want to race less like the aforementioned Denny Hamlin - are probably not nearly as enamored with Doing The Thing as much as they are enamored with the wealth they have accumulated Doing The Thing. Maybe they did once, but not so much anymore. Kinda what you might expect when the driver development pipeline is starting not long after these kids learn to read.
 
virtualbalboa said:
also as an addendum: I think Erik Jones, Chase Elliott, and William Byron would run 80 stock car races a year if they could. They all absolutely 100% love doing this. Ross Chastain seems like he probably does too, and Kyle Busch just wants to race for money every day and doesn't care about the specific vehicle he's in. Some of the other guys - especially the guys who want to race less like the aforementioned Denny Hamlin - are probably not nearly as enamored with Doing The Thing as much as they are enamored with the wealth they have accumulated Doing The Thing. Maybe they did once, but not so much anymore. Kinda what you might expect when the driver development pipeline is starting not long after these kids learn to read.
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I would hope that guys like Larson and Bell are the exception. If there are actually "very few" who enjoy racing in NASCAR then the sport is in trouble.

We need more guys like Chase, that Jones boy, Dale Jr, and others who want to give back to the grassroots of stock car racing. People forget that winged sprint cars are not the grassroots that directly feed into the NASCAR Cup Series. I'm a stock car fan, I don't give two ****s about Chili Bowls (though I do recommend Ben's Chili Bowl in DC). There are hundreds of guys racing late models on asphalt tracks around the country who would give their left nut to run in a start and park ride in the Cup Series.

I can understand someone older losing their passion (like Hamlin) but if you're Kyle Larson's age and you don't have the passion then that's a problem. I don't respect guys who only see NASCAR Cup Racing as a way to fill their bank account, that's disrespectful to the guys who are throwing dollar after dollar on a local short track, hoping to get noticed by someone.
 
Revman said:
This just in, and a new twist to the horror of the Preacher's Bunch....Christopher Bell was forced to sign with JGR. He is being held hostage in an underground tunnel below Joe Gibbs house only to be let out to race NASCAR.
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In a shocking development, CBell is not getting paid to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing. Coach has been quoted as saying, "Christopher is to do the work of the Lord. In this, his compensation is the gift of eternal life."

....I have been studying the @StandOnIt playbook .....I am now better at being him than he is. I have reached a new depth. :punkrocke
 
The Nature Boy said:
There are hundreds of guys racing late models on asphalt tracks around the country who would give their left nut to run in a start and park ride in the Cup Series.
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No one in the NASCAR ecosystem cares about any of these people anymore. Brenden Queen could win everything he enters next year and he's still gonna be told to bring a check for $1 million if he wants a Truck series part time ride.
 
I don't want to come across as too much of a negative nancy, but my general take on development of racing drivers is that if you're talking about "big car" series - F1, NASCAR, V8 Supercars, WRC most specifically - there's probably as good or better talent now selling real estate and working as a SCCA driving instructor on the side as racing full time and even winning. Indycar, Super Formula, sports cars: that's all just a fall back if you fail to make it elsewhere. American short track racing is different: being the most famous sprint car driver is like being the most famous death metal band. At the top end of things in either, you can make a solid living. Most of the participants are losing money compared to just working a 9-to-5 but do it because they love it. They're both cult things for a cult fanbase that lives and breathes it. Think of Kyle Larson as being like Dave Grohl or Rivers Cuomo (I picked those two specifically for reasons) while Steve Kinser is Lemmy and Donny Schatz is Barney Greenway (Google him if need be).
 
StandOnIt said:
View attachment 73584
You probably should read that again. "as good" doesn't mean better or worse. We will probably never know as long as Joe Gibbs and the yotas won't let Bell race.
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Driver A
Race Count: 103
Feature Wins / Win Percentage : 31 / 30.10%
Laps Led: 757
Races with laps led: Stat
Top Fives / Percentage : 65 / 63.11%
Top Tens / Percentage : 83 / 80.58%

Driver B
Race Count: 32
Feature Wins / Win Percentage : 3 / 9.38%
Laps Led: 112
Races with laps led: Stat
Top Fives / Percentage : 8 / 25.00%
Top Tens / Percentage : 15 / 46.88%
 
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