'We need a half-million dollars' - Kyle Larson's entry into the Cup ranks

dpkimmel2001

dpkimmel2001

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Kyle Larson on initial offers from NASCAR teams: ‘We need a half-million dollars’


The NASCAR courtship of Kyle Larson mostly came down to cash.

Because the driver didn’t have any to offer, choosing a team was an easy decision.

“I got to come down to Charlotte and meet with a lot of team owners and stuff, and every single one of them was like, ‘Oh yeah, we’d love to do something with you, but we need a half-million dollars,’ ” Larson said on this week’s NASCAR on NBC podcast. “I earned all my rides. I didn’t bring money to any ride.”

During the new podcast episode, which will be released early Wednesday morning, Larson explains the yearlong process that led to signing with Chip Ganassi Racing after meeting with several teams in the Sprint Cup Series during the 2011 season in which he became a breakout star in USAC. Aside from Ganassi, virtually every team either asked Larson to bring sponsorship or couldn’t guarantee him a long-term plan to reach Cup.

Larson’s father, Mike, wrote about his son’s move to NASCAR in a post entitled “Hell Week” for TheDriversProject.com.

On the podcast, Larson will provide his perspective on those events – including his memorable first meeting with Ganassi nearly five years ago.

“If anyone knows Chip, all of his conversations, at least with me and most people, are really short,” said Larson, who also offers a brief impersonation of his team owner during the podcast. “Within the first minute probably of talking to him, he was ‘Oh yeah, how do we sign you up?’ So I was like, ‘Well, this is awesome. He’s the only guy who didn’t mention a thing about any money.’

“I definitely have to be loyal to him for giving me a shot and taking a big chance on me. It was a huge gamble for this team and Target on a 19-year-old kid from California.”

http://nascar.nbcsports.com/2016/09...do-something-but-need-a-half-million-dollars/
 
And this is why if Jr is done, Larson is my new favorite


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utvol0427 said:
Both good reads. Makes you wonder if Kyle will want to stick with Chip instead of chasing a top tier ride.
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Maybe he already has a top tier ride?? Early in the year, Chad Johnston kept saying improvements were in the pipeline and the 42 would soon have better speed. He said it took a while for cars built the way he wanted them built to get through production and reach the race track. Judging just by the last few months, one could say Chad has delivered on his promises. If the team continues to deliver the way they have in recent months, Larson may feel he is already in the best place.

Also, I believe Ganassi may be in a position to benefit from greater Chevrolet support, as Stewart-Haas moves over to the Ford camp. So far we have not really seen any Chevy response, but I believe one is coming.
 
aunty dive said:
He's in a top tier ride and his owner has a shop full of Indy cars.
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I fail to see what having a shop full of indy cars has anything to do with NASCAR stuff.

Ganassi, at least in NASCAR is a mid tier team. Period.
 
dpkimmel2001: thanks for a great link.

it doesn't come as a surprise, but $$$ gets you in a seat.

one thing I heard over and over at the local level was talent will draw the money. but damn, the price keeps going up. sometimes think those small time sponsors need to include a percentage of future earnings.... or maybe they already do!
 
Reck said:
I fail to see what having a shop full of indy cars has anything to do with NASCAR stuff.

Ganassi, at least in NASCAR is a mid tier team. Period.
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Larson wants to run the Indianapolis 500. He and his car owner have discussed that at length.

I keep seeing that 42 up at the front.
 
very fascinating behind the scenes look. I am glad kyle's dad took the time to write all that.
 
Thanks for the links @dpkimmel2001


That bit you highlighted might be important. Other big teams who 'needed' half a million dollars might learn a valuable lesson whether Larson leaves or not.


I would love to see CGR become a regular front running organization. They look better right now than I can remember.


Edit:turns out I've read that Mike Larson piece before. Worth it a second time though.
 
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Speedbowl14 said:
Because Dale Jr earned his ride the hard way like Larson did :sarcasm:
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So because I was born into a family of Earnhardt fans and grown up a Jr fan I'm not allowed to be a Larson fan?

I'm a broke college kid clawing my way up from the bottom. I like the success stories of the younger guys who have had to work their way up.


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klemmabyna said:
dpkimmel2001: thanks for a great link.

it doesn't come as a surprise, but $$$ gets you in a seat.

one thing I heard over and over at the local level was talent will draw the money. but damn, the price keeps going up. sometimes think those small time sponsors need to include a percentage of future earnings.... or maybe they already do!
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Best thing at the dirt levels are that the ASOC and WOO guys are all 305's. The price to maintain and compete in those is so much cheaper than running a 410 sprint car
 
JBone88 said:
Your point being?
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some folks hate on folks like JR and Menard and DP who bring $$$ to a ride. I do think this is a awesome story. Makes me want to cheer harder for the kid. 10,4,42,21!
 
Newfound respect for Larson. I love guys who make it on their own without daddy's money/connections.
 
29-4 said:
Newfound respect for Larson. I love guys who make it on their own without daddy's money/connections.
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Paul Menard has this to say about your post:
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Excellent article. It's great to get a peek behind the curtains. The business side of NASCAR and other sports has always been somewhat fascinating to me.
 
IMO the article is BS, who ask for 500K, and how many teams did?
 
Jeff Gordon is an example of a driver being loyal to a team owner which is why he came out of retirement to drive the 88. I think Montoya approached Ganassi to move from F1 to NASCAR out of loyalty from his days in a Ganassi Indycar. There are probably more examples of driver loyalty in NASCAR that other series. But NASCAR, like other series, has the need for drivers bringing sponsorship to the table. I recall reading an article someone posted here about a gal who wants to race but she is having to develop marketing skills in addition to driving skills to continue racing.
 
sprinterv6 said:
IMO the article is BS, who ask for 500K, and how many teams did?
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That seems a reasonable amount to me for a 19 year old dirt guy that wants to do a season of K & N. He isn't talking about a cup ride or Xfinity or trucks for that amount.
 
most telling part of those two articles:

(chip) What do you think about these other teams that are talking to you?’ I’ll never forget his answer. He said, ‘They all had a shot at me the first time around and they passed.’”
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With SHR leaving, isn't Ganassi likely to move up a rung with Chevrolet? Perhaps sticking with Ganassi wouldn't be a dumb career move either.

As an aside, this article really exposes a big problem in modern NASCAR. NASCAR is in desperate need of 'blue collar' superstars of the type that built this sport. Those sorts of guys aren't coming to the table with 500K. We are getting close to a Sprint Cup series filled with ride-buyers and silver-spooners who the average fan can't relate to much at all.
 
sprinterv6 said:
IMO the article is BS, who ask for 500K, and how many teams did?
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You don't know much about the business side of the sport then. I believe them in what they are saying. The situation at the time was for Larson to run the k&n series. The deal was for 14 races a half mil would be about 35k a race. Some race winnings and some other sponsorship a team could cobble together probably would be enough to run the season if the team had cars and equipment already.

K&n teams aren't in it for a profit it's basically where is the money coming from, that guy gets the car. It appears in the story that chip was the one who actually fronted the half million to rev racing. Or maybe another type of deal was made that equaled that to the team. The story is very interesting becaus Kyle didn't bring his own money at any time. The other is rev racing sounds like a lower tier east series team and Kyle still won the title there. Just about anyone can go into the kn series and just spend their way to good results. It's what a guy does with the equipment they have.

Another guy who isn't bringing money and is in the thick of it in the west series is Ryan partridge. This is another guy that can outrun the Cole custers, and other guys with family connections if the equipment is close.
 
29-4 said:
With SHR leaving, isn't Ganassi likely to move up a rung with Chevrolet? Perhaps sticking with Ganassi wouldn't be a dumb career move either.

As an aside, this article really exposes a big problem in modern NASCAR. NASCAR is in desperate need of 'blue collar' superstars of the type that built this sport. Those sorts of guys aren't coming to the table with 500K. We are getting close to a Sprint Cup series filled with ride-buyers and silver-spooners who the average fan can't relate to much at all.
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I have no problem relating to any of them.

I doubt that very many people care where or what they came from. What matters is what happens on the racetrack.
 
29-4 said:
Newfound respect for Larson. I love guys who make it on their own without daddy's money/connections.
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You did read the article did you not? You don't think his daddy gave all he had for his son to race?? Better go and read the link.
 
Team Penske said:
You did read the article did you not? You don't think his daddy gave all he had for his son to race?? Better go and read the link.
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It's all relevant to how much his daddy had....... Just because his daddy gave him everything he could..... that doesn't mean it was a substantial amount.... I gave MY kids all I could....... but..... that amounted to diddly squat compared to what their peers parents were able to afford.....
 
sprinterv6 said:
IMO the article is BS, who ask for 500K, and how many teams did?
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He dropped names in the podcast. Every Toyota Team. Gibbs, MWR,.... I'm missing someone I think. He said Penske or Hendrick and I believe Roush didn't have a spot for him. Chip immediately goes, "let's do this".
 
kymartin6 said:
It's all relevant to how much his daddy had....... Just because his daddy gave him everything he could..... that doesn't mean it was a substantial amount.... I gave MY kids all I could....... but..... that amounted to diddly squat compared to what their peers parents were able to afford.....
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Your kids went into racing?? Many parents will go the limit to help their kids in there chosen field. Supporting them through higher education etc. But racing is so different it can't be compared to any other. I don't know how to describe it but money and a fast car won't get the job done. We probably all know someone who dominated at the local track but that's as far as they went because no one knew how to promote themselves.
 
DUN24 said:
He dropped names in the podcast. Every Toyota Team. Gibbs, MWR,.... I'm missing someone I think. He said Penske or Hendrick and I believe Roush didn't have a spot for him. Chip immediately goes, "let's do this".
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...and Toyota was not pleased with their team's reluctance to sign Kyle. At that time, they were not set up to "encourage" teams to consider drivers. They are now. David Wilson consistently references the loss of Larson as the catalyst for their driver development program.
 
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