Did Kyle Larson ever win prestigious Daytona 500? All you need to know

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson is arguably one of NASCAR's biggest modern stars, with a 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship and 29 career wins at the Cup level. Despite being one of the most talented and versatile drivers on the grid, there’s one crown jewel event that has eluded Larson: a Daytona 500 victory.

Kyle Larson has never won the prestigious Daytona 500. His performances at Daytona have been overshadowed by bad luck or the unpredictable nature of superspeedway racing. He's not typically a threat on the drafting-style tracks.

The 32-year-old Elk Grove, California, native’s best finish is a seventh, which came in 2016, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, and he made 11 starts to win NASCAR’s biggest race of the calendar. In 11 appearances at the Daytona 500, Larson has only four top-10 finishes.

Like many drivers, the 2021 NASCAR champion has faced the unpredictable nature of pack racing at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, including crashes, mechanical issues and bad timing with drafting partners.

In recent years, driving the #5 for Hendrick Motorsports, Larson has had strong cars but hasn't had a win. The Daytona 500 remains a challenging race due to the chaotic and unpredictable racing style of the track.

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Kyle Larson once expressed his frustration with racing at Daytona

Last year, ahead of the season’s second Daytona race, the #5 HMS driver expressed his frustration with racing at the Daytona International Speedway for unpredictable outcomes. He dislikes Daytona racing because of the nature of the race, where skill and preparation often take a back seat to luck. He also mentioned that everyone wants to win at Daytona, but it’s not always won by the top drivers.

In an interview with sports reporter Stuart Webber, Kyle Larson said:

“Yeah, and that's what kind of gets me not really loving that place, is that, you know, the best driver and the best team most times doesn't win. It's usually, you know, not usually, but most of the time I feel like it's the luckiest driver and the luckiest team that wins. But I've also not never won there. So that's maybe, you know, having bias probably.”

Kyle Larson has won three of the four crown jewel NASCAR events, but victory in the Daytona 500 remains one of the few major wins missing from his resume.

Considering his dominance on other types of tracks and his versatility across motorsports, the Daytona 500 is always within reach. He will look to end his wait in the upcoming 2025 Daytona 500, which is set to take place on Feb. 16.