“I want to prove the doubters wrong”: When Kyle Larson took a bold stand against those who feared he’d end up like Joey Logano

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson was once featured in an interview with Jacksonville in 2013 and opened up about his debut in the Cup Series. Larson's debut was compared to former Joe Gibbs Racing driver Joey Logano, and the HMS driver proved his doubters wrong.

The 31-year-old driver debuted full-time in the Cup Series in 2014 under Chip Ganassi Racing and competed for the team for six years. He drove the #42 Chevy during his time with the team and secured his first win at the Pure Michigan 400 race at Michigan International Speedway during the 2016 season.

Kyle Larson was experienced in sprint racing, and several big names like Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, and Tony Stewart praised Larson for years. His situation was somewhat similar to Joey Logano's, who was highly rated before his debut in the Cup Series.

Joe Gibbs Racing counted down the days to Logano's 18th birthday and lauded him into the series. The team's high expectations made things complicated for the rookie driver, and he struggled to perform well. In the 2013 season, Logano joined Team Penske and Larson mentioned his case was a bit different, stating:

"I feel less pressure because Joey was 18. But I want to prove the doubters wrong. It makes me mad when they say they don't want me to end up like Joey Logano. Well, Joey's in the Chase. He won a race this year. He's won a few Cup races. I think Joey's done fine." (via Jacksonville.com)

Chip Ganassi Racing gave Kyle Larson the chance to prove his doubters wrong and secured six wins till 2020 with the team. He then won the Cup Series title in 2021 with his current team, Hendrick Motorsports.

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"It's a constant battle with myself": Kyle Larson shares his thoughts about room for improvements

Despite a spectacular 2024 season, in January 2025, NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson gave his take on the room for constant improvements. He secured six wins in the previous season, two more than the championship winner, Joey Logano.

Larson secured a berth in the playoffs and competed till the round of eight, but he missed his spot in the Championship 4 race. However, his teammate William Byron made it to the final race at Phoenix but couldn't bring home the trophy.

Reflecting upon the score of improvements, Kyle Larson told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90:

"I don't know. I feel like we haven't won a championship in a few years," Larson said. "So there's still definitely a room to improve on yourself and on the team and car. For me personally, you look at the personal statistics at the end of the year, and I feel like I still crash about the most."

"That's probably one area I've probably tried to get better even though it doesn't seem like it," Larson added. "Yeah, that's the thing that I look at for this coming years: How do I maintain who I am without crashing as much? So it's a constant battle with myself, but I feel like I can figure that out and, you know, be more successful," he added.

The former NASCAR Cup Series champion finished the Clash at Bowman Gray in P21, followed by a P22 finish at the Daytona 500. Additionally, he qualified in P17 for the Atlanta Motor Speedway race on February 23, 2025.