Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson is one of the few drivers in the highest echelon of stock car racing who manage to keep their sense of humor alive even in the most demanding of situations. The Cup Series is the pinnacle of stock car racing in the world with the fastest cars and the fiercest competition. Larson, however, is a great example of how to deal with that kind of pressure.
The Hendricks Motorsports driver has had a good 2022 season so far, with a win in just the second race of the calendar, followed up with multiple top-5 finishes. Larson has also had his fair share of retirements throughout 2022 as the Cup Series inches closer to the playoffs.
The Elk Grove, California native has been known to make light-hearted jokes aimed at others and often receives the same for his relatively short stature. In a recent interview with Jeff Gluck from The Athletic, Larson elaborated on how his height has an advantage on airplanes when people recline their seats, and said:
“I don’t mind it. I think because I’m short, it doesn’t really bother me. I don’t typically lay my seat back, just because it puts me in an awkward spot. But I don’t mind people doing it in front of me. I usually lay the table down and lay my head on it. If I’m in a deep sleep and somebody moves really quick in front of me and bumps my head — it doesn’t upset me, it just wakes me up.”
Listen to the complete interview below:
Kyle Larson wins ABC Network's ESPY Best Driver Award
Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson managed to win the 2022 edition of the Best Driver Award from ESPY, as announced by his team. The 29-year-old pipped drivers like Max Verstappen from F1 and Alex Palou from IndyCar to win the prestigious accolade. Formerly presented by ESPN Network, ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) is now presented by the ABC Network.
The distinguishing factor with the award remains the result that is decided based on fan votes alone. Catch Kyle Larson competing in this weekend's NASCAR Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway.