“He was a master out there”: Kyle Larson impressed Dale Earnhardt Jr with his ‘impressive’ driving at North Wilkesboro 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is impressed by Kyle Larson's adaptability as he hails the latter as the master of the North Wilkesboro Speedway. Larson had a dream run at the historic NASCAR oval as he swept both the Truck and Cup races over the weekend.

The North Wilkesboro Speedway made a return to the NASCAR schedule after an absence of over 26 years. All the Cup Series drivers entered the short track with a clean slate, having not driven on the 0.625-mile oval before.

Kyle Larson mastered the track in a short time, winning the Tyson 250 Truck Series race followed by his third NASCAR All-Star Race win. The Hendrick Motorsports driver won both races in a dominant fashion, leaving his competitors in the dust.

Larson's exploits at the North Wilkesboro Speedway have left many in awe including Dale Earnhardt Jr. The 48-year-old praised the #5 driver's performance on Twitter:

"I know @KyleLarsonRacin can drive anything faster than most but this weekend was really impressive. This track takes a ton of discipline with throttle, braking, steering. He was a master out there in both his races."

While Kyle Larson took home two trophies from North Wilkesboro, his start to the weekend was awful. The #5 driver struggled for pace in the practice sessions and had a forgettable heat race too.

Kyle Larson picked up pace when it mattered in the All-Star Race as started the race in 16th position. He sliced through the field to win the race in a dominant fashion.

The 30-year-old said in the victory lane interview:

"We were God-awful all weekend. Practice I was like the worst on 30-lap average, went backwards in a heat race yesterday. You obviously had some strategy work out there in the beginning, but we drove from dead last to the lead and checked out by 12 or 13 seconds. Then just could pace myself there that last run."

The 2021 Cup Series champion cashed in his third million-dollar check on Sunday.

---

Second-place finisher Bubba Wallace had no answer to Kyle Larson's pace

Kyle Larson leads the field in the All-Star Race

23XI Racing duo Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick trailed Kyle Larson in the race's second half but failed to make an impression. Wallace finished four seconds behind the race winner as he took the checkered flag.

Speaking about the #5 driver Wallace said in a post-race interview:

"He could attack hard and have something there in the end, If this was a normal race, something to be excited about – but this was for a $1 million, and you come up short and walk away with nothing."

He added:

"Tail tucked between our legs, but all-in-all, just continue to ride the momentum train. We came up one spot short. Congrats to Larson. He’s been on a rail lately."

Bubba Wallace hopes to fight at the front in next weekend's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.