“It would be neat to check off another box”: Kyle Larson eyes Daytona 500 unfinished business after winning Big Gator trophy

Hendrick Motorsports star driver Kyle Larson has added another major trophy to his collection by winning the Big Gator trophy at the Volusia Speedway Park on Saturday night. He is carrying the winning momentum with him heading into the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season and set his sights on the unfinished business—the prestigious Daytona 500.

The #5 HMS Chevrolet driver checked off boxes during the off-season with solid wins at Chili Bowl Nationals, High Limit Racing’s inaugural visit to Australia, and now the first Big Gator title in Volusia. After winning the overall Volusia Speedway Park Gator trophy, Larson admitted how special it would be to finally secure a Daytona 500 victory, a race that has eluded him in his career.

Speaking to FOX Sports Bob Pockrass, when asked about whether the Daytona 500 could be the next trophy in his cabinet, here’s what Kyle Larson said:

“No, I mean, it definitely doesn't affect confidence or anything, but, I don't know, it just seems like things are going well for me right now, and it would be neat to check off another box that's kind of, you know, looted me for so long, so, but it's, like, you can control your destiny here, you can't really control your destiny a whole lot over there, so it's just kind of a crapshoot.”

One of NASCAR’s biggest modern stars, Kyle Larson, has yet to claim a Daytona 500 victory. His best finish in the Daytona 500 is seventh place (2016 and 2019), and he has often been caught in late-race incidents or struggled with positioning in the draft.

With momentum from his recent victories in sprint racing, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion will hope that 2025 could finally be his year to capture the prestigious Harley J. Earl Trophy and add yet another milestone to his already impressive career.

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Kyle Larson expressed his emotions after claiming the Big Gator title

The 32-year-old Elk Grove, California, native won the World of Outlaws DIRTcar Nationals sprint car series finale after beating Logan Schuchart on the final lap to cross the finish line in P1. Larson was unstoppable after grabbing the lead from David Gravel on lap 5 of 30.

In a post-race interview with Bob Pockrass, Larson expressed his excitement about winning the Volusia Speedway Park Big Gator trophy and compared it to High Limit Racing’s success in Australia.

“Yes, but it's just good to be competitive and fun to win races, so yeah, it was awesome to go to Australia, you know, a country and place where I just haven't had much success. It's similar, kind of like this: Volusia’s like my Australia; I just always come here and don't finish very well, so it was good to finally come here and have speed, and speed all night long, and you'll race well.” Larson said.

Catch Kyle Larson in action in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 16, 2025.