Richard Petty delivers blunt verdict on HMS star Kyle Larson’s caliber to ‘fit in’ among old-school drivers

A fan recently asked Richard Petty how Hendrick Motorsports ace Kyle Larson would compare to old-school NASCAR drivers. The legend shared his thoughts about the same on The Petty Race Recap show.

Petty himself is one of the greatest old-school drivers who, to this day, remains unbeaten in terms of most wins (200), most poles (123), and most Daytona 500 victories (7). He won seven Grand National Series championships (today's NASCAR Cup Series), also something that only two others in the history of NASCAR, namely Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, have been able to do.

At 87, Richard Petty is currently a minority owner and chief ambassador for Legacy Motor Club, a full-time, Cup Series team formerly known as Petty GMS Racing. He also oversees Perry’s Garage, a second-generation, high-performance race shop located in Randleman, North Carolina.

Speaking of Kyle Larson, Petty, also known as “The King”, said,

“People don't understand. There's no way to compare what happened 20 years ago to what happened today from the driver standpoint. The cars are completely different. All these guys grew up under different circumstances.”

“If you put him back in our crowd, and he grew up in that environment, then he would probably fit in pretty good,” Richard Petty continued. “Him or (Kyle) Busch, you know, but the majority of them wouldn't fit into that category.”

Kyle Larson drives the No. 5 Chevy Camaro full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. He won last week’s race at Homestead-Miami, marking his maiden win of the season and 30th overall. He is now in the playoffs alongside JGR's Christopher Bell, Wood Brothers Racing newcomer Josh Berry, and teammate William Byron.

Next up for the Elk Grove native is the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Scheduled for Sunday, March 30, the 400-lap event will be televised on Fox Sports 1 from 3 pm ET onwards. Radio updates will be available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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Richard Petty shows up at the 2025 NCMA Luncheon alongside Kyle Larson’s crew chief

Richard Petty was seen with several other NASCAR veterans, like Dale Inman, Jeff Hammond, and Trent Owens, at the 2025 NCMA Luncheon. Also on the panel was Cliff Daniels, who presently serves as the crew chief for Kyle Larson.

Daniels is in his fifth year as Larson’s crew chief. He led the speedster to 22 wins and the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Reflecting on the event, Richard Petty took to X and wrote,

“Great afternoon at the NCMA luncheon! Dale Inman joined fellow crew chiefs Jeff Hammond, Trent Owens, and Cliff Daniels on a panel, sharing stories and insights from their time atop the pit box.”

The 2025 North Carolina Motorsports Association (NCMA) Luncheon was held at The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday, March 26.