Top World of Outlaws talent David Gravel on how Kyle Larson's 2020 suspension return closed his doors to NASCAR: "Awesome experience with bad timing"

Former World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series driver David Gravel recently reflected on his NASCAR stint and how Kyle Larson's suspension and the subsequent return impacted his career trajectory.

Gravel was one of the fastest-rising stars of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series when he made his Truck Series debut with the now-defunct GMS Racing in 2020.

However, had it not been for the unforeseen circumstances surrounding Larson's suspension in 2020, Gravel might have found himself competing in the highest echelon of NASCAR by now. He took to X (formerly Twitter), revealing how a chain of events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, drastically altered his career.

It all happened when Kyle Larson was fired by his former team Chip Ganassi Racing and suspended by NASCAR in 2020 for using a racial slur during a Twitch stream. In the aftermath of Larson's suspension, Gravel's opportunity to break into NASCAR arose. However, the impact of the pandemic limited his NASCAR appearances to just two Truck Series starts and one ARCA appearance. David Gravel wrote:

"It was an awesome experience with bad timing. The big race for me was Eldora dirt but that never happened in 2020. Me showing up to Michigan never seeing the place with no practice and qualifying, finishing 10th I thought was great."

"Larson with experience and the talent makes sense. If no Covid and Larson staying at Ganassi I liked my chances. My experiences with Gordon, hendrick, and chevy were great. It was a dream just didn't fully come true."

One pivotal factor in redirecting Gravel's trajectory was the availability of Kyle Larson. Gravel wrote:

"I was getting 6 races were cut to 2 races. Kansas experience being my final race I tried too hard and crashed early in stage 2. Tall task with no race or practice. Another kicker was Larson became available and all the attention was rotated to that he was the better candidate cont."

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Kyle Larson on Jimmie Johnson's Hall of Fame induction

In other news, ahead of the 2024 Hall of Fame ceremony, the Hendrick Motorsports driver reflected on Jimmie Johnson's induction. Larson highlighted his admiration for Johnson, drawing parallels between their racing styles. He stated (via Hendrick Motorsports):

"I’m fortunate that I got to race against him and had some great battles with him. He was a tough competitor. He always kind of lived on the edge of disaster – a little bit like me in a way. He probably made fewer mistakes than I did when he was in his prime."

The former NASCAR Cup Series champion revealed looking up to Johnson for his demeanor on and off the track. Kyle Larson said:

"Beyond that, I think he is just a great person and a very well-respected person. I can’t think of anyone else who is as respected as Jimmie (Johnson). There’s a lot of young drivers like myself who paid a lot of attention to the way he raced and how he was off the racetrack."