Who is Kyle Larson's dad?

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson is a man who seldom needs an introduction to any stock car racing fan or racing fan in general. The #5 hendrickcars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver has been one of the most successful finds in the Cup Series by team owner Rick Hendrick, who Larson currently drives for.

The Elk Grove, California native did not have the easiest path to his 2021 championship-winning year. Driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2020, Larson was suspended from racing in the highest echelon of stock car racing due to his use of a racial slur in an online iRacing event which was being streamed live to audiences all over the world. The majority of Larson's sponsors also canceled their contracts with the then JGR driver for violating protocol and contract terms.

The now 30-year-old was heard performing a microphone check with his spotter during the race and said:

"You can't hear me? N***a"

After sitting half of the 2020 Cup Series season on the sidelines, Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports decided to give Kyle Larson a chance in the #5 Chevrolet at his team owing to the talent he had behind the wheel. Larson was sponsored by Mr. Hendrick himself, with one of the companies from his group appearing on the car to date.

Kyle Larson's background has not been associated with racing, which meant his championship win meant even more for him and his family. The Larson family got into racing by chance as they saw their neighbors go to go-kart tracks in 1999, and decided to do so themselves. Seven-year-old Kyle was invested in the driving aspect of cars from the beginning and focussed his attention on the outlaw karts once the family decided to go racing, as told by his father.

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So who is Kyle Larson's dad?

Son of Mike and Janet Larson, Kyle Larson credits his dad Mike Larson for his success and inspiration throughout his career. The son of an inter-racial marriage, Mike Larson is American whereas Kyle's mother Janet Larson is Japanese. This makes the 30-year-old the only Asian-American driver on the field in 2022.

Kyle Larson elaborated on the role his father played in making him fit for a career in motorsports and said:

"My dad is definitely one of my biggest role models. He’s always been there to support me and give me advice, both on and off the track. From the time I started racing, both he and my mom taught me to be respectful of other competitors and encouraged me to have a good attitude regardless of what happened on the track."

Watch Kyle Larson take on Kansas Speedway next weekend as he tries to visit Victory Lane at the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday.