William Byron bows in praise for ‘Beast’ Kyle Larson’s sprint car supremacy

William Byron praised fellow Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson for the use of an alternative racing line inspired by iRacing that he used during the Tulsa Shootout. He finished the race in second place, marking a photo-finish as Christopher Bell won.

The Tulsa Shootout was one of the most-talked events heading into 2025. Kyle Larson showcased his talent along with many other drivers with the sprint cars going wheel to wheel in the dirt.

In the closing stages of one of the races, Larson was in a tight battle with Christopher Bell. While the latter was taking the normal racing line to stay ahead, Larson was moving through what is known as the 'iRacing cushion line.'

iRacing is an incredibly realistic racing simulator, and the 'cushion line,' that many drivers have made use of, refers to the outside line during a dirt race. The dirt accumulated on that part of the track gives the drivers more momentum as they exit the corner, serving as a 'cushion.'

Reacting to the final few moments of the race, William Byron remarked that Kyle Larson made use of that line.

"The old iRacing cushion line..he’s actually making it work. What a beast," he wrote on X.

Christophel Bell was able to maintain his lead as he got ahead of Larson on the exit of the final corner, awarding him the win and the Golden Driller in a photo finish.

Larson has emerged as one of the most competitive drivers on the Cup Series field. A veteran NASCAR driver also praised him recently.

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Kyle Larson hailed as "generational talent" by veteran Mark Martin

Kyle Larson moved to Hendrick Motorsports after racing for Chip Ganassi Racing for a couple of years early in his career. He won his first Cup Series championship right after switching teams, piloting the #5 for HMS.

This was the same car that Mark Martin drove for three seasons in his long racing career. He raced with a lot of other teams and had great success. However, as he looked at Larson's competitiveness on the track, Martin felt that the driver has "generational talent." He mentioned that he is not the #5 driver's fanboy, but it is a "privilege" to see a driver like him on the track with such competitiveness.

“As far as Kyle Larson is concerned, behind the wheel — I’m not going to go fanboy on him, but I’m going to tell you something, he’s a once-in-a-generation talent [that] we have the privilege to witness,” Martin said via Chase Holden (at 26:20).

Kyle Larson won six races during the 2024 Cup Series season, more than any other driver. He was very close to winning his second championship and the first one since 2021, however, the playoff pattern punished him and Joey Logano won his third title despite having an average finish greater than 17 during the season.