“You’ve got that celebrity status”: Kyle Larson takes cheeky jibe on NASCAR host’s fame

Kyle Larson jibed with NASCAR host Dylan "Mamba" Smith over the latter's growing popularity in the sport. In an interview on the NASCAR Daily, the Hendrick Motorsports ace thinks Smith now has a "celebrity status."

Larson, 32, sat down with Mamba Smith following a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway, his first of the year. Driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro, the Californian beat Alex Bowman to the line after forcing his HMS teammate to make a mistake on lap 261 of 267.

During their interview on NASCAR Daily, Kyle Larson had an off-track conversation with Mamba Smith about the host's clout.

"Yeah, you're so famous now," Larson said.

After Smith said Larson was the more famous personality, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion rebutted:

"We all choose our own jobs, I guess, but you're... I feel like you got that celebrity status."

The No. 5 driver also complimented Mamba Smith's style, saying:

"You look that way [a celebrity] with your style [...] Nobody has as much style as you."

In addition to the NASCAR Daily gig, Mamba Smith is known for co-hosting Fox's Happy Hour podcast with Kevin Harvick and Kaitlyn Vincie.

Kyle Larson, meanwhile, is competing in his fifth full-time season with Hendrick Motorsports. He moved from Chip Ganassi Racing to HMS in 2021 and won the title in his first year piloting the No. 5 Chevy.

With a recent victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Larson now has 30 Cup race wins, 24 of which came at HMS.

---

"I really don't know it works": Kyle Larson on new IndyCar cockpit layout ahead of the Indy 500 entry

Kyle Larson has gained popularity from competing in various racing series, including the IndyCar Series. While Larson is set to return to the Indianapolis 500 stage in May, the Californian doesn't know how the revamped racecar works yet.

For context, the American open-wheel racing series introduced a hybrid system mid-season last year, adding new controls to the racecars.

In an interview with Fox Sports, Larson, who will drive the No. 17 car, the HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, shared his thoughts on the changes to the hybridized racecars.

"There are more buttons, more paddles, all stuff that you can customize, I guess. But again, I don’t really know how it’s gonna be until I get in the car and start playing with all that stuff," Larson said. [0:32]

The Chevrolet pilot added:

"You know, it’s a hybrid deal now, so I feel like you’re just a little bit busier. It sounds like maybe in the cockpit, with engaging and disengaging, that I really don’t even know how it works. So I’ll learn more about that as we get closer to probably the open test, and then, yeah, just trying to figure out where I want all the buttons."

Larson will race in the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25 in the morning before flying to North Carolina for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.