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NASCAR superstar Kyle Larson pocketed $100,000 on Thursday night when he won High Limit Racing’s Joker’s Jackpot at Eldora Speedway. He then proceeded to give a post-race interview that likely won’t sit well with NASCAR executives.
Larson, who founded and co-owns the High Limit sprint car series, has dominated the dirt track scene in recent years. But he believes that some NASCAR fans don’t give him the credit he deserves for doing so, and he attempted to set the record straight.
Kyle Larson Claims That Sprint Car Racing Is Tougher Than NASCAR After Race Win
“I think a lot of fans see me race (in NASCAR) on Sundays … and have a misconception of sprint cars that this isn’t professional and I come ‘down’ to win these races,” Larson began. “But it is the toughest form of racing that I get the chance to be a part of – the quality of equipment, the quality of drivers … everybody involved. “This is as professional as it gets for American auto racing.”
The toughest form of racing that you’re a part of, huh? Now, listen, I’m not here to say whether or not that is or isn’t the case. But it is a pretty convenient answer given the fact that Larson owns the series and dominates dirt track racing to an extent that far exceeds his (admittedly significant) success on the NASCAR circuit.
Additionally, it’s hard to imagine that NASCAR, or even team owner Rick Hendrick, will be very happy with Larson stating that NASCAR is not the peak of auto racing in the U.S.
There’s no questioning that sprint car racers are immensely talented. It’s no wonder that drivers like Larson, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, and several others with dirt track backgrounds have seen immense success in the NASCAR Cup Series.
But NASCAR bills itself as the pinnacle of U.S. motorsports, and it provides Larson the biggest possible platform. So maybe going out and claiming that a different form of motorsports is the toughest thing out there isn’t exactly the smartest thing in the world.