History of Kyle Larson in Timeline
Kyle Larson is a prominent American professional racing driver known for his versatility across multiple racing series. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports, and part-time in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, also for Hendrick Motorsports and Spire Motorsports, respectively. Additionally, he participates part-time in the NTT IndyCar Series with Arrow McLaren, demonstrating his talent in both stock car and open-wheel racing.
1984: First win for the No. 5 car at Martinsville since 1984
In 2023, Kyle Larson won at Martinsville, marking the first win for the No. 5 car at that track since 1984.
1987: Comparison to Dale Earnhardt's Win Streak
In 1987, Dale Earnhardt won three straight races twice in the same season, a feat later matched by Kyle Larson.
2006: Reference to Kasey Kahne's sweep of Charlotte races
In 2006, Kasey Kahne swept both Charlotte races, a feat that Kyle Larson would later repeat in a subsequent season.
2007: Reference to Jimmie Johnson's season
In 2007, Jimmie Johnson had 10 wins and a championship in the same season, a feat matched by Kyle Larson in 2021.
January 4, 2014: Larson to enter the 24 Hours of Daytona
On January 4, 2014, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that Kyle Larson would enter the 24 Hours of Daytona in the No. 02 car alongside Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Marino Franchitti. During his Rolex 24 debut, Larson's car stalled and received a speeding penalty, but finished his stint with a fifth-place finish.
June 13, 2014: Larson announces he is expecting his first child
On June 13, 2014, Kyle Larson announced that he and his girlfriend, Katelyn Sweet, were expecting their first child.
December 22, 2014: Owen Miyata Larson was born
On December 22, 2014, Kyle Larson and Katelyn Sweet's first child, Owen Miyata Larson, was born.
2015: Larson wins the 24 Hours of Daytona
In 2015, Kyle Larson returned in the No. 02 Ford Daytona Prototype for the 24 Hours of Daytona along with Chip Ganassi Racing teammates from IndyCar Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan and NASCAR Jamie McMurray. The team ultimately won the race.
2016: Larson returns for the 24 Hours of Daytona
In 2016, Kyle Larson once again returned for the 24 Hours of Daytona in the Ford EcoBoost Daytona Prototype for Chip Ganassi Racing. The team consisted of the same drivers from the 2015 winning car but ran into issues with brake failures plaguing the team throughout the race.
November 8, 2017: Larson announces he is expecting his second child
On November 8, 2017, Kyle Larson announced on social media that he and Katelyn were expecting their second child, due in May 2018.
December 22, 2017: Larson and Sweet became engaged
On December 22, 2017, Kyle Larson and Katelyn Sweet became engaged.
2017: Full Ownership of Kyle Larson Racing
In 2017, Kyle Larson acquired full ownership of the World of Outlaws sprint car team, formerly named Larson Marks Racing, after the 2017 season.
2017: Larson makes a cameo appearance in Logan Lucky
In 2017, Kyle Larson made a cameo appearance as a limo driver in the film Logan Lucky.
May 2018: Birth of Audrey Layne Larson
In May 2018, Audrey Layne Larson, the second child of Kyle Larson and Katelyn Sweet, was born.
September 26, 2018: Larson and Sweet were married
On September 26, 2018, Kyle Larson and Katelyn Sweet were married.
2019: Reference to Jimmie Johnson's crew chief
In 2019, Kevin Meendering served as a crew chief for Jimmie Johnson. In 2022, he filled in for Cliff Daniels as Kyle Larson's crew chief.
2019: Larson involved in major accident and All-Star Race win
In 2019, Kyle Larson was involved in a major accident at the Talladega spring race where his car went airborne and rolled over but he was uninjured. Later, on May 18, he won the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race. He also clinched a spot in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year after finishing second at Darlington.
January 18, 2020: Chili Bowl Nationals Victory
On January 18, 2020, Kyle Larson won his first Chili Bowl Nationals, defeating Christopher Bell.
April 13, 2020: Suspension and Sponsorship Termination
On April 13, 2020, Kyle Larson was indefinitely suspended by Chip Ganassi Racing without pay after using a racial slur during an iRacing event. NASCAR also suspended him and mandated sensitivity training. Multiple corporations, including McDonald's, Credit One Bank, and Chevrolet, terminated their sponsorships.
August 2020: Dirt Late Model Debut and Victory
In August 2020, Kyle Larson debuted in a dirt late model at Port Royal Speedway in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. He won in his second dirt late model start.
October 2020: Dirt Racing Permission
Following his reinstatement by NASCAR and signing with Hendrick Motorsports in October 2020, Larson noted that he would be permitted to continue dirt racing, as long as the Cup Series remained his primary commitment.
October 2020: Public Apology and Accountability
In October 2020, Kyle Larson posted an essay online apologizing for using a racial slur and emphasized it was not representative of who he is. He accepted responsibility for his actions, including the suspension and firing from CGR. Larson mentioned he completed sensitivity training and went to Minnesota after the murder of George Floyd.
October 28, 2020: Signing with Hendrick Motorsports
On October 28, 2020, Hendrick Motorsports signed Kyle Larson to a multi-year deal to drive the No. 5 car starting in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. Initially, the car was not sponsored, so Hendrick would self-sponsor through HendrickCars.com and NationsGuard. A clause in the contract allowed Larson to continue racing dirt races.
2020: 2020 Daytona 500 and Auto Club 400
In 2020, Kyle Larson began the season with a 10th-place finish at the Daytona 500. During the Auto Club 400, Denny Hamlin turned Larson into the turn 1 wall, resulting in a 21st-place finish. When the season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Larson was seventh in points.
2020: Mitch Smith Memorial Win and Pennsylvania Speedweek Title
In July 2020, Kyle Larson won the Mitch Smith Memorial at Williams Grove Speedway, followed by another win at Port Royal Speedway. He then secured the Pennsylvania Speedweek title with four wins. He was named the 410 Sprint Car Driver of the Year following the 2020 season.
2020: USAC Series and Sprint Car Wins
In June 2020, Kyle Larson joined the USAC series for the Indiana Midget Week, winning all six races, including the championship. He then won nine straight sprint car features and competed in the Pennsylvania Speedweek, securing two wins.
2020: Closure of Kyle Larson Racing
Kyle Larson owned a World of Outlaws sprint car team named Kyle Larson Racing that fielded a car for Carson Macedo. The team closed following the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues.
January 1, 2021: Reinstatement to NASCAR
On January 1, 2021, NASCAR officially reinstated Kyle Larson's competition privileges.
January 16, 2021: Second Consecutive Chili Bowl Nationals Win
On January 16, 2021, Kyle Larson won his second consecutive Chili Bowl Nationals.
2021: 5th Victory of the Season and Regular Season Championship
In 2021, Kyle Larson achieved his career-high 5th victory of the season at Watkins Glen. He then clinched the regular season championship after the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
2021: Driving for Hendrick Motorsports
In 2021, Kyle Larson began driving the No. 5 car for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series.
2021: First Win with HMS at Las Vegas
In 2021, Kyle Larson started the season with a 10th-place finish at the Daytona 500. He achieved his first win with HMS at Las Vegas, leading 103 of 267 laps.
2021: Coca-Cola 600, Sonoma Win, and All-Star Race Victory
In 2021, Kyle Larson won the Coca-Cola 600, marking the 269th Cup victory for Hendrick Motorsports. He also won at Sonoma, his first road course win, and the 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race, becoming the 9th driver to win the All-Star Race more than once. At Nashville, Larson scored his third consecutive win.
2021: NASCAR Cup Series Championship
In 2021, Kyle Larson won the season finale at Phoenix, securing his first NASCAR Cup Series championship. He achieved 10 wins, 18 stage wins, 20 top fives, 26 top tens, and led 2,581 laps.
September 16, 2022: Contract Extension with HMS
On September 16, 2022, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Kyle Larson signed a multi-year contract extension to remain with the team through 2026.
2022: 2022 Season Highlights: Win at Auto Club Speedway and Challenges
In 2022, Kyle Larson started the season on the pole at the Daytona 500, finishing 32nd after a crash. He rebounded with a win at Auto Club Speedway. At Sonoma, his car lost a wheel, leading to a four-race suspension for his crew chief, Cliff Daniels. He scored his second win of the season at Watkins Glen. He finished 37th at Daytona after his engine blew up.
December 31, 2022: Cooper Donald Larson was born
On December 31, 2022, Kyle Larson and Katelyn Sweet’s third child, Cooper Donald Larson, was born.
January 12, 2023: Larson to attempt to qualify for the 2024 Indianapolis 500
On January 12, 2023, it was announced that Kyle Larson would attempt to qualify for the 2024 Indianapolis 500 with Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports.
March 15, 2023: L2 Penalty
On March 15, 2023, Kyle Larson's No. 5 team was served an L2 penalty for an unapproved hood louver found during a pre-race inspection at Phoenix. The team was docked points and Cliff Daniels was suspended and fined.
2023: Cup Series Win at Richmond and All-Star Win
In 2023, Kyle Larson scored his 20th career Cup Series win at Richmond. He also won at Martinsville. He achieved his third career All-Star win at the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race, tying him with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon.
2023: Third Knoxville Nationals win in 2023
Kyle Larson won the Knoxville Nationals three times in 2021, 2023, and 2024, becoming the eighth multi-time winner as well as the eighth back-to-back winner of the event.
September 10, 2024: Larson to return to the 2025 Indianapolis 500
On September 10, 2024, it was announced that Kyle Larson would return to the 2025 Indianapolis 500, with McLaren agreeing to pick up the second-year option.
2024: 2024 Season start and win at Las Vegas
In 2024, Kyle Larson started the season with an 11th-place finish at the Daytona 500. He then secured his first win of the season at Las Vegas. At the Kansas spring race, Larson won by 0.001 seconds over Chris Buescher. He attempted to run both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.
2024: Larson named 2024 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year
In 2024, after a rain-delayed start to the Indy 500, Kyle Larson started fifth and ran among the leading cars until a pit lane speeding penalty led to an 18th-place finish. He was named the 2024 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. The rain delay caused him to miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600.
2024: Third Knoxville Nationals win in 2024
Kyle Larson won the Knoxville Nationals three times in 2021, 2023, and 2024, becoming the eighth multi-time winner as well as the eighth back-to-back winner of the event.
January 18, 2025: Third Chili Bowl Nationals Victory
On January 18, 2025, Kyle Larson won his third Chili Bowl Nationals after starting from the pole and leading the entire race.
2025: 2025 Season Start and 30th Career Win
In 2025, Kyle Larson started the season with a 20th-place finish at the Daytona 500. A month later, he secured his 30th career win at Homestead, placing him 30th on the all-time wins list in the Cup Series.
2025: Larson to return to the 2025 Indianapolis 500
It was announced on September 10, 2024 that Kyle Larson would return to the Indianapolis 500 in 2025 with McLaren.
2026: Contract Extension with HMS through 2026
On September 16, 2022, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Kyle Larson signed a multi-year contract extension to remain with the team through 2026.
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