Kyle Larson

Kyle Miyata Larson was born on July 31, 1992, in Elk Grove, California, and attended his first race with his parents just one week after his birth. At the age of seven, he began racing Outlaw Karts in Northern California. As a teenager, he transitioned to open-wheel racing cars such as USAC Midgets, Silver Crown, and Sprint Cars, competing for Keith Kunz Motorsports and Hoffman Racing with support from Toyota. A series official gave him the nickname “Yung Money” at that time. In 2011, he won the 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora, winning in all three USAC vehicle classes in a single night as only the second driver ever to accomplish this, and was named Rookie of the Year that year.

In 2012, Larson was signed by Earnhardt Ganassi Racing for its driver development program. On February 11, 2012, he celebrated his first stock car victory in a fully-bodied car at New Smyrna Speedway. That same year, he competed full-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for Rev Racing, secured the championship there, and also made his debut in the ARCA Racing Series in Michigan. In 2013, he became Rookie of the Year in the Nationwide Series; a year later, he claimed the same title in the Sprint Cup Series, now known as the NASCAR Cup Series, where he has competed for Hendrick Motorsports ever since.

Among the greatest achievements of his career is the overall victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona 2015 with Chip Ganassi Racing, alongside Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, and Jamie McMurray. In the NASCAR Cup Series, he became champion in 2021 and again in 2025, both times piloting the Hendrick Chevrolet with the number 5. Additional prestigious victories include the Coca-Cola 600 in 2021, the Southern 500 in 2023, and the Brickyard 400 in 2024, plus All-Star Race wins in 2019, 2021, and 2023. On dirt tracks, he remains a fixture: Chili Bowl Nationals in 2020, 2021, and 2025, Knoxville Nationals in 2021, 2023, and 2024, as well as the Kings Royal in 2021. In 2023, he was also inducted into the list of the 75 greatest drivers in NASCAR history.

Going into the 2026 season, Larson will once again be a full-time driver for Hendrick Motorsports, continuing in the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with the number 5. In addition, he also competes periodically in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for JR Motorsports in the car with the number 88. Following his 2025 championship, the focus is clearly on defending the title, while he is expected to remain true to his dirt-track roots and continue to compete in the major classics on dirt tracks.