Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour presented by NASCAR on FOX - Kyle Larson Interview after his Cup & Xfinity win at Bristol | VICTORY LAP

Episode Date: April 14, 2025

Fresh off his second win of the season, Kyle Larson joins Kevin Harvick for this week’s Victory Lap interview to break down his impressive performance at Bristol. The two dive into Larson's win in the Cup and Xfinity Series races at Bristol, Larson has strong words on competing in the Xfinity Series, and Larson honors Hendrick Motorsports' Jon Edwards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is going to come across, like, very cocky. I want to embarrass them. I want to embarrass NASCAR a little bit. They probably think they're in a good spot. I want to smash the field when I run. That's motivating for me for sure. Well, Kyle, congratulations on just an absolutely dominant performance this weekend. What in the world makes Bristol so good for you?

Is it a feel in the car? Has this, you know, just been a racetrack that you acclimated to early on in your career? What makes this so good for you? Yeah, well, thanks. Yeah, it was definitely an awesome weekend. I don't know. Bristol's always kind of suited me. I've ran well there since my first race.

And I think what suits me is that it's just, to me, it's like the closest thing to a sprint car race. Just high pace, you know, high intensity, quick decisions you have to make, all of that. So I just enjoy it. I like being able to kind of move around a little bit and work traffic and the concrete surfaces I always really like. So yeah, it's just a fun place. And I think, you know, the car obviously, you know, handles very well too. And I think just the experience I've had out front there, I just have learned a lot about getting through traffic and, you know, seeing different lines. Like you always had a different line there and was able to kind of use that a little bit this weekend as well.

And all that stuff sort of, you know, helps. When you went through that first run, we went through practice on Saturday, and it looked like it was going to be just like the spring race last year. And then everybody kind of felt it out for a few laps. What made you comfortable with just taking off that first run, knowing that the tires were going to last? Yeah, I don't think any of us had a idea of what was. the day going to look like in the track.

So we were all kind of riding around, gosh, I don't know, 60% call it. And pretty easy online. And I'm sure all of us were, but I was trying to just keep an eye on the track and see if it was starting to get black, which the PJ1 got really black right off the bat. But still, like outside of that was not that black. So I was a bit nervous at first. You know, was able to kind of shuffle Denny on. off of the bottom and was hopeful that I was going to burn his tires up, you know,

sticking him in the middle. But, you know, he ripped the middle really good, got back in line. And then I think the seven kind of came at that same point and was rip in the middle. And I could see the exits of the corners, you know, starting to like, you can see where the right side tires were kind of going through. So I was like, okay, well, it looks like we're laying some rubber. So I was like, well, you know, I just want to get to the lead here. and, you know, manage the race, whether it's a, you know, tiring race or a normal Bristol race,

I wanted to be in control and in the lead. And I thought when I got to lead, everything really looked good in the track by then. And I thought if I brought the pace up, you know, that would help lay the rubber in the track. I would catch traffic quickly. And then the lappers would start to get desperate and start, you know, moving around, trying to find some speed and some grip and poop up the track. and lay the rubber there. So, yeah, I didn't really have a plan to start the race,

but I felt like once I figured that out at lap 35 or 40, it kind of all worked out really well. And then I just had control of the race from then on. So, yeah, it was fun. It was feeling like I figured it out before everybody, which is tough to do in our sport. Well, that's not abnormal for you to figure that out. I think, you know, the big story this weekend was the tires.

I think for you guys at Hendrick, it was John Edwards. What was the week like emotionally for you guys to have to manage that? And so suddenly. Yeah, yeah. No, it was definitely a tough week. And I wasn't in town this week or in the shop to, like, see the energy there. But, you know, I talked to Cliff on the phone, and he was pretty shook about things. And, you know, it was definitely sad, but, like, I don't know.

I didn't spend much time being sad because I just felt like John Edwards would not want us to be sad at all about his passing. So that kind of kept, I think, all of us knowing that, I think kept the energy in a good spot this week. But ultimately, we wanted to go to Bristol this weekend and do good job for John and try to win a race and his honor and make his family happy. it was really cool Jeff Gordon myself and Cliff we got to FaceTime his mom and dad after the race

so that was really special to see the happiness and excitement in their face so yeah you only get one opportunity to win you know

after somebody close few passes so to do it this weekend felt really good and yeah we're holding our heads high and we're gonna you know

represent him well on in the future. Well, it was a big part of our sport, and there is no better way to honor somebody than the way that you guys did that. Talk to me about the effort to try to go for these sweeps. Are you just picking tracks that you want to go to to try this, or would you do that anywhere? I would not do it anywhere because I know I cannot win three races at Martinsville. So I do, yeah, I mean, I just honestly, like, in my head, like when I picked the race, is the triple's not really the reason why I do it.

I just, you know, typically in the past, you're not able to run. Well, Homestead's in the playoffs, so you can't, a cup guy can't run. And then, like, for Xfinity, for instance, like, I can never run the Bristol Spring race because it's a dash for cash race, and they usually don't let cup guys run those. So, you know, they moved Homestead out of the playoffs. They allowed Cup drivers to run dash for cash races now. So once I heard that, I was like, oh, those are definitely the two tracks that I want to run all three this year. And it's really just because I love those tracks and they're a lot of fun.

And then, yeah, I mean, I do because I like them and I run well there, I feel like I have a shot to win all three. But that's really not the motivating factor for me running all three at those tracks. It's really just because I love the tracks and I just love to race. So let me ask you this. Is there some sort of situation like that that does motivate you? Is there a particular racetrack that you want to go to to win the cup car that you hadn't won at? Xfinity car, truck. Is there anything that you have on that list?

Because it seems like I always had a little bit of that list with the trucks. When I started my truck team, I hadn't won a race, we won a race. And then it was I just wanted to beat Kyle Bush to make sure that he didn't win as many truck races. Is there anything like that that motivates you? you? I think not really in the truck side of things, but in Exfinity, I do get

motivated. And this is going to come across, like, very cocky. But I want to embarrass them, honestly. Like, you know, I, I just, I want to embarrass NASCAR a little bit. I want to, you know, because they just don't let cup guys

run anymore. And you know, those the kids, like, they probably think they're in a good spot. And they don't know where the bar is really at. So I like to go run those Xfinity races and just get 10-second leads to, you know, let them realize that they've got a lot of room to improve. And I think that's only better for our sport, too, is, you know,

when those young guys can compete with cup guys, they're better suited for the Cup Series once they get there. So it's just, yeah, Yes, I want to smash the field when I run Xfinity. I love that. That's motivating for me for sure. Yeah, and I think you make a valid point there. When I started Xfinity, there'd be 25, 20 to 25 cup guys in the field every week,

and you always had this constant evaluation of where you are. So I couldn't agree with you more. Dumbing it down for everybody to be able to do it doesn't make everybody better. So I appreciate your honesty there. So last question, in Kyle Larson's world, What does an off week like this look like? Do you go on vacation or do you just playing more races? We're racing this weekend.

I'm going to go on Knoxville on Friday and Saturday in the sprint car. And then we're actually going to go to WrestleMania in Vegas on Sunday. So, oh, and he's been, yeah, I know. He's been asking me for a while to go to one of those events. I've never really been into wrestling like that. It should be fun. You know, WrestleMania is obviously a huge event.

And so I'm excited about that for sure. So yeah, it'll be fun, you know, a little bit of racing, but also just time with the family. And, you know,

getting enjoy Easter will be a lot of fun. So I hope everybody, honestly, in the garage gets to, you know, enjoy this week because it's the only week that we get off.

And, you know, however they want to spend it, you know, they should, you know, just cherish it. So,

yeah, I look forward to it. And, look forward to racing, but I'll also spend in time with the family. All right, man. Well, congratulations. Enjoy the time in the car and with the family. And hopefully, maybe, I mean, you never know.

You might wind up with the belt of some sort of wrestling belt that you might win while you're there or something. Who knows? You never know how that might turn out. So have some fun. We appreciate you taking time today. Yeah, thank you.