Child's play: Reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson adds team owner to his renowned racing resume

“We are fully invested,” Kyle Larson said.

Larson, though, is dreading the financial thought of it becoming a three-driver operation because his youngest, 3-year-old Cooper, is the wildest of the bunch.

“In a perfect world, I would love for Cooper not to race,” Larson said. “He’s the craziest, for sure, of the three. I think he’ll be the most expensive, probably, because I’m sure he’ll be tearing up the most equipment. So, we’ll see if we can keep him out of it.”

Highly unlikely, especially if he’s trying to keep pace with Dad.

Larson is coming off his second Cup title, a somewhat surprising championship that came despite no wins over his final 24 events. Nonetheless, he finished ahead of fellow championship contenders Chase Briscoe, William Byron and Denny Hamlin in the season finale.

Hamlin had the championship within reach when Byron got a flat tire and hit the wall to bring out a late caution. Larson was the benefactor and hopes to carry some of that luck into the Daytona 500 on Sunday. He is winless in 12 tries in NASCAR’s premier event.

“I would imagine the feeling of winning (it would) be extremely massive, if it ever happens,” Larson quipped.

Larson hasn’t really been close, either. Daytona is the only regular NASCAR venue in which he doesn’t have a top-five finish. He crossed the line 20th last year.

“Prior to last year, I would just get caught up in wrecks and whatnot,” Larson said. “I wouldn’t say I have any more confidence this year than I did last year. I just hope that we have the same sort of good fortune as we did last year. Maybe it can be a few spots better to get a win.”

Larson has company in 0-for-Daytona club. Kyle Busch is winless in 20 starts in the 500, a skid that’s more of a head-scratcher than a heartbreaker considering the two-time series champ has won at just about every track on the circuit. Brad Keselowski is 0 for 16 in the Daytona 500, also baffling considering the 2012 series champ has six wins at NASCAR’s other superspeedway, Talladega.

Hall of Famers Tony Stewart, Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin are the most notable drivers to never win the Daytona 500.

Fellow Hall of Famer David Pearson needed 15 tries to win NASCAR’s signature event. Kyle Busch’s older brother, Kurt, needed 16. And NASCAR great Dale Earnhardt won in his 20th try — an iconic moment in series history.

“You feel it, for sure,” said Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who won the 500 in 2023 on his 12th try. “Most people get to double digits before they win a Daytona 500 these days. The more races that go by, the more you wonder if you’ll ever get one.

“You look at guys like Mark Martin and Tony Stewart who been super successful in our support and never got one. Kyle Busch is still trying. The more that goes by, the more pressure that ramps up every February.”

Larson insists he’s feeling no anxiety — at least not regarding the 500. He started his own series in 2023, the High Limit Racing Sprint Car Series, which has now expanded to 60 events.

He also races in other series, too. Most notably, the last two years, he attempted “The Double” – racing the Indianapolis 500 in the IndyCar Series and then hopping on a jet to make NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, North Carolina, the same day.

Weather caused a logistical issue that didn’t allow him to complete the double in 2024, and he crashed last year in Charlotte.

NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick called Larson’s venture “a huge distraction" and was relieved the Cup champion would not make another attempt this season.

“Not only was it a distraction with the team, but coming back and wrecking in the 600 was mentally just a downer that he had to work his way through,” Hendrick said. “I’m super excited about this year.”

Larson agrees, especially with the addition of his micro-racing team.

“It’s honestly been a lot of fun, and I look forward to kind of having our own little touch on things,” he said.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing