The Hendrick Motorsports team is considered by many as the strongest in NASCAR. However, they have been dealing with a series of misfortunes and missteps this year. It all started when Chase Elliott got injured while snowboarding, and it put him out of commission for a while. Of course, it was a big blow, but Hendrick Motorsports sucked it up and found a substitute until Elliott recovered. Luckily, he is back in action but a similar problem arose with Alex Bowman getting injured during a sprint car race. In light of such issues cropping up, Kyle Larson has defended drivers pursuing off-NASCAR hobbies.
During a recent chat on the High Limit Racing podcast, Larson said, “Everything that we do outside of our job in NASCAR is a passion of ours. Whether it be skiing or snowboarding, which Chase, unfortunately, got hurt earlier this year. Or me racing sprint cars and dirt cars. It’s a passion, but for me, it is more than that, I think on the driving part of it.”
“Alex as well, I read articles that he’s been in, with Jeff Gluck. Or he’s using dirt racing as a tool to push himself into uncomfortable situations to push himself to get better for Sundays,” he added.
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Kyle Larson reveals that dirt is his driving force as well
As a prominent dirt racer himself, Larson is aware that he could be at risk as well. After all, Rick Hendrick would not appreciate his drivers potentially compromising their championship challenge due to injury. Then again, he can’t exactly make his drivers stay in a bubble wrap, as they know the risks well enough.
Larson continued, “That’s really the main reason why I do the dirt racing. It’s a passion, but I feel the more opportunity I have to race, the more opportunity I have to get better. Hone my craft, sharpen my skills, sharpen my reactions. And ultimately, benefit me for Hendrick Motorsports on Sunday and allow us to go compete for wins, compete for championships.
“All the dirt racing I did in 2021 was a big reason why I won the championship that season.”
Larson credits dirt racing for helping him clinch the 2021 championship
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Though he did admit that he could have won the title even without his dirt racing exploits, but he could not say for certain. The Hendrick Motorsports star insisted that racing across disciplines has sharpened his focus and boosted his confidence, saying, “That’s the number one thing that you need as a racecar driver is confidence.”
Furthermore, he emphasized on the financial aspect of it all, saying, “It’s still a business for me. I’m not racing dirt stuff for free. Like, I’m not going there, not racing for the purse. I’m making a really good living outside of my job in NASCAR.”
via Getty AVONDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 07: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, poses for photos after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on November 07, 2021 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
He added that his dirt merchandise sells very well, over and above his cut of the winnings, while also admitting to the risk of getting in the spotlight if an incident in a dirt race affects his Cup performance.