Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes Kyle Larson is poised for a strong turnaround following a difficult stretch in the NASCAR Cup Series this summer. In a recent conversation on Dale Jr. Download, Earnhardt pointed to Larson regaining his rhythm after some recent success driving dirt cars, an important step in his resurgent Kyle Larson NASCAR comeback.
Earnhardt observed,
“When he starts doing good in that, it’s like everything starts getting better,”
—Dale Earnhardt Jr. He added that Larson’s performance in the Cup series improves as well when he is consistently behind the wheel and winning races, which helps him regain the right mental focus.
Describing Larson’s mindset, Earnhardt said,
“He’s no different than anybody else, in terms of when you don’t have the results and the results are harder to come by. He’s just as human as the rest of us, and he’s going to have some self-doubt, or what am I doing differently? What should I maybe do differently or new? They are going to have those internal conversations as a team. I feel like that’s all in the review mirror now.”
—Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Impact of the Indy 500–Charlotte Double on Larson’s Momentum
Earnhardt highlighted that Larson’s attempt to compete in the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day had disrupted his momentum. He said the challenging schedule “knocked him off his perch” and contributed to the driver’s inconsistent form throughout the summer.
Reflecting on Larson’s difficulties during that period, Earnhardt explained,
“All of those things didn’t go as well, or as easy or as smooth as he had hoped.”
—Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The double effort limited Larson’s ability to establish consistency. Earnhardt added,
“The schedule wouldn’t allow him to find some consistency to be able to gain confidence and get the team back to where it needs to be, everybody feeling good about everything. Over the last handful of weeks, I’m sure that they’ve all been questioning, are we doing everything we need to do? …They’ve decided not to panic, get back to the basics, get in the part of the schedule where they might can find some peace of mind.”
—Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Kyle Larson’s Recent Performance and Upcoming Challenges at Indy
Following these setbacks, Larson recently achieved a fourth-place finish at Dover, marking his first top-10 since June’s Pocono race and his first top-five since Michigan two weeks before Pocono. Since the Indy 500–Charlotte double attempt in late May, Larson has earned four top-10 finishes in eight races, a downturn from his top-five streak in the four races preceding the double challenge.
Looking ahead, Larson will return to Indianapolis this weekend to compete in the Brickyard 400, a track where he has demonstrated strong performance, including winning the race last year. The upcoming event offers an opportunity for Larson to maintain his improving form as part of his ongoing Kyle Larson NASCAR comeback.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Kyle Larson better than Verstappen?
A. Larson may not outperform Verstappen in Formula 1, but he’s one of the most adaptable drivers worldwide. According to Bianchi, Larson stands out due to his diverse achievements. He consistently wins in many different types of cars.
Q. What caused Kyle Larson to crash?
A. A day after the accident, Bob Pockrass from FOX Sports shared Larson’s remarks on X. Larson stated that the crash happened because the axle broke.
Q. Asked about Larson’s claim on Thursday, he had just two coy words: Asked Max Verstappen for his response to Kyle Larson’s comments about being a better all-round driver – Max just smiled and said: \x26quot;That’s fine. Everyone thinks their own way, right?\x26quot; With a quick detour to another sport, let me put it this way.
A. What was Max Verstappen’s reaction to Kyle Larson?