Kyle Larson’s Epic Return: The 3 Unmissable Reasons He Left Australia’s Racing Scene Behind

Kyle Larson’s Wild Ride: From Australia’s Richest Sprint Car Win to Tulsa Shootout Glory

This week has been a whirlwind for Kyle Larson, as the NASCAR star juggled international victories, family commitments, and a love for racing. Fresh off a historic sprint car win in Australia, Larson barely caught his breath before returning stateside to compete in the prestigious Tulsa Shootout, a renowned micro-sprint racing event.

Why the Rush Back? Family, Racing, and a Love for the Grind

Larson’s recent journey began with a record-breaking performance in Perth, where he claimed the AUD 100,000 High Limit International 410 Sprint Car event, the richest prize in Australian sprint car history. But instead of savoring his victory, Larson boarded a grueling series of flights—Sydney to Los Angeles, then a tight connection to Tulsa—to make it back just in time for the Shootout.

In a conversation with High Racing reporter Tony LaPorta, Larson explained his motivation:
“Well, yeah, I mean for one, to be here for Owen and, you know, his racing—it’s his first time at the Shootout. Two, it was our youngest son’s birthday on the 31st, so it was nice to get back for that. And then, three, I just love racing. So, yeah, it’s a cool event where I can run four different classes and get to race with Chad Boat some more.”

Despite battling jet lag, Larson found the demanding schedule of the Shootout oddly therapeutic. “I feel like the Shootout’s helped my jet lag quite a bit because it is early mornings and long days. So you kind of have to power through the tiredness,” he shared. “I’ve been back on American time zones for a couple of days now, so getting lots of sleep again and racing really well too. Hopefully, we can win one of these things.”

A Family Affair: Owen Larson’s First Shootout

The event held extra significance for the Larson family, as Kyle’s son Owen competed in the Junior Sprints division for the first time. While Owen placed sixth in a race won by Brexton Busch, son of Kyle Busch, the experience was invaluable.
“Being here for Owen’s first Shootout was really special,” Larson said. “He’s still learning, but it’s great to see him out there and to share this experience with him.”

Taking on the Young Guns

The Tulsa Shootout is unique in its sheer scale and diversity, featuring nearly 2,000 entries across various classes and age ranges. For Larson, it presented an unusual challenge: racing against kids as young as 11.
“For me, it’s a lot of fun here because there’s no other event like the Tulsa Shootout. I mean, there’s almost 2,000 entries and lots of different classes, lots of different age ranges,” Larson said. “Like, I’m racing against 11-year-olds in some of the stock classes, which is wild.”

Larson acknowledged the unpredictability of racing against younger competitors. “With more experienced guys, they’re easy to predict because they’ll make the ‘right’ moves. So that’s a fun little challenge for me, and it’s interesting to have to shift my mindset a little bit when I’m racing these younger kids,” he explained.

Golden Driller Glory

Competing in four headline divisions—Non-Wing Outlaw, Winged Outlaw, Winged A-Class, and Stock Non-Wing—Larson faced fierce competition. The turning point came during a heat race on January 2nd, where he edged out Michael Hubert with a daring final-lap pass to win by just 0.048 seconds.

That win propelled him into the 30-lap Winged Outlaw final, where Larson clinched his first Golden Driller trophy. Reflecting on the race, Larson said:
“Once I moved up… you hate to get pounded and try to rip fast laps and wreck and make a mistake, cost yourself the lead. So I was just like being timid. Then we caught traffic—I thought I could move to the bottom and move past those two guys. Then one lapper just came and shut my lane down. Really got me in trouble… fortunate to hold on to the win there.”

Driven to Win

From his Australian triumph to the Tulsa Shootout, Kyle Larson continues to prove that his passion for racing knows no bounds. Whether competing against seasoned veterans or 11-year-old prodigies, Larson’s dedication to his craft—and his family—shines brightly.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *