Editor’s note: This is part two of two of the August SPEED SPORT Magazine feature chronicling Kyle Larson’s mid-summer hot streak.
This isn’t the first time Larson has found himself on a hot streak on the dirt. During the summer of 2017, Larson won six sprint car races in a row over a handful of weeks, with a NASCAR Cup Series victory at Michigan Int’l Speedway thrown in for good measure.
However, Larson claims his current stretch of success is different than the one he experienced three years ago, primarily because this time it took him nearly the whole month of May to get his sprint car program to a place where he was pleased with its speed.
“To come back like we have has been rewarding for me personally, and for all the people who have supported me,” Larson said. “Winning (the first) Outlaws race (at Pevely) was awesome. It gave me a lot of confidence and momentum and that’s led now into a lot of good finishes and a lot of wins.
“In 2017, I had a streak of seven (race wins) in a row, between Cup, the World of Outlaws and the All Stars,” Larson continued. “I felt like our (Silva Motorsports) No. 57 sprint car was really, really good then, and I was really confident no matter where we went. This streak has been a little bit different because I hadn’t felt good (on the dirt) up to when the streak started. We went to Knoxville (on May 8 for the WoO Return to Racing) and ran 10th, we went to Jackson (Motorplex) and ran 11th, and then we got our stuff better at Pevely and Lake Ozark before we ran the All Star swing — but I still didn’t feel good.
“By the time we got to Knoxville, I finally felt really good about our sprint car program and things kept rolling from there.”
As he’s continued to build his dirt-track résumé this season, Larson has turned his focus from solely looking at the statistics and the victories, though he admits “winning is definitely still our goal.”
Instead, Larson — who turned 28 on July 31 — is trying to have fun again as he continues to chase checkered flags.
“Just really proud of Paul (Silva) and everyone who helps out on his team,” Larson noted. “Everyone who has stuck behind us after my mistake there. It means a lot. I’m having a blast. Trying to have as much fun as I can anyways. Trying to keep my mind off things. To turn it around now, it gives us confidence for sure.”
Midway through July, Larson’s winding road had passed through World of Outlaws, All Star Circuit of champions and USAC territory, as well as Pennsylvania and Ohio Speedweeks.
While he doesn’t know exactly where the rest of the year will take him, Larson was confident fans can expect there to be a selection of World of Outlaws events included on his calendar.
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