Kyle Larson: “I want to embarrass” the NASCAR Xfinity field

Kyle Larson nearly pulled off the weekend sweep at Bristol, only falling short in the Truck race with a runner-up finish there. But in the Cup and Xfinity races, he combined to lead of 687 of 800 possible laps, winning both races rather easily.

And speaking on 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast on Monday, he made quite the admission about his goals when running these lower-level races.

“Not really in the Truck side of things but in Xfinity, I do get motivated — and this is gonna come across very cocky — but I want to embarrass them,” Larson told Harvick during the ‘Victory Lap’ segment.

Larson wants to teach them a lesson

And it’s not just about the field of drivers, but the sanctioning body itself. “I just want to embarrass NASCAR a little bit, because they just don’t let Cup guys run anymore,” continued Larson.

There was a time when Cup drivers were allowed to run as many races as they wanted in any division. In the late 2000s, they would regularly dominate and even win Xfinity championships all while running full-time in the Cup Series. But in recent years, NASCAR has cracked down on that sort of double-dipping, limiting Cup drivers to five races maximum (in Xfinity and Trucks each) during the year and forcing drivers to declare for one of the three championships before the start of the season.

Larson went on to explain that he wants to help shape these up-and-coming drivers, and it’s all about giving them a reality check. “The kids probably think they’re in a good spot,” explained Larson. “They don’t know where the bar is really at. So, I like to go and run those Xfinity races and just get ten-second leads to let them realize that they got a lot of room to improve. And I think that’s only better for our sport. You know, when those young guys can compete with Cup guys, they’re better suited for the Cup Series once they get there.”

Should Cup drivers be limited?

Larson then concluded: “Yes, I want to smash the field when I run Xfinity. That’s motivating for me, for sure.” Harvick seemed to agree, saying how he “loved that” while reflecting on how there were 20+ Cup drivers in the field every week when he raced Xfinity. Harvick said it was like a “constant evaluation of where you are,” which allowed the young drivers to be better prepared for a possible future as part of the Cup field.

Kyle Larson, Chevrolet

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Both Harvick and Larson touch on a debate that has been brought up before as there are some who believe the presence of Cup drivers in lower-division races only helps them in elevating their own performance. As Larson said, it’s the only real way they can measure themselves against the sport’s best. It’s certainly true that the gap between the Xfinity and Cup Series is very wide, as showcased by drivers like Ty Gibbs. He won in his very first start as a NASCAR Xfinity Series driver and claimed the 2022 series title with seven race wins. However, despite competing with Joe Gibbs Racing at the Cup level, he has yet to win after nearly 100 Cup starts.

So, does Larson have a point or should Cup drivers stay out of the the lower divisions? Let us know what you think in the comments!