DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Larson family has continued to experience a streak of success as we enter 2025. On the eve of the Daytona 500, former NASCAR champion Kyle Larson observed his son Owen leading their team to triumph in the traditional prerace fishing competition.
At just 10 years old, Owen managed to catch a 4.58-pound fish from Lake Lloyd, situated within Daytona International Speedway, leading their team to the top. In the midst of the celebratory atmosphere, Owen was unsure about whether his father could join in on the festivities of winning the Daytona 500.
“He probably has to try really hard because he’s not good at superspeedways,” Owen quipped, joking about his dad’s struggles in navigating through tightly packed racing drafts without offering any tips for improvement. “I’ve actually never drafted in my life,” he noted, making light of the situation.
Kyle Larson hopes to end a 0-for-11 streak in what’s known as “The Great American Race” on Sunday. He’s gearing up to drive his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports car, with a team of journalists following his journey closely.
Despite earning three poles, Daytona has been far from kind to Larson throughout his career. He currently stands 0 for 21 in the Cup Series, with nine races ending due to crashes, and his initial debut in the Daytona national series was disastrous; Larson crashed into the fence on the final lap of the 2013 Xfinity Series race, resulting in a ruined vehicle.
However, he began this new racing season on a high note, achieving victories in sprint cars in Australia, winning the Chili Bowl, and obtaining his first Gator Trophy at the annual DIRTcar Nationals held at Volusia Speedway Park last week before turning his focus to the Daytona 500.
“I think it keeps me sharp, for sure. I just like to race. I kind of like to stay in the rhythm of racing,” said Larson. “I feel like I’m just trying to continue to better my abilities.” Yet, he expressed uncertainty about continuing this winning momentum, as he will be starting from the 22nd position on Sunday.
“Everybody in here wants to win the big one,” Larson remarked, reflecting on the importance of this race. “I think this is like the last of the big ones that I have left (to win). I think that adds a little bit more to it.”
Larson is not alone among NASCAR champions yet to win the Daytona 500. The field this year includes 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr. (with no wins despite 20 attempts), two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch (0 for 19), and 2012 champion Brad Keselowski (0 for 15). Also among them is Chase Elliott, another Hendrick teammate who has finished 0 for 9.
After experiencing the first winless season of his career, Busch remains hopeful for Sunday’s race, drawing motivation from the legendary RCR history. The late Dale Earnhardt endured many disappointments in the Daytona 500 before eventually clinching victory in 1998 on his 20th attempt, driving RCR’s iconic No. 3 Chevrolet.
“Twenty years of trying. There was another storied racer of the past that won on his 20th try and that was a pretty big deal,” noted Busch. “He was a former RCR driver as well, so it’d certainly be nice to win that race and do it with RCR.”
A host of NASCAR legends have yet to find glory at stock-car racing’s most prestigious event, still chasing their Daytona 500 dreams. This list includes Hall of Famers such as Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Ricky Rudd, and Rusty Wallace.
Larson believed that the inability to secure a Daytona 500 win probably doesn’t weigh on the minds of drivers like Stewart, especially as he also fell short in his childhood aspiration to win the Indianapolis 500. Larson pointed out the distinct nature of racing at Daytona, which often demands collaboration with other drivers and a degree of fortune, making it more accessible for drivers to accept that winning can come down to chance.
“I imagine Tony Stewart, who doesn’t have it, doesn’t lose sleep,” Larson shared. “I think when you look at the style of racing, especially nowadays, how it’s difficult to win because you do have a lot of good fortune where there’s a lot out of your control. I think that helps you sleep at night if you don’t win.”
“I don’t think it does anything to Tony’s legacy whether he’s won the Daytona 500 or not. He’s in every Hall of Fame that he’s deserving of being in. I don’t think it does anything to his career.”
As for Larson, he’s confident that his career achievements will stand solidly, regardless of whether he captures a Daytona 500 title. He has already secured every other significant race, including NASCAR’s All-Star race multiple times, the Coca-Cola 600, the Southern 500, and the Brickyard 400.
“Like, I’m not going to lose sleep if I don’t ever win this race, but I still want to win the race and have that ring and that trophy and be a part of the names that have won it,” Larson expressed. “But again, I think there’s a lot else, a lot more that goes into winning and a lot of luck. It’s not a big deal.”
