NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
FEBRUARY 12, 2025
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes
Q. Can you tell me the difference between you, A.J. and Jimmie Johnson, the three guys in this race that have raced both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500? What are the differences between the two?
KYLE LARSON: The car. Yeah, I think the car. I don’t know. Both atmospheres are really good, for sure. I don’t know. They’re still, like, very different.
I don’t know. I don’t really know. Like, it’s hard to answer that because they’re both the peak of the sport. They just have their differences.
The infield at Indy has the snake pit, but the infield here has all the campers, and that’s really cool. Driver intros sort of similar. The crowd feels closer to you at Indy, at least the grandstand crowd.
The frontstretch at Indy is swarmed with people. But pit road is also similar to that here. But it’s more race fans.
I don’t know. I feel like maybe Indy just has like a little bit more of the kind of history feel to it than the 500, Daytona 500. Other than that, I mean, they’re both great. The atmospheres at both of them were great.
Q. You were the rookie at Indy last year. Helio is the rookie at the Daytona 500 this year. Doesn’t have a week of practice like you did. What are going to be the biggest challenges for him?
KYLE LARSON: I really don’t think he’s going to find it that challenging just because Daytona is Daytona. It’s not hard to make a lap at Daytona. When you’re in the draft, you’re kind of just stuck in the draft. You’re not making moves, getting your way to the front.
It turns into a lot of strategy, which I think he’s very used to in INDYCAR stuff, saving fuel, trying to manage that side of your race.
I think the challenging part potentially is just probably the weaker brakes. You don’t slow down as good as you would in INDYCAR for like a green-flag pit cycle. Maximizing time for the green-flag ins-and-outs, that’s where it’s going to be probably a challenge.
Too, at Indy, it’s so narrow, y’all just follow each other. Here it’s like you’re trying to pass people, braking and stuff. That’s probably where he’ll get a little bit maybe overwhelmed at times. But he’ll get the hang of it. It’s not a big deal. He’ll be fine.
Q. What does the Daytona 500 mean to you?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, it’s cool. It’s a big, big race. Everybody in here wants to win the big one.
I think this is like the last of the big ones that I have left. I think that adds a little bit more to it. Yeah, I’m not sure. Just get your season started, too, so it’s a lot of fun.
Q. You’ve had one of the most successful winters that you’ve ever had. You’ve been one to race as much as you can. Do you feel it’s an advantage that helps you stay sharp coming into the start of the NASCAR season?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I don’t know. I mean, I’ve done it both ways. Last couple years I haven’t done much dirt racing in the off-season. Well, yeah, a couple years ago I didn’t do any really besides Turkey Night I think. Then I’ve had years where I raced a lot, even more than I ran this time.
I don’t know. I think it keeps me sharp, for sure. It’s not a big deal no matter one way or the other. I just like to race. I kind of like to stay in the rhythm of racing.
Obviously I wish the off-season was still longer so I could squeeze in some other racing, but also more time not at the racetrack.
Yeah, it’s fun. I feel like I’m just trying to continue to better my abilities.
Q. With Volusia, is there a fun factor for you here, too?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I’ve never gone to Volusia and qualified well. We’ve qualified decent, but you can’t win from the seventh or eighth row. It was more fun to qualify good, giving ourselves an opportunity to win.
It was a fun week there, the best we’ve ever had at Volusia. Hopefully it can carry over to this week.
Q. Does not having won at Daytona mean the same thing to you it does for other drivers?
KYLE LARSON: I don’t know. I’m not really sure. I don’t know how it feels to them. I would imagine Tony Stewart or Kyle Busch is still racing, but I imagine Tony Stewart who doesn’t have it doesn’t loose sleep.
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.
So 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.
Obviously he would love to have it. That’s probably the same as me. 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.
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.
Q. Is it frustrating as a driver that there is so much that is out of your control?
KYLE LARSON: No, I mean, because it just kind of is what it is. It’s going to be on the schedule every year. We all show up with the same opportunity to win, so…
No, I mean, it’s not frustrating. I think obviously all of us drivers would want to be able to make our own moves, get to the front, there not be a wreck with 25 cars in it.
But it’s just also the style of racing. Like I said, it kind of is what it is. We all understand that when we come to places like Daytona or Talladega.
Q. (No microphone.)
KYLE LARSON: I don’t know. I mean, I think it’s easy to agree with that because I haven’t won. But then I think if you go talk to the guys who consistently run up front at these, they would probably have a different opinion.
I don’t know. I think there’s a lot of strategy that goes into these races now in the Next Gen era that I do enjoy, fuel savings, the green-flag pit stops, working together with your teammates and others, I enjoy that.
I do think, like I said, there’s a group of drivers that are always up front at the ends of these races, so… There is skill, for sure. Whether that’s the driver or it’s just the team or manufacturer as a whole, yeah, I don’t know.
Q. (No microphone.)
KYLE LARSON: I mean, I think it’s definitely a response to that, for sure, to protect them. But I don’t really think you’re ever going to see it come into play in that same exact scenario.
I think it’s definitely going to come into play more when drivers get suspended for making a mistake – not a mistake, but intentionally wrecking somebody or something like that. That’s where you’re going to see the rule come into place.
I’m sure they thought about that, as well. Maybe that’s what they wanted to have, to keep drivers from doing, like right hooking somebody.
But yeah, I don’t think you’re going to see that scenario kind of come into play as what happened last year.
Q. (No microphone.)
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I guess. I don’t know. It’s whatever. Try not to run into any of those issues.
Q. (Question about qualifying importance.)
KYLE LARSON: I don’t know. I mean, I don’t necessarily think that it’s that important. It’s always important to qualify good. I’m not saying it’s not important. I think it’s way more important at a short track to qualify good or an intermediate to qualify good.
When you come here, sure, you qualify bad, you sacrifice some stage one points, but you save enough fuel, then you cycle your way to the front to start the next stage or whenever the case may be. You just kind of chip your way at it. You can get big chunks if you’re saving fuel and executing your green-flag stops. Yeah, you’re probably in position. I’ve seen the Toyota guys do it. They never qualify good. They’re always in contention in the second stage.
Yeah, I don’t think it’s that important.
Q. Is it good to get back into the seat of a Cup car?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, it is. It’s just good to be back into, like, the normal routine or what I feel like is the normal routine of the racing season, getting to your scheduled Monday meetings, Thursday meetings, I know I’m flying out on this day, stuff like that. Being around my teammates, that’s all the stuff that you miss in the off-season. Even though I’m racing, I still just miss the routine of all that.
Yeah, glad to be back going again with all that. Yeah, just look forward to hopefully another successful season.
Q. (Question about Atlanta.)
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, it’s definitely its own unique style. Different even than Daytona or Talladega. It’s just really, like, high intensity. It’s like a hybrid in a way of Daytona and Talladega, as well as maybe an intermediate style track.
Yeah, it’s intense, for sure. It’s unique. Your heart rate gets up.
Q. What makes it intense?
KYLE LARSON: I mean, you’re drafting, you’re on top of each other. You feel like you’re on edge. The lap happens really quick. There’s some bumps. It’s really edgy.
Yeah, I think that’s what makes it feel intense.
Q. This is the first time since ’96 there hasn’t been a major NASCAR event in southern California. How important is it to be in California? How do you get back?
KYLE LARSON: Yes, I do think it’s very important that we get out to that region. I think there’s some of the best race fans, very passionate race fans, in southern California and on the west coast in general.
As far as how you get back? I don’t know. Irwindale just shut down. We don’t go to the Coliseum anymore. They say Fontana is still going to convert. I don’t believe that. I don’t know.
I would love it. I don’t even know what tracks are out there. I would love for us to get back out to southern California.
Q. (No microphone.)
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, I wish we could race in every state, but we can’t, so…
Yeah, I mean, times change. I don’t know. I don’t run the schedule. I don’t run the sport, so… It’s not like NASCAR has forgotten about southern California. I’m sure they’re trying to figure out ways to get back there.
Yeah, I think hopefully in the future we can get back to southern California.
Q. (Question about the Clash.)
KYLE LARSON: Where I set on that? Well, I love that it has moved around. I love that we’re not here racing the Clash. I love that we’ve built a track at the Coliseum. That was awesome, in a market that didn’t know what NASCAR might have been. I also loved going to Bowman Gray and getting back to the roots of our sport.
Yeah, I mean, I think you could say the L.A. sort of idea and move around to different markets and stuff, or I feel like it would be cool if you can revive some other grassroots style tracks that are close to the roots of NASCAR.
I think they’ve done a really great job with the Clash over the last four years or so.
Q. Denny Hamlin was talking about irrational confidence. I talked to him about Chris Gabehart not being his crew chief anymore. He said all drivers have irrational confidence, thinking that you can move and making it, if you didn’t have that, you wouldn’t be able to do that. Do you understand what he’s saying? We think of you guys as having a ton of confidence all the time.
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I don’t know.
Q. Have you always been the kind that little things like a change in a crew chief, losing something on track, does it not affect your confidence? I mean, you’re Kyle Larson.
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, your confidence is always affected whether good results, bad results, changes in teams or personnel. Just uncertainty on that kind of thing.
Chris Gabehart is a phenomenal leader. When you lose a guy like that… I view it as like if Cliff was tomorrow to leave his role, for sure I would be devastated and very worried about my future. But you kind of have to get back after it and also use it as motivation probably.
I think, yeah, Denny is going to have a great year still. JGR has awesome stuff. Yeah, maybe Gabehart in his new role will be able to touch on the team organization as a group and make it overall better than it already was.
Yeah, change is change. There’s always uncertainty until you get racing.
Q. Is it more than the decisions on the track with a talented crew chief? You learn to lean on him, you’re so used to him, it makes you confident because you don’t have to try to figure out things, and that’s the hard part?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know what Denny thinks. Like I said, I can only try to put myself in his shoes.
I feel like Gabehart and Cliff are very similar people, very similar leaders, very similar crew chiefs, especially like how Gabehart leads Denny or led Denny and how Cliff leads me.
Yeah, if I was to lose that, it would be super awkward at first. I’m sure it was just out of nowhere probably to him, as well.
Yeah, but he’s still got a great team. He was super fast at the Clash. He’s going to be just fine.
Q. What about your confidence on superspeedways? Seems like you’re in the mix more frequently.
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, no, I do feel pretty confident when we come to these races. I feel like we have a great feel for the race and kind of how it works out, the strategy. I do feel like we’re up front quite often at the end of them.
We’ve not made it through some of the wrecks or I’ve made a bad move and got shuffled back real late, stuff like that. Talladega we missed a wreck finally, finished third or fourth.
I feel like we have a good understanding of these races. Just got to keep doing what we’ve been doing and hopefully things will work out.
Q. What do you think makes Denny so great here?
KYLE LARSON: He’s just a very calculated racer. I feel like it takes less of that now with the style of racing. I think his ability doesn’t shine maybe quite as much as it used to.
Yeah, he’s just a super smart racer. He stays calm. I feel like it’s not hard for him to stay focused.
Q. Was Jeff Gordon kind of a pioneer, his dirt track background? Are you aware?
KYLE LARSON: Oh, yeah.
Q. What has been his impact?
KYLE LARSON: Well, as far as like yeah, he’s being a pioneer. He was the first real dirt racer I feel like, young too, to make it to NASCAR. Yeah, he definitely paved the way for guys like myself. Especially coming from northern California, my career path really modeled his. Moving from northern California to Indiana, doing USAC stuff, coming to Charlotte. He kind of showed you the way to do it. A lot of people still try to do it that way.
Yeah, very thankful for that even from a long time ago. Now that he’s my boss, it’s really cool.
Q. What kind of respect do you have for Helio Castroneves?
KYLE LARSON: Tons of respect for Helio. He’s won the Indy 500 four times. That’s pretty amazing to put yourself in contention to win four. He’s probably been close to winning a lot of others.
Yeah, he’s just a huge personality. He’s a really big name. So to have him here racing the Daytona 500 in a totally different car and series, it’s pretty awesome.
I hope he does well. I know he will do well. I don’t think it’s going to be too challenging for him. It’s not a big deal racing around here. The strategy is very similar to Indy 500. He’ll be just fine.
Q. Running so much in marquee dirt races as you do, what is the approach like for the Daytona 500 compared to these other races that you’ve won?
KYLE LARSON: I don’t know. I mean, those are all shorter races, so… That’s a lot different.
I don’t know. Your mindset is similar probably in all of them. I feel like as I’ve gained more experience in racing in a lot of races, winning other big races. Your nerves aren’t they very high anymore. You’re pretty focused throughout the whole time.
Yeah, I think age and experience helps more than anything.
Q. (Question about bonus points.)
KYLE LARSON: I don’t even know what you’re talking about.
Q. (No microphone.)
KYLE LARSON: I have no clue. We get extra points now for fastest lap?
Q. Yes.
KYLE LARSON: Sorry, I had no idea. I literally had no idea. I don’t care. Whatever.
Q. (No microphone.)
KYLE LARSON: How it’s going to affect it? I don’t know. I think it’s going to be — I’m not really sure. I’m not like a road racer, so I don’t know how it’s going to affect it.
I think you definitely lose one passing zone. I’m not sure if you gain any with this new section. I haven’t seen it, at least at ground level I haven’t seen it. Then you’re probably losing a heavy braking zone into whatever that is, 12.
But you get to go through turn one more often, stuff like that. So I think you do gain some. But I don’t know. I think it’s better for the crowd. They get to see us more. That’s important.
Q. Season opener at Las Vegas, are you looking forward to increasing the level of Cup drivers that might be interested in joining you?
KYLE LARSON: I haven’t heard of any Cup guys running. Regardless, I think ticket sales sound like they’re really good. I think there’s going to be a big field of cars, too, which I’m pumped about because I wasn’t sure how that would be. I think a lot of California teams, west coast teams are coming, even teams from the Midwest.
Should be really good. Hopefully the track prep is right and we can put on some good racing for dirt fans and hopefully some NASCAR fans coming over, as well.
Q. Christopher Bell…
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, he’ll be fast. If he is in the 69K, he will be really fast. He should win a lot of races in that thing. That car is really fast.
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