Kyle Larson's Knoxville Nationals: The Debate, The Wins & What-Ifs

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Kyle Larson has dominated Knoxville Nationals week, earned the pole for the biggest Sprint Car race in the world — and probably won’t be there to start it.

That potentiality has been known when the schedules were revealed this time year, with the NASCAR Cup race at Richmond Raceway awaiting him Saturday night. What’s happened since has only made his unusual circumstances more fascinating.

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Larson has gone a perfect 3-for-3 during Southern Iowa Speedweek, winning Sunday’s Capitani Classic at Knoxville Raceway, Monday’s Front Row Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway and Thursday’s Nationals preliminary feature.

And yet, his week has created almost as much discussion about what could happen — and what should happen — as what he’s accomplished on the racetrack.

Should Larson have been allowed to compete knowing he’s expected to miss Saturday? Is there actually a realistic path from Richmond to Knoxville if weather intervenes? And if Larson indeed isn’t there, who does he believe might take advantage?

There’s plenty to unpack from one of the more unusual weeks in recent Knoxville Nationals history.

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Why Is Larson Racing Knoxville?

It's simple to Larson: His Paul Silva-owned team races only about a quarter as often as a full-time operation.

Any races they can squeeze in together, they’re going to run. Larson also feels he owes Silva and general mechanic Trevor Canales, one of his best friends, every opportunity at a worthwhile payday.

“If fans and competitors and teams thought about it from that side, I think they would have a little bit of grace for our team. But I also see it from their perspective as well,” Larson said on FloRacing’s Knoxville Nationals prerace show Wednesday. “Rico was that same way, whatever year that was (in 2015). There seemed, from what I remember, a lot less of an uproar.

“But, no, like, I see both sides, so I get it. But as long as the rule is the way it is right now, I mean, we’re gonna be here racing. Why wouldn’t anybody?”

Larson's delivered Silva and his team $46,000 in race winnings, plus another pending $15,000 should Canales start-and-park the No. 57 in Saturday’s finale. Canales did the same for Abreu in 2015 when NASCAR commitments kept him from the A-main.

“This is what Paul does for a living, and Trevor. Like I said, anytime we get the chance to race, we try to," Larson said Thursday. "This event pays a lot — the prelim night and to lock into the feature. It goes a long way for anybody, our team as well."

The Debate: Should Larson Be Allowed To Race?

The debate has largely existed among outsiders rather than competitors: Should Larson be allowed to race Nationals preliminaries knowing NASCAR obligations are expected to keep him from Saturday’s finale?

Two of Sprint Car racing’s longest-tenured reporters largely take no issue. T.J. Buffenbarger of TJSlideways.com noted that Silva makes his living owning the No. 57, while Jeremy Elliott of SprintCarUnlimited.com called the notion that Larson is taking someone else’s spot “a nothing burger.”

“Everybody competed on the same playing field, and the easy answer is to beat him,” Elliott said Thursday on his 90 at 9 morning show. “That’s an important point.”

I tend to agree. Everyone knew the circumstances, everyone competed under the same rules and it’s not entirely impossible Larson still takes the green Saturday.

Larson isn’t particularly interested in debating the rule, either.

“If they want to change the rule, that’s totally fine,” Larson said Wednesday. “Like, we don’t care. Do whatever they gotta do, really.”

What Would It Take For Larson To Race Nationals Finale?

Even with Friday’s Hard Knox Night pushed to Saturday morning and rain potentially making for further delays, the math still doesn’t appear to work in Larson’s favor if the finale runs Saturday.

Last year’s Knoxville Nationals driver introductions began shortly before 8:30 p.m. CT, with the checkered flag falling around 9:15. Saturday’s NASCAR Cup race at Richmond is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET start.

The 2025 Richmond race lasted 3 hours, 11 minutes, putting Larson’s departure sometime after 10 p.m. ET before factoring in postrace logistics.

A flight from Richmond to Knoxville takes roughly 2 to 2.5 hours. Even under an optimistic timeline, Larson likely wouldn’t arrive until around midnight CT. The Nationals would need to be delayed several hours beyond its normal conclusion, not merely an hour or two, and more than likely postponed altogether to Sunday.

“Right now, there’s a chance of rain in the afternoon. Just with how humid it is, I think anything can pop up,” Larson said Wednesday. “So, I mean, really, if you get a few-hour delay, I mean, there’s a window of time where I could get here, you know? That’s the hope anyways. It’s just a storyline.”

“I'll be checking my weather app with my fingers crossed," he added Thursday.

If the weather doesn’t cooperate, Larson has made peace with missing the finale.

“It doesn’t kill me. I haven’t lost sleep over it since knowing the schedule probably about a year now," Larson said. "But yeah, for me, honestly, I really feel fortunate and lucky to be able to run the Knoxville Nationals as long as I have and not have a conflict. How many Knoxville Nationals have I run as a Cup Series driver? So, to take this long to have a conflict is something I feel happy and grateful for.”

Larson has competed in every Knoxville Nationals since 2016, his third full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series with Chip Ganassi Racing. This year marks the first time during that stretch his Cup schedule has directly conflicted with the Nationals.

How Historic Is Larson’s 3-for-3 Knoxville Week?

David Gravel, Steve Kinser and Brad Sweet are the only other drivers to win three times during Knoxville Nationals week.

Kinser did so in 1981, winning Thursday’s prelim, Friday’s Race of States and Saturday’s finale. Sweet matched the feat in 2018 with victories in the Capitani Classic, Thursday’s prelim and Nationals finale, while Gravel followed the same path in ’19.

According to historical records, no driver has ever won four times during Nationals week — even when including the Front Row Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway, which debuted in 1996.

Larson went 3-for-3 in 2024, too, winning the Front Row Challenge, his Nationals prelim and Saturday’s finale, though he couldn’t compete in that year’s Capitani Classic.

So how does this week compare to his Nationals-winning years of 2021, ’23 and ’24? Larson still considers 2024 the best he’s felt at Knoxville, though Thursday’s charge from eighth reminded him of that run.

“I can’t tell you the years, but I’ve felt good — if not better — at times. Like, hit the bottom easier and things like that. I feel like, since we’ve gone to these tires the last few years, it’s really, really hard to be smooth,” Larson said. “I’ve been more comfortable and fast at times. Whatever year that was we had the black car (in ’24), I feel like we were super good.

“I feel like we were super good that year, whereas the other years were good as well. Yeah, I don’t know. Tonight, though, felt really good and reminded me of the black car and how I felt up on the cushion and stuff.”

Who Does Larson Think Wins Saturday?

If Larson has to watch Saturday’s Knoxville Nationals from afar, there are a few contenders he’ll be watching closely.

“Sheldon (Haudenschild) obviously looked really good last night," Larson said of Wednesday's prelim winner. "He’s been one of the best cars all year."

Larson also pointed to Buddy Kofoid, who starts fifth amid a 10-win campaign that's third-most in the country, as someone who could be difficult to beat with track position aboard his Toyota-powered No. 83 Roth Motorsports entry.

“I think if you put Buddy out there in clean air, he’d be hard (to beat)," Larson said. "If you put anybody in clean air, I think it’d be hard.”

But if Larson had his choice, he’d like to see James McFadden finally win the Nationals.

“I’d love to see James (McFadden) win. He’s kind of a local team, a local California team," Larson said. "The Tarltons have done a lot for me through the Covid year. So I would be pulling for him. Any of those guys, it’d be their first Knoxville Nationals.”

Larson, though, won’t mind being a fan if he can’t compete.

“I enjoy being a fan of Sprint Car racing. Whenever I’ve been at a racetrack or anything like that, I’m not missing driving, as weird as that sounds. Like, I love watching it,” Larson said Thursday. “I almost have as much fun watching as I do racing. Yeah, I’ve got friends out in the field I’ll be cheering for — High Limit drivers I’ll be cheering for. Hopefully, I’ll see somebody win a massive race.”

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