Let’s Admit It, Kyle Larson is the Best Driver in the World
Kyle Larson is the 2025 Cup Series champion, and it should be a wake-up call to the racing world to admit the obvious. Kyle Larson is the best driver in the world, as no one has dominated two forms of motorsports as much as he has in dirt and NASCAR.
His Incredible Accomplishments
His list of achievements is numerous. He has won every major dirt racing event there is. Like the Knoxville Nationals three different times and the Chili Bowl three times as well. Plus, the Turkey Night Grand Prix was an incredible 4 times.
Kyle Larson has also won other major dirt races like the Brad Doty Classic, Hoosier Hundred, Hangtown 100, Prairie Dirt Classic, Kings Royal, BC39, and the Hillbilly 100, among others. Plus, he won the 2015 24 Hours of Daytona, too.
And in the Cup, he’s accomplished more than most. His 2 cup titles are only the tip of the iceberg. Most impressively, with his 17 total wins, Kyle Larson has the most out of any driver of the Next Gen era so far.
Also, with the expectation of the Daytona 500, he’s won every crown jewel with three All-Star races, then a Southern 500, a Coca-Cola 600, a Brickyard 400, and the Bristol night race twice. And of course, there’s 2021, speaking of.
The Greatest All-Around year in Motorsports ever?!
In 1978, Geoff Bodine entered 84 races and won 55 of them, all modified races. It’s a world record for most races won in a year that still stands, and Kyle Larson hasn’t broken it either. Kyle Larson’s 2021 season, however, might be even better.
Obviously, there are many arguments for the most impressive single season a racer has ever had. With Max Verstappen’s recent 2023 season, he broke the record for most wins in a season (19) and most wins in a row (10) in F1.
Or Michael Schumacher’s 2004, where he finished every single race on the podium. Or Jeff Gordon’s 2007, where he had 30 top tens and started the year off by getting a podium in the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Hendrick Stint
But Kyle Larson’s case, if nothing else, has a right to be right alongside these. Having a lot to prove after signing with Hendrick following his ultra-controversial suspension. On the NASCAR side, he had 1 of the most dominant seasons in the sport’s history. Winning 10 total races, and that’s only officially.
He also won the All-Star race. An unofficial race that made him the only driver to win 5 races in a row, in any capacity. He also won other notable races, such as the Southern 500, the Coca-Cola 600, the Bristol night race, and, of course, his 1st Cup Series title.
On the dirt side, he followed up his excellent 2020 with an even better 2021. Kyle Larson won both the Chili Bowl and Knoxville, his 1st ever Knoxville win. That’s a big enough deal on its own, but he didn’t stop there.
He’d win 19 dirt races across the whole year while still doing NASCAR, winning the Prairie Dirt Classic, the 37th Kings Royal, and the BC39, and making 2021 1 of the best seasons a race has ever had.
The Double Failed Doubles
Now it’s time to address the elephant in the room. The failed doubles. His 2025 failure has overshadowed how good he did in the 2024 Indy 500. Kyle Larson won the Indianapolis 500 rookie of the year award. Starting on the 5th, he led four laps.
Kyle Larson was competitive until lap 131, when he locked up his right tire on pit road and received a speeding penalty, which dropped him to 18th. And then Charlotte’s rain delay and Indy’s own weather break stopped Kyle Larson from even doing the double.
The following season, Kyle Larson made finger motions to Scott McLaughlin after he spun out before the race started, only for him to make a mistake upshifting that led to Kyle Larson spinning himself out of the Indy 500. People used his comment about being the best driver in the world; he said he was. Well, about that.
Kyle Larson’s 2025 Title
Kyle Larson wasn’t the best driver in 2025, sure, but he was easily 1 of the best drivers in Cup this year. He had the 4th-best average finish at 13.2 and tied Bell for the most top tens in 2025 with 22.
Kyle Larson also had the most top fives with 15 in a 3-way tie with Blaney and Briscoe. Along with his three wins, he has taken up the 4th most wins of anyone in 2025, tied with Byron and Briscoe. Lastly, his average start of 11.4 was the 3rd best of the year.
Final Thoughts
So while in Winston, it would’ve been Bell, no doubt there are point systems out there where Kyle Larson would be the champion, and with how much parity the Next Gen has, there’ll never be an outright best driver, so saying Kyle Larson was is reasonable enough.Thanks a bunch for reading!
