Kyle Larson Proudly Recalls the Moment Daughter Audrey Captured First Victory at Millbridge Speedway
The roar of engines at Millbridge Speedway carried something extra special Tuesday night. While Kyle Larson prepared for his upcoming playoff battle at Bristol Motor Speedway, his 7-year-old daughter Audrey was making her own racing history just a few hours away in Salisbury, North Carolina. The dirt track victory marked Audrey’s first career win, and watching his little girl cross the finish line first brought out emotions that even the toughest Cup Series competitor couldn’t hide.
A Father’s Pride Shines Through
“It was really cool,” Kyle Larson shared during a Wednesday teleconference, his voice carrying that unmistakable pride every racing dad knows well. “Obviously, you don’t ever forget a first win.”This wasn’t Larson’s first rodeo as a proud father at Millbridge Speedway. He’d already witnessed his son Owen grab his first victory at the same track.
But watching Audrey’s breakthrough moment Tuesday night felt completely different. The 2021 Cup Series champion found himself playing the role many racing parents know all too well. The videotaping dad with his phone out, capturing every precious second of his daughter’s triumph. Sometimes the most important victories happen when you’re not behind the wheel yourself.
The Emotional Moment That Almost Broke a Champion
Kyle Larson might handle 200-mph speeds at places like Daytona and Talladega without breaking a sweat, but Tuesday night tested his emotional limits in ways racing never could.”I had moments, and then when she told me that she was getting ready to cry afterwards in the trailer, that’s probably when I mostly got choked up,” Larson admitted. “I was the video-taping dad on my phone. So maybe if I’d had my phone down and I really was absorbing the moment, I probably would have cried.”
The raw honesty in his words speaks to something deeper than racing. This was a father watching his little girl achieve something she’d worked incredibly hard for. Audrey had been racing for only about a year, but her dedication and competitive fire reminded Larson of someone he knew pretty well, himself.”She’s my only daughter, so she’s got a soft spot in my heart,” Larson said, and you could practically hear the smile in his voice.
Young Talent with Old-School Determination
What makes Audrey’s story even more compelling is her approach to racing. While many kids her age might treat racing as just another fun activity, Audrey attacks it with the intensity of a seasoned competitor. Kyle Larson explained how his daughter approaches the sport: “Audrey, I would say, has more got the competitive mindset.
She wants to watch video, run on the simulator, go to the go-kart track and practice, go testing at Millbridge, race as much as she can.”That dedication sounds familiar to anyone who’s followed Larson’s career. The man who can wheel anything with four wheels from sprint cars to Cup Series machines has clearly passed down more than just his last name to his daughter.
Keeping Racing Fun While Building Champions
The balance between nurturing talent and maintaining childhood joy is something Kyle Larson thinks about constantly. He’s watched fellow Cup Series drivers like Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick invest heavily in their children’s racing careers, but Larson takes a slightly different approach.”We don’t take it quite yet as serious as Kyle or Kevin do,” Larson explained.
“I also want to just keep it fun for them, not burn them out at a young age, which is, I think, easy to do.”The numbers tell an interesting story about the Larson family’s racing priorities. Audrey will run about 30 races this year, while her brother Owen competes in the mid-50s range. For perspective, other young racers like Brexton Busch might run 400 races annually. It’s a measured approach that prioritizes building memories over building a racing resume too quickly.
The Millbridge Speedway Connection
Millbridge Speedway holds a special place in NASCAR family history. The dirt track in Salisbury, North Carolina, has become the proving ground for the children of retired and active NASCAR drivers. There’s something magical about that red clay and the way it shapes future racing stars.
For the Larson family, Millbridge represents more than just another race track. It’s where both Owen and now Audrey have tasted their first victories. It’s where Kyle Larson can step back from being a Cup Series star and just be dad, cheering from the fence like any other proud parent.
Looking Ahead: Bristol and Beyond
While Audrey celebrated her victory Tuesday night, Kyle Larson had his own racing to think about. The Round of 16 elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway waited, where playoff dreams can be made or shattered in 500 laps around the high-banked concrete. However, sometimes the most critical races take place on small dirt tracks with much smaller audiences.
Sometimes the victories that matter most are the ones that make a 7-year-old girl’s eyes light up and bring a Cup Series champion to the edge of tears. Kyle Larson understands this better than most. Racing runs in the family, but so does the wisdom to know what really matters when the checkered flag waves.
