Larson reflects on 2nd chance
PHILADELPHIA » Kyle Larson tried to explain the feeling of his role as the public face of the Urban Youth Racing School when a fan — one of many — wanted a second of the 2021 NASCAR’S champion’s time.
“Yo, Kyle, can I steal a selfie,” he asked.
Larson obliged the request and flashed a smile, just a few seconds out of his day, but a moment years in the making as part of his role with the Philly-based program that creates opportunities in racing for minorities.
Larson might seem an unlikely ambassador in the wake of his 2020 suspension for using a slur during an iracing event that cost him his ride driving for Chip Ganassi. He instead built on his existing relationship with the program and grew it into something deeper: Zoom calls with students, buying race simulators, making personal appearances — all while mending fences with the Black community and spreading the word of UYRS’ mission statement.
“The journey that he was on was extraordinary,” NASCAR President Steve Phelps said.
“We asked him to do a series of things, and he did so much more than that. To have the school embrace him like they did, that true love affair that exists between the school and Kyle, I think is amazing.”
Sure enough, take a look at Larson now: Reigning Cup Series champion, wildly popular with grassroots racing fans, a dedicated mentor at UYRS and hey, he even won an ESPY this week for best driver. Of course, Larson wasn’t on hand to accept the award in Los Angeles — he was out racing Wednesday night on the half-mile dirt track at Port Royal Speedway in Pennsylvania.
The entire Hendrick Motorsports fleet of Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Alex Bowman were among a handful of NASCAR drivers that raced Friday at the UYRS Grand Prix in Philadelphia. The race team with Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon won the fundraising event.
The NASCAR stars teamed with UYRS students and local personalities on a makeshift track on the property of a Philadelphia children’s museum. The race was held on a small slice of city property, but the couple of hundred fans, school buses filled with kids, food trucks and DJ’S cranking out tunes gave the course the party vibe that has made street racing so appealing to NASCAR.