The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Redemption tour rolls on for Larson
If Kyle Larson keeps this up, look out. Ever since the 28-year-old was fired from Chip Ganassi Racing last spring after using a racial slur during an iracing event, he’s been a man on a mission, winning over 30 times in his sprint-car last season and setting records along the way.
Last fall, Larson was reinstated by NASCAR after months of sensitivity training, and he was signed by Hendrick Motorsports in October to drive the No. 5 Chevy starting this season.
However, before jumping back into a Cu p car, Larson had one more checkered flag left to take.
First gear
Over the weekend, the Elk Grove, California native picked up where he left off in 2020, winning the prized Chili Bowl Nationals for the second year in a row.
Larson, who was 0-13 in Chili Bowl tries up until last year, led the 55-lap championship event from start to finish, and held off three-time champion Christopher Bell in the closing laps.
“To get two of these feels awesome,” Larson said. “It was a different race than last year, but just thankful to get the chance to even come race here ... it’s the greatest event in the world, and (I’m) very lucky to be a part of it.”
Second gear
Larson led the way in the main event, but there were Cup guys scattered all over the field in various features.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who was also in the main A-feature, finished 7th, while Bell finished 14th. Chase Elliott finished 7th in the F-feature in his first Chili Bowl week, while Kasey Kahne (remember him?) finished 20th in the C-feature after a wreck.
Ryan Newman took home 6th in the G-feature, while Chase Briscoe, who will be replacing Clint Bowyer at Stewart-haas this season, finished 9th in the B-feature.
Trackhouse Racing, which will make its debut at next month’s Daytona 500 with Daniel Suarez driving the No. 99 Chevy, will have one of the most recognizable names in music backing the team. Last week, Grammy award-winning global superstar Pitbull became a co-owner of the team, joining forces with founder and co-owner Justin Marks.
“I’ve been a fan of the NASCAR story since the movie ‘Days of Thunder,’ “said Pitbull. “As soon as I met Justin, (Team President) Ty Norris and Daniel, we were on the same page. They welcomed me aboard, and now we’re going to show the world NASCAR is not only a sport but it’s a culture.”
Fourth gear
This weekend marks the beginning of the 2021 racing season at Daytona International Speedway, with the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 testing weekend bringing the track back to life.
The IMSA haulers arrive on Wednesday, with engines firing for the first time on Friday. There is a pole qualifying race on Sunday that will set the Rolex 24 (Jan. 30-31) field.
If the sports cars don’t do anything for you, there will be plenty of big NASCAR names in the race, including seventime champion Jimmie Johnson, defending Cup champion Chase Elliott, and former Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon.