Leave it to Kyle Larson to defy the laws of racing physics—not once, but twice—and still come out on top.
On Saturday night, Larson reminded the world why he’s one of the most fearless drivers around. Leading all 40 laps from the pole, he claimed his third career Chili Bowl Nationals A-Feature victory, conquering one of dirt racing’s most challenging events with a blend of skill, luck, and sheer determination.
“It was just a very difficult race track to run the line that I was running,” Larson admitted afterward, as if threading a needle at 100 mph is something anyone could do. “We got a couple of lucky breaks there, but a great race car. Love being back here.”
And lucky breaks, indeed. The drama started on lap 23 when Larson had a close encounter with the lapped cars of Brenham Crouch and Jacob Denney. With nowhere to go, Larson’s car launched off Crouch’s front end and stalled mid-air like a panicked bird.
“When it was getting ready to land, I was like, ‘Please, please, please re-fire,’” Larson said, flashing that grin of someone who knows the racing gods were in his corner. Miraculously, the car re-fired, and thanks to a timely caution, Larson kept the lead.
You’d think one miracle would be enough for the night, but no. With four laps to go, Larson clipped the wall coming out of Turn 4, spinning his car sideways in a way that should’ve handed the lead to someone else. Enter fate again—a loose banner on the front stretch prompted a caution just in time, keeping Larson in front for the restart. From there, he held off challengers to seal the victory.
“It’s really cool,” Larson said, as understated as ever. “It took me 13 years to win that first one. Since then, I’ve learned to stay calm in moments like that. This one was a challenge even running laps by yourself.”
Hendrick Motorsports was well-represented at the Chili Bowl, too. Newly signed driver Corey Day made the A-Feature, finishing 11th. Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon served as the event’s grand marshal, and Alex Bowman had four entries in the field as an owner.
Next up, Larson and the NASCAR crowd will trade dirt for asphalt as the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off with the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 2. Something tells us Larson will find a way to keep things interesting.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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