The Superspeedway racing circuit poses a tough challenge, even for the most seasoned racers. In a striking parallel to previous racers like Earnhardt Sr., who took 20 attempts to win the Daytona 500, or Tony Stewart that never achieved victory in his 17 trials, Kyle Larson too is facing the Superspeedway jinx. Despite developing a reputation as NASCAR’s contemporary versatility king, with wins on numerous surfaces, the Superspeedway still daunts Larson. Having contested 42 Cup races at Daytona and Talladega without a win, the 2021 Cup Series champion is increasingly transparent about his exasperation with these draft-heavy tracks, especially before the Jack Link’s 500.
Larson has always managed to get himself within striking distance, ending up on the first or second row on the final restart. However, his end position has frequently been around 28th. His blunt frustration was articulated in a recent interview at Talladega, where he admitted to enjoying the atmosphere but not the racing. Larson’s lack of success at super speedways is reflected in his 0-for-22 record at Daytona International Speedway and his 0-for-42 combined record at Daytona and Talladega. Known for his successful streaks in other races, he’s now considered an “underdog” at Talladega, an assessment he willingly accepts.
His struggles are all the more noticeable because his Hendrick Motorsports teammates have found success on the same tracks. For instance, William Byron managed to claim victory at the Daytona 500, and Alex Bowman finished among the top six. Larson, despite being highly skilled, seems stifled by his own drive to conquer these towering racetracks.
Jeff Gordon, the Vice Chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, opines that Larson’s struggle has exceeded beyond the technical and become a mental stumbling block. Kyle Larson’s own son suggested that he might need to put in more effort to improve his performance. Interestingly, Larson’s statistics began to show an improvement in February 2025, at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a track that now races in a similar way to superspeedways. He won Stage 2, led 12 laps, and finished third. This race and performance indicated the start of a potentially brighter future for Larson at super speedways.
Superspeedway Rules Need Revision
Ever since NASCAR introduced the Next Gen car, the races at Daytona, Talladega, and Atlanta have become monotonous. The nature of the races revolves around track position. The only way drivers can surpass positions is on pit road. This leads to the cars behind the leader using less throttle, reducing time spent on pit road. However, this limits the overall racing quality. Drivers like Christopher Bell have called for adjustments in the rules to give the races a fresh and more engaging form. Until NASCAR initiors any major changes to the rules package, unfortunately, racing remains uniform.
