“Never Seen So Many Kids At the Racetrack”: Kyle Larson Hails Australian Crowd After Perth Repeat

Neha Dwivedi | 31/12/2025
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For the second consecutive year, Kyle Larson cashed in on the biggest payday of the High Limit International finale at Perth Motorplex, stamping his authority once again on Australian soil. Larson has already spoken openly about how quickly the venue grew on him and how much he appreciated the reception during last year’s visit.

This time, however, what stood out most was the surge of young fans in the grandstands, a sight he believes reflects exactly what sprint car racing needs to thrive.

Local favorite Dayne Kingshott threw everything he had at the visiting NASCAR stars, igniting the crowd with a spirited challenge. In the end, though, the two-time NASCAR Cup champion proved too steady, steering his way to the checkered flag and pocketing the increased $110,000 winner’s prize.

Reflecting on another trip to the Southern Hemisphere during his conversation with FloRacing, Larson said he felt right at home on the 3/8-mile oval, praising the banking and feeding off the electricity from the stands. Larson stressed the magnitude of the moment, explaining that winning back-to-back races at the venue carried special weight.

As he put it, “It feels great to win again. Awesome to win in front of the amazing crowd, as always in Australia. You guys are some of the best sprint car fans in the world. And it’s always a pleasure to come down here and get to race for you guys. I mean, I’ve never seen so many kids at the racetrack too. There’s hundreds of kids down here.”

He continued, “That’s what we need in racing, and especially sprint car racing…. That’s the Perth Motorplex, just the best racetrack in the world… This place puts on the best racing. And you guys are spoiled to have this backyard.”

 

On track, Larson managed to block Kingshott by half a second to seal the victory, while Hendrick Motorsports driver Corey Day exited early after slapping the wall and suffering a flat tire while battling for the lead. Michael Kofoid completed the podium in third, capping a night defined by relentless momentum swings.

The race mostly looked like a tug-of-war among Larson, Kingshott, Kofoid, and Day, with drivers exploiting both the cushion and the bottom groove in search of an edge. Kingshott and Kofoid swapped the lead in the opening exchanges before a string of cautions scrambled the running order. Kofoid briefly took control following a sharp restart, but Larson swept around the outside to reclaim command.

As the laps wound down, Kingshott sent the home crowd into a frenzy by momentarily grabbing the lead, while Day muscled his way into the fight and leaned hard on Larson. Day’s charge ended after repeated brushes with the wall triggered a right-rear failure following a late caution. That led to a final restart, where Larson absorbed the pressure from Kingshott and kept his composure to close the deal.

Behind the front-runners, Cole Macedo and Luke Oldfield filled out the top five. Attrition played a significant role throughout the field, with several prominent contenders sidelined by incidents and mechanical setbacks.

Post Edited By: Nidhi
Corey Day Hendrick Motorsports High Limit Racing Kyle Larson NASCAR Cup Series Perth Motorplex

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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