FACT CHECK: Is Kyle Larson’s Claim of Bristol Being His Best NASCAR Track Backed by Stats?

Kyle Larson pretty much challenges for the win in every type of race track that he contends in. However, he named the 0.533-mile oval Bristol Motor Speedway as his particular best in a recent interview. Given that he has put in some amazing performances at the Last Great Colosseum, is it where he has the best numbers?

The 2021 Cup Series champion only has two wins at Bristol. However, he has three each in Michigan and Las Vegas. His best track based on average finish is the Chicagoland Speedway, where he has an average of 6.2 in six events. He has the most number of top 5 finishes in Phoenix (9), the most number of top 10 finishes in Phoenix (13), and the most number of top 20 finishes in Richmond (19).

So, why is it that he has named Bristol as his best? Larson has led 1,351 laps in Bristol and he hasn’t led a higher number of laps in any other track. His No. 5 Camaro appears to run on extra juice every time it takes to the short track. This makes it a viable contention that Bristol is where he is at his best.

He explained his choice to hendrickmotorsports.com, “To me, it’s the closest style to a dirt sprint car race, although it’s a lot longer. Just the intensity, the aggression, the fast-paced style of that race I’m comfortable with. I just love that track. I look forward to going there. I love having two races again on the concrete.”

It is no secret that Larson loves racing on dirt tracks. The Bristol Motor Speedway is known as the world’s fastest half-mile for a reason. Naturally, the driver finds similarities between his dirt racing endeavors and races at Bristol. That said, final stage execution is the one area where he hasn’t been an expert.

It is why he does not have a higher number of wins on the track despite leading such an insane amount of laps. His most recent victory in Bristol came last September in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. It was the third race of the playoffs and Larson prevailed over his teammate Chase Elliott and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace to capture the checkered flag.

His other win at Bristol came in 2021, the year in which he won his first and only Cup Series championship. With NASCAR quickly approaching the 2025 season-opener in Daytona, Larson will soon get more chances to put more Bristol victories on his resume.