Kyle Larson is highly regarded for the simple reason that he can adapt to multiple racing disciplines. Apart from driving a Cup car full-time as his day job, he is also regularly seen behind the wheel of a sprint car, not to mention his entry into the Indy 500 as well.
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So naturally, his racing schedule is as hectic as it can get. But why does he push himself so hard? The urge to create a legacy for himself is one reason. But another purpose is to make up for the lack of practice before Cup Series races.
NASCAR has significantly reduced practice time before races over the past few years. Drivers today get 20 minutes on the track before the green flag is waved and racing starts. Some weekends do not feature practice at all. Larson uses the races outside NASCAR to balance this out.
He said in an interview at the NASCAR Annual Awards Banquet, “I think with the way that the NASCAR schedule has been the last handful years with very limited practice… I think it’s very important to stay behind the wheel. Finally, I think other owners are realizing that as well and allowing their drivers to go race more often. Because 20 minutes is not enough time.”
The Elk Grove, California native pointed out Coach Gibbs who recently allowed his drivers to venture outside the Cup Series, specifically within the bustling dirt racing scene.
Larson also noted that races in the offseason helped him remain fresh and stay competitive. The #5 Chevrolet driver opined on how he can ultimately implement the different skill sets he acquires from racing different machinery during his time in the Cup Series.
How other NASCAR drivers cope with limited practice
Ryan Blaney spoke earlier this year about how he and other drivers manage with just 20 minutes of practice time despite not racing in other series as Larson does. He mentioned that practicing on the simulator and studying data from previous races are the two routes to go by.
Blaney is someone who chooses the latter. The #12 driver said, “Everyone’s a little different. Some guys do SIM, other guys watch races and look at data from last year. I’m more kind of a data guy than a SIM guy. But everyone’s a little different.” The cost of these preparations land rather heavily on team owners.
This could be one of the reasons why Larson thinks team owners are better off letting their drivers cross the gates occasionally to be better prepared for their seasons in a cost-effective manner.
After all, the onus of data logging and simulator time rests with the manufacturers. Teams have to pay a hefty sum for that information, which incidentally is directly proportional to their on-track performance.
