Some of the best race car drivers in the world were gearing up for the 74th edition of the Indianapolis 500 in 1980. Waddling through the star cast field, a ladybug from the track grounds landed on Johnny Rutherford. Noting it, the driver told his crew that everyone else was going to be racing for second and that he would end up as the winner. At the end of the day, he became a three-time Indy 500 champion.
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Mike Larson got a hold of this story in an article days later. He then decided that if his son ever got into racing, he’d include the image of a ladybug in the paint scheme of his cars. And now, more than four decades later, Kyle Larson speeds in the tracks of NASCAR with a ladybug on his cars, souvenirs, and t-shirts. The lucky charm’s effect can no longer be denied.
Larson says in an interview with Valvoline, “Johnny Rutherford. He said a ladybug had landed on him – and he must have had a superstition for ladybugs – he told his mechanics that everybody was racing for second place that day and he ultimately went on to win. So my dad read that article and started putting a ladybug sticker on my race car throughout my whole career.”
does the trick again https://t.co/ycB2TufMUO
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) January 29, 2024
So, what has the ladybug done for Larson? A Cup Series championship, 27 wins in the top tier, three crown jewel race wins, status as one of the best drivers of the current generation, and whatnot. Knowing that he was a part of the inspiration behind this exemplary career is something that fills Rutherford with joy. He expressed the same when he met the Larsons a few years back.
He met them by chance during the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa and shared a laugh over the origin story. The good luck mascot continues its duties with the Cup Series star after getting off the shoulders of Lonestar J.R. Larson is currently the points leader in the 2024 Cup Series season and is one of the top favorites to lift the championship. He has already secured four race wins.
His sights will be set on winning the regular season championship and entering the playoffs on a strong note. Away from NASCAR, he made history during the Olympic break by winning his second consecutive Knoxville Nationals title. It was his third time winning the title in the past four years. As he continues breaking age-old records in every racing discipline, the ladybug accompanies him loyally.
