The World of Outlaws Ironman 55 is no regular sprint car race. Only the most skilled can prove that they’re worthy of the Ironman title after the tough 55–lap-long event. Unsurprisingly, Kyle Larson won it for the third time this Friday and went home with $25,000. The thrilling showdown was challenging even by Larson’s standards and gave him a run for his money.
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Larson qualified for the race at the Federated Auto Parts Raceway in Missouri by winning the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown. He started near the rear of the field in 21st place and had little hope of victory. He had even told a young fan before the start of the race that he didn’t expect to receive winning honors at the end of the duel.
𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐓 𝐏𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐘
Race results from the Ironman 55 for Kyle Larson at I-55 Raceway.#kylelarson #yungmoney #worldofoutlaws #ironman55 pic.twitter.com/cGIx7PW92M
— Larson Land (@LarsonLand) August 4, 2024
However, as the green flag waved Larson began picking off cars one by one and found himself breaking into the top 10 by Lap 8. Ten laps later he broke into the top-5 when a pivotal restart came by. He restarted fifth and climbed to second place quickly. With four laps remaining all that stood between him and victory lane was James McFadden. The race leader took the white flag and cruised towards the finish line when a lapped car got in front of McFadden and slowed him down.
Larson took advantage of the situation and closed down the gap. The drivers drag-raced alongside each other down the straightaway before the Cup Series champion edged his contender by 0.053 seconds. It was Larson’s 33rd series victory of his career and his sixth on the track. He was very much aware of what the win meant.
“I’ve been screaming the whole time”
The first time Larson won the event was back in 2020. He did so again in 2023 and has now successfully defended the title. He told the press after the race, “I’m out of breath. I’ve been screaming the whole time since I got the checkered flag. I can’t say enough about [the team] for working so hard. We’ve been terrible, and really, really bad tonight, too. And they’ve just been working hard, trying to get the car better each time.”
From qualifying through the Last Chance Showdown to winning the title, it was quite the climb for the Hendrick Motorsports superstar. It would be highly debatable if any of the other Cup Series drivers are having an Olympic break as productive as Larson’s. But again, that’s precisely the reason why he is considered to be the best.
With NASCAR slated to return to racing on Sunday, August 11, 2024, at Richmond Raceway, it remains to be seen if Larson can add another win to his tally this year as he tries to clinch the regular season championship.
