Following his sixth victory of the season, Kyle Larson mentioned in his post-race interview that he went to Cabo before the weekend in Charlotte. When a journalist questioned the timing of his vacation, owing to this being a crucial point in the playoffs, Larson had a ready response to quiet her concerns.
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The No. 5 driver took the break along with his wife and three children. It raised eyebrows among some fans and journalists, who pondered why he would choose leisure over additional simulations and practice sessions for upcoming races. Initially, Larson tackled the queries with a touch of humor, but he soon set the record straight about prioritizing his personal life.
He firmly established boundaries on public commentary about his off-track decisions. He addressed the question about his vacation habits with a dose of perspective, stating, “I do it all the time. So, I don’t know I mean we went to Paris in the middle of the Season. That’s also another country. I mean every vacation I’ve taken this year I think I’ve won the race leading into it.”
“So, I should start taking vacation every week. I shouldn’t have to argue. I shouldn’t have to prove a point. It’s my life and we perform at a high level, so whatever.” Larson currently tops the playoff standings with a comfortable 33-point lead and enters the next round in the most secure position possible.
Larson sees Denny Hamlin as a formidable rival in his quest for a second championship
Even with two playoff victories under his belt, Larson views Hamlin, who hasn’t topped the podium since the Dover race in April, as a major competitor for the 2024 Cup Series title. Speaking candidly in a post-race media session, he identified the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver as a consistent threat every race weekend.
He openly shared his perspective on Hamlin’s capabilities and said, “I still view Denny as probably being the guy that has the speed that we do. He’s just had a run of some crappy luck really for a while. I don’t know how his race played out today. I think the Gibbs cars are just a little off, besides Bell.”
“Especially I think when you look at the next four tracks, Denny could win at any of them. Then I think William too. He’s sneaky good.” Both drivers head to Vegas next with impressive track records. Hamlin boasts an average finish of 12.5 over 25 starts and Larson has an average of 9.3 over 16 starts.
