NASCAR Take: Can Kyle Larson Join Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart in Historic List in 2024?

Conquering the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Oval is a challenge that few drivers live up to. Kyle Larson did so for the first time in his career by winning the Brickyard 400 last Sunday. While the victory puts him at the top of the points table and has him edging past Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the all-time wins list, it also prophesies one other thing: The Cup Series championship.

Jeff Gordon won at the Oval in 1998 and 2001. He ended up winning the title in both these years. Jimmie Johnson won back-to-back races at the Oval in 2008 and 2009. He also won back-to-back championships concurrently. Likewise, Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch won at the track in 2005 and 2015, respectively. You guessed it right. They were champions in those years.

Dale Jarrett (1999) and Bobby Labonte (2000) were in on the trend as well. Larson is currently the prime favorite to win the 2024 championship. He is leading the driver standings despite missing a race and is in red-hot form. He will be joining this exclusive list of drivers who won at the Indianapolis Oval and went on to be champions the same year, should he end up being crowned.

Larson currently holds a ten-point lead over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott in the points table. He will return to race at Richmond following the two-week break that NASCAR has taken for the Olympics. He finished in third place when he raced at the track earlier this year. Another victory in the regular season should all but settle him as the regular season champion.

Kyle Larson has one more job left to do at the Brickyard

Larson is without a doubt the most versatile driver in motorsports right now. He races sprint cars, stock cars, late models, open-wheel cars, and whatnot. The more impressive fact is that he finds success in them all.

A chance to prove his mettle in diverse racing slipped through his fingers during a weather-toppled day at the Indianapolis Oval back in May and he failed to score high in his debut Indy 500. While the disappointment left him questioning the probability of participating in the event again, the joy of winning the Brickyard 400 appears to have infused fresh energy.

He asked the Hoosier crowd on Sunday, “I love you, Indiana fans. I know you guys love me, too. How about we come back next May and try to kiss these bricks in an IndyCar?” His words confirm that the gears are already in motion for his return.