Every driver has their own way of practicing and getting better at their craft. But sometimes, this also means that there’s a big chance two drivers may not see eye to eye on each other’s methods, which is also the case when it comes to Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson and the idea of practicing in a simulator.
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Because both NASCAR champions have polar opposite takes on the sim.
In an interview earlier this year, Blaney was interviewed by Tom Segura on his podcast. At one point in their conversation, Blaney mentioned how NASCAR scrapped practice, which is a pretty important part of the weekend, but one which was taken care of by practicing on simulators. This prompted the host to ask Blaney if he was big on simulators, to which Blaney replied, “Yeah, I do them before road courses.”
When Segura asked if they were great, Blaney replied, “Each manufacturer has their own simulator facility. And Ford has three now. It’s a big silo room with all these cameras that are 360 degrees and you’re in a full-motion half-racecar.”
“They’re actually really good. They’re good tools to use, especially now.”
On the other side, Kyle Larson had an absolutely opposite take on simulators. Last month, the Hendrick driver was asked about getting in a sim, to which he immediately replied, “I don’t get in the SIM. I don’t ever get in a sim. I had to get in a sim this week for post-Homestead stuff, but no, I don’t ever get in [a sim].”
“It’s just gonna screw me up. I don’t ever get in a sim.”
Kyle Larson is a big fan of the Blaneys
After he lost out on his second Cup title earlier this month in Phoenix to Ryan Blaney, Larson was asked in a press conference about his thoughts on the Team Penske driver being NASCAR’s newest champion and what that would mean for the sport. “I think he’ll be a great champion. I know he’ll be good and he’s gonna be around for a long time. He is young, in his 20s … opportunity to win multiple championships,” Larson said.
“His family has a lot of heritage in motorsports. That’s really special to see that he’s taken that Blaney name to the next level. I’m a huge Blaney fan. Dave and Dale and Ryan, I’ve got to race with a lot of Blaneys and they’re really good.”
Larson added it was “really cool” how Ryan Blaney came from a totally different background to his father and uncle and still took that Blaney name forward and made it “even more legendary” than what it is.
