Why Kyle Larson Chooses to Sacrifice Time Spent With His Family to Run Races Throughout the Week

By the time most race car drivers hit their early-to-mid 40s, their racing careers are just about over. NASCAR star Kyle Larson knows he has only a finite amount of time in his racing career. That’s why Larson races multiple times per week, not just in NASCAR Cup, but sprint cars as well.

Doing so can be worthwhile when it comes to making money, but it also comes at a price. It significantly cuts into the time Larson can spend with his family.

At 32 years old, Larson likely has about 10 years before he hangs up his steering wheel for good. But there’s a good reason why he races frequently, be it in Cup full-time, Xfinity and Trucks on occasion, and of course sprint cars.

“I wish there was more days in the week or less races sometimes for me to run,” Larson told SpeedFreaks. “It’s hard to answer it because, yes, I wish I was there (with his family), but I also don’t want to miss out on racing either.

“I feel like right now I’m young and this is my prime and I’m trying to take advantage of that and with that does take a lot of sacrifice away from other things.

“But my family understands that I want to be the best race car driver I can be, as well as a father and parent. But this is what pays the bills and if I want to set them up for their lives and hopefully their children’s lives, I need to work my a** right now, race and build my brand and hopefully make a bunch of money.” 

It is evident that Kyle Larson sees the bigger picture of life ahead of him.

For Larson, Victory Lane is a family affair

Because he is away from home so much, in a sense, Larson compromises with his family. He takes his wife and kids on the road with him as much as he can, particularly during NASCAR Cup weekends. And when his family accompanies him, Larson makes sure that they take part and enjoy celebrating his wins.

Many drivers have been known to keep their families on the sidelines during celebrations. But that’s not the case with Larson. He wants his family front and center in Victory Lane, so it’s not just him lifting the trophy — they share in the moment too.

Larson said, “I think it’s really cool and I’m glad that my team and NASCAR allows them to celebrate with us because I sacrifice a lot of time away from them to live out this career, this love that I have for racing.

“I miss out a lot of time with them, so when they’re at the racetrack and I win, it means a lot to me to celebrate with them and build those memories and enjoy it.” After all, is a win really a win if you can’t get your folks to join in on the fun?