HOMESTEAD, Fla. — NASCAR Cup Series drivers still have an unwavering desire to beat Kyle Larson, but they can't help but marvel after watching him win yet another championship.
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At this point, they are just amazed at what the Hendrick Motorsports driver continues to pull off behind the wheel of the No. 5 Chevrolet.
"He's this generation's Jimmie (Johnson), right," Denny Hamlin said on pit road after Larson clinched his third title. "I think that's the only way you can kind of describe it.
"When it comes to playoff time, they perform their best, and that's something that Jimmie used to do, and Jimmie was a guy who could get tons of speed out of the car. Kyle is the same way. You could argue even more speed.
"There is a little bit more variance in the results because of how hard he pushes it, but he reaps the benefits because he gets lots of wins. He's certainly going to be winning championships and races well beyond when I'm gone from here."
You can't get any closer than this. pic.twitter.com/on6gXdu7nV
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 9, 2026
Larson has always had speed, regardless of team. He used to challenge Jeff Gordon for wins in 2013, 2014, and 2015 while driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. He won races in the Truck Series, O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, and Cup Series.
He put on jaw-dropping battles with Kyle Busch and the other Cup Series champions.
Yet, it's how he has used this speed over the years that has impressed them. Larson, much like Tony Stewart before him, used his dirt racing background to approach races in a wildly different manner. He did things that the "traditional" asphalt racers didn't.
"He revolutionized running the wall," race-winner Ryan Blaney said. "I don't know if anyone knows that.
"Go look up when Kyle Larson came into the Cup Series in like '14 or even before — was then the Nationwide Series — nobody ran the fence like that. Everyone would kind of go in the middle, fade up to the top, come off of it.
"Kyle was one of the first guys I've ever seen just park it entering, two inches off the wall, and not getting two inches off the wall the whole way. That was a talent like I'd never seen before personally."
Little room for error for Larson driving right next to the wall. #NASCARCupSeriesChampionship | #NASCAR🟩 pic.twitter.com/y8CBkGTCcG
— JJ (@TomcatNASCAR_2) November 8, 2026
Of course, Larson's speed and unique style hasn't always translated to race wins. He hit the wall countless times throughout his career while pushing for extra speed or pulling slide jobs. This created memorable finishes at times but also damaged his race car.
Sometimes, the damage opened up opportunities for other drivers to push forward and score the all-important win. More recently, however, hitting the wall has not been Larson's kryptonite.
"He's proven many times he's freaking talented, right," Joey Logano said on Friday. "I mean, the kid's so good. So yeah, he's really coming to his own.
"You kind of remember when he first started. He was always fast, especially here in Homestead, and then he'd hit the wall. So you weren't worried about it. Like he passed you, (and you'd go), 'Whatever. He'll hit the wall in a few, (get) a flat tire.' And he did.
"He doesn't hit the wall anymore. That sucks (laughs)."
To Logano's point, Larson even had one of these moments on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway after clinching the championship.
He received the go-ahead from team owner Rick Hendrick, so he began pushing the No. 5 while racing against the outside wall in the second stage.
Larson hit the wall multiple times, which led to a flat tire and an unexpected trip down pit road. Yet, he still recovered to finish 12th. No harm, no foul for the reigning and defending series champion.
"Sometimes you're going to step over the edge. Kyle is not afraid to do that," Jeff Gordon said. "But he learns from it and pulls it back. I mean, I'm still amazed."
