Kyle Larson has done enough racing in his life that it might be equal to or greater than that of some drivers in their 40s. The 2021 Cup champion has long predicted that he likely won't be racing stock cars full time after age 40.
Larson maintained that view this week as he joined "The Kenny Wallace Show" podcast to discuss that topic. He said that despite his love for NASCAR and becoming one of the best at it today, he has long devoted his prime competitive years to reaching other goals.
Wallace asked Larson about when he would think about retiring. Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Clint Bowyer, among others in recent memory, all left Cup racing in their early 40s.
Kevin Harvick called it a career at 48, and Larson noted that in answering Wallace's question.
"It's hard to say," Larson told Wallace. "Sitting here right now, I don't see myself going to 40. But that's not me retiring from racing. I think I'm different than others. Kevin is retiring from full-time racing, but he has a plan to go into the (television) booth."
Larson then talked about how some of the drivers who called it early had other reasons for doing so, or implied that they never intended to be finished at the age they ended their careers at.
"And a lot of these racers, I don't think they meant to be done at 42, but I think they got pushed out of the sport by young drivers coming up who could get paid a lot less than they were making, stuff like that," Larson said.
Larson has said for years that he had goals well outside of racing a stock car, such as racing in a major Sprint Car series and vying for the World of Outlaws championship. He has since started his own major Sprint Car series with Brad Sweet in the High Limit Racing Series.
Even if he leaves behind the NASCAR Cup series before age 40, he won't leave it without being well accomplished. That's the point he was trying to make on Wallace's show.
"There's a lot of stuff that I want to accomplish while I'm still in my prime," Larson said. "I'm 31 right now. I'm going into my 11th season in the Cup series, so I've already been in it for a while. So in my eyes, if I can race for another seven or eight years, I can earn a lot of money, I can set myself up really well, and I can go still be in my prime, hopefully, and go compete for a premier dirt series championship."
His stance could easily change seven, eight, nine years from now, but one thing is clear: Larson doesn't expect to race in the NASCAR Cup Series after age 40.
