MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Kyle Larson made changes this season while pursuing his third NASCAR title. He shifted his priorities while putting more of an emphasis on a tool he hadn't previously used that often.
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He doesn't know if it's directly played a role in him being on the cusp of another Cup Series championship, but he knows that it certainly hasn't hurt.
"I mean, not that I purposely didn't dedicate time to the Cup Series in the past, but this year, I've tried to buy in a lot more to the sim," Larson said on Saturday. "I've done that once a week for a while now. We have a new fitness facility at Hendrick Motorsports, so I'm there three or four times a week.
"And then, because of that, you're in the shop more, so you get to be around the guys more. I've raced less dirt races this year, so I'm just in town more and naturally just able to spend more time around the NASCAR stuff."
Larson said that he has enjoyed having more time around the NASCAR world and more time with his family. Honestly, he's just has had more free time overall even while trying to become the first driver since Jimmie Johnson to win back-to-back championships.
Shifting priorities is something that many drivers have done as their lives changed. Getting married, having children, and starting businesses made it so focusing solely on racing was not the only path forward.
They couldn't just spend all day at the shop working on how to get better. They had to adapt and figure out how to remain competitive while balancing everything else in their personal lives.
Larson's crew chief, Cliff Daniels, highlighted Denny Hamlin as a good benchmark. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has continued to perform at a high level after turning 40 and while drastically changing his life. This includes starting a race-winning Cup Series organization, 23XI Racing.
Larson may not necessarily want to race as long as Hamlin, but Daniels believes that the two-time champion will desire to hold himself to a high standard moving forward with the rest of his career.
Daniels has seen firsthand all of the changes made by Larson this season.
"He's done a great job, and that's across many fronts — from his workout regimen to how he meets with the team, the time and effort that he's put into the sim," Daniels said. "And, oh, by the way, he still had a really good sprint car season, too, so he was able to do a lot of great things.
"The way he's applying himself, of course, professionally to his craft, but he's also spent a lot of time with his kids. You know, he's been at Millbridge when they've been racing, been very supportive of them. I'm super proud of the growth that he's shown in all of those areas, and I think it's just part of the journey of him pushing himself to be better and to continue to hone his skills."
