NASCAR star Kyle Larson has admitted that part of him roots for one of his major Cup Series rivals.
Larson and Joe Gibbs Racing star Christopher Bell currently occupy the two transfer spots for the Championship 4 going into Sunday's elimination race at Martinsville, with Bell just one point ahead of the Hendrick Motorsports man.
Should one of the four drivers currently below the cut line take the victory on Sunday, the final transfer spot will almost certainly go to one of Bell or Larson, with the latter holding a 36-point advantage to the cut.
Larson's history with Bell stretches all the way back to their days in dirt racing, with the 2021 Cup Series champion crediting their rivalry for helping him improve as a driver.
Larson: Cool to battle with Bell for titles
Asked about his relationship with Bell on a teleconference this week, Larson said: “It’s definitely evolved for sure. I hated seeing him beat me all the time on dirt. Like, it really – not affected me, but it pushed me to get better, which was nice. So I appreciate that as a competitor.
"But yeah, I mean, he was in the same equipment as me and beating me every night for three years, it seemed. And then, I would say once he got to NASCAR, though, I always really like seeing him do well. And I think that’s because I like to root on guys that come from the dirt background and whatnot.
“So, yeah, whenever he wins, I don’t get as upset as when I did when he was winning dirt races.”
He added: “Having us battle for championships in the past together or trying to make the final four like this weekend, I think it’s cool. And I think it says a lot about the dirt racing community and drivers there, outside of just us, too. We’ve had lots of battles, lots of first- and second-place finishes, both in NASCAR now and dirt.”
