Kyle Larson Is Unmatched in Intensity and Performance Thus Far

Kyle Larson is relentless.

After winning an All-Stars Circuit of Champions 410 Sprint Car race at Waynesfield Raceway Park in Ohio on Wednesday night, Larson drove six hours overnight to Nashville Superspeedway to rendezvous with his Cup Series team.

Was he tired?

"Wouldn’t you be?"

Well yeah, but we’re also not Kyle Larson, a driver who looks more superhuman than mortal these days -- especially after winning his fourth consecutive Cup Series event if counting the non-points All-Star Race too.

All-Star Circuit of Champions points leader Tyler Courtney gave Larson a can of his sponsor, NOS Energy TURBO on Wednesday night and sent the Cup Series star on his way to Central Tennessee, where he led 264 of 300 laps.

That’s his series leading fourth points paying victory this season. For those counting, that’s also 13 wins in 42 starts across NASCAR, Sprint Cars, Midgets and Late Models since January 1.

Team owner Rick Hendrick sometimes struggles to comprehend Larson’s capacity for racing.

"He just eats, sleeps and drinks racing," Hendrick said. "He wants to win every race. I think about him getting tired. But if you win the (Coca-Cola) 600 and win two more races the next week … his stamina is just unbelievable.

"I've never seen anybody more intense who wants to race every minute of every day."

There was a time Hendrick wouldn’t have permitted Larson, or any of his teammates for that matter, to race this much outside of the cozy confines of NASCAR. It was a liability Hendrick wasn’t willing to risk.

Ask Kasey Kahne, who saw his own Sprint Car and Midget schedule reduced while driving the same No. 5 that Larson later inherited. It took Jeff Gordon, the successor to the empire to convince Hendrick that the best possible version of Larson is one that races four times a week.

Much like his performance on the track, Larson just has an extra gear that frequently goes unmatched.

In addition to his four race a week schedule, Larson is also the first driver into the gym when he is home and working out with Chevrolet fitness coordinator Josh Wise. He doesn’t miss a single debrief or meeting with crew chief Cliff Daniels and fulfills every obligation at Hendrick Motorsports.

It’s just sometimes over a videoconference line.

"He treats this like a priority, but he digs and digs, and racing is all he ever thinks about," Hendrick added.