DIRT: The Last Great American Sport (Episode 5) | Sponsored by NOS Energy Drink | Kyle Larson Series

Kyle Larson is suspended indefinitely I'm a full-time dirt guy again this is what I'm gonna do the rest of my life I didn't know what to expect Larson went 7-3 that kind of started the domination we have never seen a single season like that in the history of auto racing dude Championship who do you guys play again they play the same team tomorrow you played them today no who do you play tomorrow [Music] dad's slow still playing dad's gonna run a b main tonight yep do you think he races too much yeah he races too much oh [Music] because it is a lot on our family it's overwhelming for me I get burnt out very easily this year I had like 140 races on my schedule you get a little burnout at times because I don't get to experience much Millbridge is super important in our lives right now because it's going to be Owen's childhood track race fans from all over the United States know about and want to come visit when they're in North Carolina five about one child had two nights of racing at Millbridge and Owen kept saying dad you gotta come watch my game you gotta come watch my game Owen started baseball and racing on his own so it's hard to juggle all of that and be with Kyle it was a championship [Music] can't go I can't go I think that really hurt Kyle's heart so you guys made it to the finals yep tomorrow night awesome to go back you know he's in his prime so I always have to remind myself that he can't sustain that forever so I want him to be able to live out his dream like he always has wanted to [Music] it's September in Indiana and All Eyes in the dirt racing world are on the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway where the bc39 is about to kick off a race held in honor of the late Brian Clawson Kyle Larson won the BC 39 in 2021 and is striving to repeat history this year but there's someone else at the track that's looking to give him a run for his money pulling in to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway today is heat race day at the BC 39 you sack midgets they built a dirt track in the infield of the speedway a little more Rubble strip I can't help it I wanna go fast the town is called Speedway you know and it's because of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and there's checkered Flags everywhere Indy is just huge to me so I go right over to the Pagoda for no reason just because I can you know it's the greatest facility in racing I said it headed over to the driver's meeting and they have it over here in the office right next to Pagoda it's pretty cool historic place for obvious reasons but they filled it up to feeling like a really big win getting that coin made with your picture on it and giving it to all the race teams which it makes you feel like you want a special Race So this coin went to each of the 89 drivers and each of the owners of the team so we wanted to present you with the first one off the batch from Tim and the Clawson family and from everybody here at the speedway yeah thanks no I I actually didn't know about this so that's pretty cool before I forget so camera crew following me today big camera crew I don't know really what it's about but uh pretty flattered that flow chose me to do this uh whatever they're doing so as always you know I'm complaining about my left first shock second row row two oh yeah that's a good row that's a good road there's a lot of rows here Row three I'm getting moved back I'm getting moved back Row three I mean anytime you show up to the period you suck race you know you're gonna have to compete against buddy Justin Grant and teamez yay that was fast and painless any race that I watch and he's not on the podium I just you know shut my iPad off and move on but if team has wins I keep it up to watch those interviews because they're hilarious Thomas I'm not gonna forget it and I'm sure Macintosh ain't gonna because uh I think the pressure got to him there didn't it foreign [Music] ER he's the biggest character in racing I feel like absolutely teamez is a character and I always tell my friends like I'm not team as I'm Thomas but at the track I'm I'm team is that's what I had to do to beat him and that's what I did to beat him the Thomas does come out and that's the real serious one that switch gets turned off and here comes tmez Thomas doesn't come out too often at the racetrack though and I think that's teamass theory on Happy [Music] doesn't care what other people think whether you like it or don't like it that's Thomas one word to describe him is wild is a great way to describe him drifting cars [Music] is one wheel that he cruises around the pit on I'm gonna try not to fall off this thing just him behind the wheel of a race car down the back straight away for the final time end of three no shoot out of four it's a breath of fresh air Thomas best car how do I look to y'all now I feel like he's the same guy you know on this side of the camera as he has on the back side of the camera where did that come from like you know just uh it's not what I want I want to say the right things I want to say all the right things for all you people out there but I just say what I say because I'm a I'm an emotional person I guess when somebody looks at me funny and it pisses me off I stand on the loud pedal you know and then when I get out of the out of the car I talk about it like yeah you pissed me off and you know what How You Like Me Now I stand on the gas as hard as I can if you piss me off [Music] all right what do you want to do it again anyhow yeah I know I know this thing's um backwards so no I just I had it on and that's off though right yeah yeah okay so the other car I was in it was the opposite and yeah that's that is actually open right there that's shut you should be rich right there that should be the rich side is he right yep they only go on one way and I always I always forget which way they go yeah that's that's that's rich that's rich okay well then we'll leave it there okay we'll take two we are one of the few teams in Racing that hire drivers my drivers right now are Thomas meseral and Justin Grant both of them have been really good for our team I wouldn't be here if I didn't think we could win and that without them we are not able to win both Thomas and Justin come up to the shop it's about a two hour drive for both of them to come up here cruise down to the shop I've got a really great Chief mechanic here who does majority of the work they work with Lacey I've always wanted to bring somebody up in the ranks as a crew chief at the racetrack she's on Justin's car I trust her on a daily and a nightly basis to prepare a race car that I'm gonna put my life on the line in should we wait for the cop to leave yeah probably let me uh get tighten the wheels down too helps Thomas was the first race car driver that trusted me to work on his cars but that she woman strength to it he had no second doubts with me that was a big turning point for me I think you want to tear up why am I tearing up I'm not gonna cry on the camera everybody's gonna know I'm soft [Music] I actually had no clue about Open Wheel racing before I actually started when they first like invited me to the track I just went there to watch I immediately fell in love with it I think it was the excitement the back and forth between the drivers not knowing if somebody was going to wreck around this turn or not night one of the bc39 features the Stoops Pursuit a unique elimination style exhibition race that's a blast for the fans but not always as much fun for the drivers so the Stoops race you pretty much got to go forward if you get past every five laps they have a yellow and they kick out whoever got passed and the field shrinks and shrinks and shrinks so you want to just kind of like move your way forward if you can or just maintain but as soon as you go dead on the track you're in the infield it's great for the fans great for the fans car owners because a lot of cars get tore up because they put on a great show the one year we had Michael Pickens driving for us with Kyle Larson and Justin Grant it was the most entertaining race I'd ever seen [Music] there's only three of us left in the race too is Michael Pickens Justin Grant myself well I sit back to the inside down in turn number three he'll retake the league nothing Grant was kind of waiting in the wings Michael and I were racing really hard and Crossing each other over sliding each other but then we all wrecked on the last lap down the back straight away Larson stops Grant flips keeps going what did we just see it was crazy fun most exciting five lap shootout ever there's usually a wreck the very first Corner every year so I'm telling myself that I know there's gonna be a wreck [Music] and just tiptoe through it let's miss this rack and hopefully wipe out a lot of good cars and go race it's time to drop the hammock got my eyes peeled wide open waiting for this rack and sure enough there it is [Music] foreign [Music] flag and boom if you're involved in the caution you are done I was done before my race ever started that that night Justin grantinette teamez Thomas meserals on the outside I still pissed off I said get me out of here I am not gonna watch this race again I didn't even get to like I got one straight away yeah yeah chip so I think the Gear's all right but I just I need more you know at least it took out Larson too can't have them win everything you know I was obviously trying to do everything I could to get back into NASCAR people are doubting whether or not he should get reinstated the fact of the matter is we know people cannot consistently perform in a manner that is inconsistent with who they really are his body of work suggests that he's really the real deal Tony sewer is trying to convince people on his team to hire me when the stuff with Tony's team wasn't gonna work out I was like okay like I'm just gonna commit to running sprint cars the rest of my life and go in a world Outlaw championship foreign news this afternoon Kyle Larson has been reinstated by NASCAR Hendrick Motorsports announced Wednesday that the team has signed Kyle Larson to a multi-year contract to drive the number five Chevrolet beginning in 2021. here is a statement from Nascar Nascar continues to prioritize diversity and inclusion across our sport Kyle Larson has fulfilled the requirements set by NASCAR and has taken several voluntary measures to better educate himself so that he can use his platform to help bridge The Divide in our country how is it in today's society do you capture Redemption it's definitely going to take a lot longer than just these six months to uh you really get people to forgive me and get to see who I really am I think that people want you to succeed I think people want you to come out of this changed foreign [Applause] Jeff was ever going to stop talking I know man you get me going prior to him coming to Hendrick Motorsports he thought oh Rick Hendrick Jeff Gore and then you know they they only want me to drive a cup car I want to know when you finally got convinced that we wanted you to be here but we wanted you to be here and get to drive all those other cars too well I don't think that was a false thought maybe I mean we may have come around a little bit so um no I I was I was very very surprised and I'm still surprised that I get to race as much as you guys let me and it's awesome that our uh our bosses let us go have some fun [Music] why do we have that because I was late to staging that's what they gave it to you yeah yep yay when you guys start acting bad I'm just gonna blow it y'all are crazy [Music] let's try and go fast she ran I think a 101 that time but you gotta run wide open in those Corners I told you to yeah remember wide open you don't hammer down I'm Gonna Bump you okay I want to see you spin out yeah I went on accident on exit though here come on if you spin out on Entry though that's not good you can't see that's why we should just take your head sock off okay all right go ahead [Music] I do not think I'm a good coach I wouldn't say that I am either because I'm so competitive that I'm just like what are you doing out there so I have to sit in the stands but yeah no he's not either because Kyle tries to explain things to him he says like open your entry up explain what you mean by open your entry I don't even know what that means so he's working on it when you worked with your son Owen um and his racing is there anything from that you take away and say that that could actually help me I don't think so Owen is starting to understand what famous means I think when we go places and people recognize Kyle or recognize Owen honestly he thinks he's more famous than me he says all the time like oh Dad I'm more famous than you my name is Owen and I race and play baseball and my and I'm seven so next time we go out please I'm gonna turn the camera on and I want you I want to see you go wide open in this corner we're gonna have to get through it though [Music] I'm not nervous at all when Owen gets in the car yeah foreign if you saw me standing on the fence watching their racing I've got a smile on my face most of the time oh my gosh you're gonna get whipped well don't break it [Music] [Music] thank you when Owen started racing it was 2020 2021 so those are the years that Kyle was just knocking out wins week after week and so Owen would go to race and he'd finish last and he'd come in and be like Dad how come I didn't win [Music] they don't understand that it doesn't come that easy but it does for Kyle but Owen just didn't understand why I didn't come that easy for himself I kind of fear what they might go through trying to come up as Racers especially Owen because he's a boy if he continues to race he's gonna finally start tuning in that people are comparing him to his dad or his Uncle Brad man that's going to be something very very hard to live up to so I was turning yeah did you run into them I don't feel like he has to be that kid that follows in his dad's footsteps and maybe has all that pressure his whole life I don't know that he's the person that can handle that but um if he wants to then you know we'll give him the opportunity fear for Owen uh just not getting the same kind of opportunities or he could do it anonymously and quietly and and develop I don't know that he'll have that opportunity we are underway as I don't know which makes it back that's part of it sometimes right tonight here they are three cars battling for the final trip to be able to have the group of friends and the little boys and girls running around everywhere and playing those are the memories I mean Kyle still talks about those memories playing tag or playing hide and seek playing football that's all stuff that like Owen gets to experience now at Millbridge and it's somewhere where our kids can grow up Racing for a long time [Music] hey we gotta go they're pushing them out coffee cup team has down the inside will pick off the 71 East he goes to second with a nice little delicate move races to the cushion for the seven X bar sets these Sykes on is a 19 M car up front watching river tear off coming out turn number two and get ready to go to business Mitchell picks up the win team as will go second Mariah bring a kill for Brian wiedeman your top five Thomas miserable he was coming he was coming didn't get there in time though much to his Chagrin you know I really wanted to win that heat race but uh you know the 19 was fast you know so I couldn't quite catch him so we're making some adjustments on the car and we're gonna get this thing up front can I hold the mic George's showed up with a microphone that is for Tina's TV well the YouTube channel and Thomas miserable welcome back to teamez TV killing time late at night so we pulled up his YouTube channel and it's just funny we are at Venice Beach originally I really just wanted to create some more shirt sales you know on Mondays I get my girls off to school and then I go back in and I edit it's very good that he's doing that I think it's one more thing that brings the fans closer to the sport there's always stuff going on you know some nights you don't even know what you have I get back home and I'm like oh I caught that crash and I didn't even see that I actually had a firework blow up inside my car that's my best YouTube video go check it out getting some concessions I got me a snow cone just kind of taking a little break they're doing some track work and stuff so she just said hi to me oh my God it's tough to look at yourself on camera and then you have to talk and you have to say the right things and um it is whose key is this because I lost a set of keys to my apparel trailer and this is exactly what it looks like [Music] it's probably been here that whole time great I only have one key left I'm so sorry I didn't mean to do that I'm just like this is important this is you guys are so important too but this is uh I'm down to my last key from my Peril trailer that's how I make my living that's how I make my money so um anyways take two yeah but he says he needs a new one give me knuckles I drive this one right here bright pink it looks like a girl but boys drive pink cars too [Music] yes stop monster see I spend most of my week just following these two and cleaning up after them I mean literally huh isn't that what I do most of the time what is on your face oh it's just taco sauce or something my four-year-old her name is Tommy and she is like mini me my oldest is Carly and she's her mom foreign [Music] they love being at the track I think they sense the spotlight you know a few times that we get to take pictures in Victory Lane and stuff like they just glow up you ever want to race no you don't want to race what about you Carly no cheerleaders hopefully [Music] oh Audrey I'm gonna go as soon as you say ready ready [Music] now with Audrey I think she's a little bit different case because she's a girl the comparisons to her dad and uncle Brad may not mean as much to her I don't know my daughter Audrey I feel like she's gonna be the racer because she's a tomboy she wants to be part of the boys and playing in the dirt and she's just very intense like you can see it in her eyes she wants to tell you something she's gonna tell you hey [Music] that was Audrey [Music] I just want a header just her attitude she's a Tuffy and she's got an opinion I gotta get in like I want to go to the races and disappear like Audrey goes to races and wants to be around me and get in the car no no I don't need you to right now [Music] she wants to race which makes me excited I I think that's great a little nervous because I feel like she's got a bit of a temper she's feisty I'm afraid like if some kid gets in her she's gonna go fight maybe at four years old isn't the best time to start for her right now I mean she's already told Dad I want a car and I want to start practicing and I want a uniform and I want a helmet and all that stuff so dad's gone out and gotten all that in the last month or so 35 laps okay four laps four there's a push out there to get girls up especially to NASCAR [Music] I said Owen how's she doing he said she's better than me I just have this feeling that Audrey she's got the potential to be the next big time racer in this family [Music] Championship weekend I was pretty at peace I think with how ever the weekend was going to turn out because I'd already had a great season to that point I look back on it and it kind of feels like a dream I wish I could go back and like relive it but definitely on that day I mean it was just a different kind of nervous of just please let this happen it just seemed like they're in the second half he just was having a hard time staying at the front I think I was running fourth and thinking like man like I can't believe that I'm gonna not even have a shot to win the championship with 50 laps to go I mean I was pretty much just sitting there in the grand stem just kind of looking at my feet just thinking man this is this is hard to watch it just doesn't look like they have the speed now to get back to the front and a caution does come out that needs a restart but then the the miracle yellow came out I knew that was gonna be our final time down Pit Road I tried to be as aggressive as I could be on my Pit Road speeds but man my pit crew did a heck of a job race made three spots for Larson there incredible that's it the move of the race so far the greatest pit stop in the history of NASCAR and got me out into the lead the five surging out front the pressure as high as it's ever been now one lap to go kind of Larson a year ago watched the race from North Carolina today he's a Cup Series champion [Music] unbelievable unbelievable unbelievable great job man awesome you know I mean I think a lot of people probably think things came easy for Kyle just because he's won so many races and everything but I mean I know where he started you know going back to him saying I'm going to make it income an overnight since somebody is all of a sudden saying when they act and where and this can't come through and he did just what he said he you know could do I think I was still in a little bit of shock and then everybody expects the celebration so then I had shotgun six beers it probably started sinking in like once there was nobody really left at the racetrack besides our team maybe until I was not hungover at sunken [Music] Justin just got done with the B Main and that fool just went from like dead last to Second so let's go see if he's got any pointers slide yourself along slide slide or die slide yourself slide or die yeah yeah good job buddy thanks my dog Justin killed it from the sea to the B to the a that's how we do it over here at RMS racing what's up bro you gonna put my tear offs on for me I'm kidding I'll do it it's Indianapolis so I want all the chances new tear-offs new Shield the best division all the tear-offs because sometimes uh oh got ahead of myself that camera did it need to be my signal guy on top of the trailer I'll look for you under yellows you tell me where to run all right you want me around the top point up if you want me on the bottom you gotta point to the bottom the middle just rub your tummy okay I'll look for you under yellows [Music] thank you love you too when I started out I went from quarter midgets to micros I ran a modified I ran a pavement late model and then I hopped in a guy's and it was just kind of a fluke I hop in this thing and it was just like I felt in love you know instantly the sound the power the out of control you know controlling something that is out of control all right [Music] it's a four wide salute to the race fans coming out of turn number four get ready to Make Some Noise race fans for these Wicked machines that Mayhem these horse owners of Fury is the USAC Doss energy drink National series on Parade Kyle Larson has qualified in 10th position and teamez in 11. and Justin Grant is starting from the back these three drivers have a lot of ground to make up and only 39 laps to do it 39 laps is not very quick not when it's chaos every single lap ladies and gentlemen boys and girls children of all ages what time is it that's right time to drop the hell out of head of course around the outside once the race lead right away can't imagine not today zero first one into turn number three first one coming out to number four rewind back behind contact got one over already teal in the field unfortunately I believe that was dealer Reimer caught up in that back there where our pit was you could see the trailer really good under cautions and every costume come out I'd look up there and be like pointing to get down because I was you know trying to dust off the middle and I was like okay he's right like I should be down like that's the fastest part of track [Music] to go to the high side along with team as Thomas bezel I started behind Kyle so I was kind of just keeping my eye on Kyle and I seen him shoot to the top and was like all right it's go time let's go Kyle currently scored eight but they just started passing cars and I think that was by Design so that just sort of knowing when to hit that ghost connection oh God Larson knows all about that I feel like I can make speed in a still here comes Kyle holy smokes as he passed I'm just a little more calculated Than I Used to Be You know it's all about building momentum building momentum with midgets and the Odyssey adjusted Grant has been something special to watch just now scored of the night spot now the turn number four Sparks the blind off the front binder the number 860 it's kind of like math you know two plus two is four when I start climbing up on a car when I'm driving up to him I just peel off and run a slide job it's just what I do Kyle's usually the car tubby you know so I get by Kyle and I'm like well heck I think we're good ninja racing is really tough right now and The Field's way more competitive so for me the whole race I kind of just felt like I was in defense it's tough because the cars are trying to flip over you can't have one mistake and that is an eerie feeling the midgets are difficult because of the short wheelbase the high horsepower and they're very Twitchy for the drivers to drive that's why I don't drive them I get nervous yes because I know what the results can be as long as we go one up and over hang on to it man when moles went over I thought I was done tough tumble for the 89 car Mitchell moles I actually jump on the brakes it stalls the motor and started itself back off [Music] if I peel off and I miss it it had to have been inches see that but Steve has in the third spot suddenly Things Are bunched up and this could be his moment yeah some Israel here in one of the podium spots at this point in time for the number seven X car rolled off 11th on the field 11 remain S I picked up the big bounce and I I fell back a couple spots but you know what I don't give up I just don't ever give up let's stick around moves into third he's watching the null for Becky Beyond in a classic flag comes out if you're Justin Grant right now you're thinking the Red Sea Bay part dude came from the sea main to the B main to the front of the a I probably pulled up and was just like dude where are you coming from there's this moment when things are so intense and you have to be so focused there's not an ounce of room anywhere else in your body to think about anything other than what you're doing in that moment these things are scary you know they're dangerous racing obviously is dangerous it's taken friends of mine Brian Clawson was one of the best drivers ever and you know he got killed doing it a big impact I've crashed a lot since then and something like this has not slowed me down even if you are the best even if you are at the top of your game it's something that we all live with three laps ago Macintosh as well back to Cal Larson as well be adjusted and Kyle all got into this war no point deep down into the corner takes him across now two laps when those guys got battling at the end you know my only hope was that a couple of good cars would get taken out and then I could have a shot carries the speed around [Music] number three I was obviously bummed because I didn't win but also bum because I just never felt like I had an opportunity to to drive up there and battle for the win you have to be perfect every time you hit the track and we were off just a little bit everybody looks like we're about to kiss the bricks that's like Indy's thing is you win there you kiss the bricks hi buddy he looked like he was making love to the bricks so um I wasn't quite as intimate with the bricks as he was so yeah after the race I I said you know I'm gonna win this next year I hope some to ask me the only guy that's kissed the bricks on the dirt track as well is for the Indy 500 and whatever we end up racing on in NASCAR [Music] thank you dirt racing preferably Open Wheel cars is the last great American sport dirt racing or becoming a professional dirt driver I think represents the American dream almost to a t it does not bring as much corporate backing as you see in other sports you show up and you work hard to make it happen and eventually if you work hard enough it does happen in our sport you have to earn it and I think that it'll probably remain that way it doesn't always seem like a dream because it's not easy you know it's a lot of work it's a lot of hours I am four nights in a row at the track I've been to bed at three o'clock every single night it's a lot of Heartache it's a lot of injuries it's not an easy life it just never stops because we're on the road we're traveling but at the end of the day I've worked my whole life to get right here thank you so much I appreciate all you do for our Sport and I love that you come here and do this it's awesome all right have fun go get them all right all right thank you is he good for the school absolutely Kyle's absolutely good for the sport I'm sorry NASCAR I'm sorry Daytona but this is the biggest race I've ever won he's drawn a ton of eyes back to what we do I think it's put a lens of seriousness back over what we do and that it's not some lesser form of racing green and Lakeside this year Brad and I announced our new series The the high limit Sprint Car Series it's just different it's kind of new and exciting uh middle of the week obviously the race teams are super pumped um you know to race for 50 Grand on a Tuesday night oh my God that's the most money I've ever won in my life I need to I need to find a casino quick hopefully we can look back on this in 10 15 20 years and be like you know we made such a big impact on the sport of sprinkler racing positively that we've reshaped the way that these teams make money the drivers make money and built it into something bigger than what it was and that's the kind of stuff I love to see him get into I mean I'd rather see him do that kind of stuff than on a Sprint car team because it helps everybody he thinks about how he can better the sport that's what his legacy to me is because he can't race forever but he could be a huge part of the sport until the day he dies is the race is finished she gave me an idea what I do here's the tape for you to watch the death I hope you enjoy what I really do know it is now my pleasure to introduce the 2021 Nascar Cup Series champion Kyle Larson [Music] parents took me to my first and really been going ever since [Music] my parents Mike and Janet and my sister Andrea you guys all sacrifice so much for me to achieve my dream to become a Race Car Driver it wasn't always easy but you've stood by me no matter what performer to do it Destiny last April we didn't know where our lives were headed NASCAR driver Kyle Larson is suspended indefinitely I'm just gonna commit to running start cars the rest of my life when Kyle started running all those races people just fell in love with that I didn't know in the moment but those Hard Times made me a better person and made us a stronger family I'm lucky to spend this life with you Caitlyn he's from stories that my parents told me that I had a lot of confidence as a kid that I was going to make it someday and going to make it a living out of racing I've really just poured my heart and soul into making it as a race car driver thank you [Music] [Music]

Channel: FloRacing

Views: 94,223

Keywords: kyle larson, nascar, world of outlaws, usac, united states auto club, bc39, indianapolis motor speedway, ims, indy 500, thomas meseraull, justin grant, lucas oil, dirt track racing, sprint car, sprint car racing, dirt late models, short track racing, hunt the frunt, dale earnhardt jr, denny hamlin

Id: 2Ee9eHFNUhY

Length: 44min 17sec (2657 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 14 2023