NASCAR CUP SERIES TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES OCTOBER 18, 2025 |
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway. | MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
Media Availability Quotes: We’re 33 races into the year. You’ve got three left. You only had one break since Easter. Is the grind starting to get to you at this time of the year, or does the fact that the playoffs are still going and you’re still very much in it make a difference in terms of avoiding any type burn out?“Yeah, I mean, I think still being in the playoffs and competing for a championship distracts you from the grind in a way or that it has been as long as it has been since we’ve had a break. I think the guys who didn’t make the playoffs or who got knocked out in a round — yeah, they’re probably just counting down the days until the season is over. But for us, we’re still in it, so I haven’t really felt like I want the year to be over. But yeah, it’s definitely a long year… it always is. I mean, even if they threw in one more off weekend, it’s still a lot. But yeah, I mean it kind of is what it is. It’s probably tougher on the crew and the mechanics than it is for us drivers because they live it every single day of the week and work long hours, especially this time of year. But for the driver, sure, I would love another break or more, but it’s probably tougher on the mechanics.” I feel like this is a talking point a lot of superspeedways, but you look at your success this year and you’ve scored the most points in the series. Why do you feel like you’ve had that success this year?“I’ve finally gotten lucky (laughs)… I don’t know. I mean honestly, like that’s me being a little funny, but our average running position probably during the race is no different, I would assume. We’re just not getting caught up in the crashes at the end of them, for whatever reason, so I hope that’s the case again tomorrow. In the past, it’s easy look on paper and be like Kyle Larson is the worst ever on superspeedways. But if you really watch the race, we’ve been a top contender in the Next Gen era, especially. So yeah, hopefully we can just stay lucky. This is also your 400th Cup start this weekend. What would it mean to join the elite list that have won in their 400th career start? “Yeah, I think I read that earlier this week. It’d be pretty neat. I would have liked it go to like Bristol or something for my 400 start (laughs), but It would be extra special to get my first win on a superspeedway in my 400 career start. That would be pretty awesome. We’ll give it our best effort tomorrow and hopefully join that list of Hall of Famers. That would be incredible.” Can you give a sense of the effort and work that you’ve put into being good at these places that maybe you haven’t had there, even though you haven’t had the results? What do we not understand about what you do to almost be in these positions and potentially be in this position come tomorrow to win the race?“Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. I wouldn’t say it’s like any bit of different prep than a normal weekend. We have our pre-weekend meeting, as always, and kind of look at different scenarios. I do think something that the good guys do good here, and I would consider myself one of them, is the part that you guys don’t really see — leading into the green flag cycle of fuel saving, getting established with good track position while also saving fuel, and then executing. It takes more than just a driver, but your team executing that green flag cycle really well; getting to the yellow line as quick as you can and getting organized as we do with Team Chevy pretty well. And then getting to your pit sign good and your fueler engaging good. Cliff (Daniels) on the stopwatch, nailing all that. Just executing that whole cycle is important. I think that’s something that we on the No. 5 team, as well as the other key partners in Chevy, do well. And that’s why I think we are in contention typically at the ends of the stages and at the end of the race. You know, sometimes it works out where you finish and sometimes it doesn’t, but I think that’s something that we’ve worked really hard on as a group the past three or four years. I think we’re one of the best, if not the best, at doing that.” What kind of an accomplishment will it be for you to win one of these after all the misfortune and tough luck and being up there at times? Of all the things you’ve done, how big is this hill for you to climb?“Yeah, I don’t know. I think for a long time, like at least early to the mid-portions my career, I always had a thought in my head like anybody can win on a superspeedway, so it’s not going to feel that special when I finally do win. But now, it’s gone so long and I haven’t even had many top-10s or top-fives that hopefully if I ever do win, I don’t know what the feelings going to be like, but I would assume that it’s going to feel really big. And I will take it anywhere… I would take it here (at Talladega). I’ll take it at the DAYTONA 500 or Atlanta… like I don’t even care at this point, I just would love to get a win.” What makes this track so special, even beyond the racing? “I mean, I don’t find myself on the boulevard much anymore, but I would say just the atmosphere here as the sun goes down his is really, really awesome. I remember back when we had like the three-day weekends — I’m sure they still do it, but I don’t know if many drivers participate in it as much anymore, but like they had a parade. I don’t know if they still do it on the boulevard, that was always fun being a part of that and throwing beads at fans and then seeing what kind of crazy event they have at the end of the airstrip there. And then yeah, all you had to do is run one lap the next day, so you go out pretty big Friday night, so that was always fun to look forward to that. And then Sunday, the crowd is always really big and really into it. You feel it during pre-race. You feel it in the midway and all that. I don’t love the racing here, but I do enjoy coming here because the atmosphere is always great.” What should we watch tomorrow in terms of how people will approach stage points? If you’re in the playoffs, yeah, those would be really valuable, but you could also get up there and get yourself into a mess that could ruin your day? But then if you let everybody else get stage points, then you’re kind of screwed, too, so how do you think people will play it or do you have any sense of how you might approach that?“Well, I don’t know. We haven’t talked about those sorts of scenarios. I would assume we’re just going normal and trying to execute the green flags cycles, like I mentioned, and get stage points. I think maybe Denny Hamlin would be the only one that wouldn’t be doing that, but I think the seven of us are probably all going to try and get stage points because, as you mentioned, I’m plus 35, but you know if somebody below the cutline or even just anybody behind me goes and wins both stages, that’s 20 points to my zero and that’s a lot. But yeah, I mean there’s a risk that comes with it. I don’t know… hopefully you’ve executed well enough that you are in the front of that group. If not, then yeah, I mean maybe you just got away that risk, but it’s hard to kind of pick your way to the front if you’re outside the top-10 anyways So yeah, we’ll see. Hopefully we just execute good and we can maximize our day like we have been on the speedways.” There’s a lot of talk about Ryan Blaney and then Penske at Martinsville in the fall. But looking at your stats, you guys are in the ballpark. Where do you feel like you’re at going into Martinsville?“Yeah, I feel like we’re in the ballpark, for sure. I think our team has done a good job to execute the strategies, whether it be whenever you take two tires and stuff like that and I have good restarts and things. Points earned wise, it’s probably one of our better tracks, but it’s not somewhere that I go and I feel like I’m going to have a shot to win here. I still don’t feel the best there. It takes me a while to get into a rhythm. And even when I get into the rhythm, there’s still three or four or five guys that I feel like are better than me there. Yeah, I mean, Ryan (Blaney), at least in the fall race, has been by far the best the last few years. But yeah, you can’t ever expect to do good anywhere. With our previous results, I think we could go there and score good points if nothing crazy happens.” You have a 35-point advantage heading into tomorrow’s race. Do you feel that playing it safe might be the way to go this year, given your past experience here?“No, I don’t I don’t think so. I don’t think ever playing it safe is ever the right call in the Cup Series. At least for me here, you’ve got to assume a guy below the cutline or even below you is going to win, so then it’s going to bring you closer to the cutline. So no, I think you need to go and try to score as many points as you can. And obviously get a win would lock you in. So yeah, I would say we’re not approaching this race any differently than we would in the spring race here. We’re trying to score as many points we can and get a win, if possible.” Joey Logano was in here earlier and he said it’s sometimes a difficult decision when you’re up front there racing and you make a decision that could either give you a shot at the win or could cost you big time. Given the points circumstances, are you going to go all out for the win or are you going to just say this looks a little risky…“I mean, I don’t have a crystal ball, so I don’t know where I’m going to be running at the end of the stages or at the end of the race. But yeah, I mean you’re just kind of making decisions in the moment. The difficult part about speedway racing is that you never know what the right decision or wrong decision is until after you make it. You just don’t know.” Besides the Chevy Allegiance to your fellow Team Chevy drivers, what qualities do you look for in a driver out there to run with and who are some of your favorites you do run with in the in the draft besides Team Chevy? “The Fords are particularly really good at these types of tracks. They’re really fast. They’re really stable. They’re really good at pushing. They’re really good at receiving pushes. So I would say all of us in the field probably look for a Ford, just because they’re by far the fastest. But also, you know when it comes down to the details of pit road and executing the green flag stops, you look for your Chevy Alliance teams. Like I said, I feel like we’ve worked really well together and even making certain moves on the track. But if you’re trying to get sheer speed and stuff, you want a Ford behind you.” |
NASCAR CUP SERIESTALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESOCTOBER 18, 2025 |
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway. | MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
Media Availability Quotes: We’re 33 races into the year. You’ve got three left. You only had one break since Easter. Is the grind starting to get to you at this time of the year, or does the fact that the playoffs are still going and you’re still very much in it make a difference in terms of avoiding any type burn out?“Yeah, I mean, I think still being in the playoffs and competing for a championship distracts you from the grind in a way or that it has been as long as it has been since we’ve had a break. I think the guys who didn’t make the playoffs or who got knocked out in a round — yeah, they’re probably just counting down the days until the season is over. But for us, we’re still in it, so I haven’t really felt like I want the year to be over. But yeah, it’s definitely a long year… it always is. I mean, even if they threw in one more off weekend, it’s still a lot. But yeah, I mean it kind of is what it is. It’s probably tougher on the crew and the mechanics than it is for us drivers because they live it every single day of the week and work long hours, especially this time of year. But for the driver, sure, I would love another break or more, but it’s probably tougher on the mechanics.” I feel like this is a talking point a lot of superspeedways, but you look at your success this year and you’ve scored the most points in the series. Why do you feel like you’ve had that success this year?“I’ve finally gotten lucky (laughs)… I don’t know. I mean honestly, like that’s me being a little funny, but our average running position probably during the race is no different, I would assume. We’re just not getting caught up in the crashes at the end of them, for whatever reason, so I hope that’s the case again tomorrow. In the past, it’s easy look on paper and be like Kyle Larson is the worst ever on superspeedways. But if you really watch the race, we’ve been a top contender in the Next Gen era, especially. So yeah, hopefully we can just stay lucky. This is also your 400th Cup start this weekend. What would it mean to join the elite list that have won in their 400th career start? “Yeah, I think I read that earlier this week. It’d be pretty neat. I would have liked it go to like Bristol or something for my 400 start (laughs), but It would be extra special to get my first win on a superspeedway in my 400 career start. That would be pretty awesome. We’ll give it our best effort tomorrow and hopefully join that list of Hall of Famers. That would be incredible.” Can you give a sense of the effort and work that you’ve put into being good at these places that maybe you haven’t had there, even though you haven’t had the results? What do we not understand about what you do to almost be in these positions and potentially be in this position come tomorrow to win the race?“Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. I wouldn’t say it’s like any bit of different prep than a normal weekend. We have our pre-weekend meeting, as always, and kind of look at different scenarios. I do think something that the good guys do good here, and I would consider myself one of them, is the part that you guys don’t really see — leading into the green flag cycle of fuel saving, getting established with good track position while also saving fuel, and then executing. It takes more than just a driver, but your team executing that green flag cycle really well; getting to the yellow line as quick as you can and getting organized as we do with Team Chevy pretty well. And then getting to your pit sign good and your fueler engaging good. Cliff (Daniels) on the stopwatch, nailing all that. Just executing that whole cycle is important. I think that’s something that we on the No. 5 team, as well as the other key partners in Chevy, do well. And that’s why I think we are in contention typically at the ends of the stages and at the end of the race. You know, sometimes it works out where you finish and sometimes it doesn’t, but I think that’s something that we’ve worked really hard on as a group the past three or four years. I think we’re one of the best, if not the best, at doing that.” What kind of an accomplishment will it be for you to win one of these after all the misfortune and tough luck and being up there at times? Of all the things you’ve done, how big is this hill for you to climb?“Yeah, I don’t know. I think for a long time, like at least early to the mid-portions my career, I always had a thought in my head like anybody can win on a superspeedway, so it’s not going to feel that special when I finally do win. But now, it’s gone so long and I haven’t even had many top-10s or top-fives that hopefully if I ever do win, I don’t know what the feelings going to be like, but I would assume that it’s going to feel really big. And I will take it anywhere… I would take it here (at Talladega). I’ll take it at the DAYTONA 500 or Atlanta… like I don’t even care at this point, I just would love to get a win.” What makes this track so special, even beyond the racing? “I mean, I don’t find myself on the boulevard much anymore, but I would say just the atmosphere here as the sun goes down his is really, really awesome. I remember back when we had like the three-day weekends — I’m sure they still do it, but I don’t know if many drivers participate in it as much anymore, but like they had a parade. I don’t know if they still do it on the boulevard, that was always fun being a part of that and throwing beads at fans and then seeing what kind of crazy event they have at the end of the airstrip there. And then yeah, all you had to do is run one lap the next day, so you go out pretty big Friday night, so that was always fun to look forward to that. And then Sunday, the crowd is always really big and really into it. You feel it during pre-race. You feel it in the midway and all that. I don’t love the racing here, but I do enjoy coming here because the atmosphere is always great.” What should we watch tomorrow in terms of how people will approach stage points? If you’re in the playoffs, yeah, those would be really valuable, but you could also get up there and get yourself into a mess that could ruin your day? But then if you let everybody else get stage points, then you’re kind of screwed, too, so how do you think people will play it or do you have any sense of how you might approach that?“Well, I don’t know. We haven’t talked about those sorts of scenarios. I would assume we’re just going normal and trying to execute the green flags cycles, like I mentioned, and get stage points. I think maybe Denny Hamlin would be the only one that wouldn’t be doing that, but I think the seven of us are probably all going to try and get stage points because, as you mentioned, I’m plus 35, but you know if somebody below the cutline or even just anybody behind me goes and wins both stages, that’s 20 points to my zero and that’s a lot. But yeah, I mean there’s a risk that comes with it. I don’t know… hopefully you’ve executed well enough that you are in the front of that group. If not, then yeah, I mean maybe you just got away that risk, but it’s hard to kind of pick your way to the front if you’re outside the top-10 anyways So yeah, we’ll see. Hopefully we just execute good and we can maximize our day like we have been on the speedways.” There’s a lot of talk about Ryan Blaney and then Penske at Martinsville in the fall. But looking at your stats, you guys are in the ballpark. Where do you feel like you’re at going into Martinsville?“Yeah, I feel like we’re in the ballpark, for sure. I think our team has done a good job to execute the strategies, whether it be whenever you take two tires and stuff like that and I have good restarts and things. Points earned wise, it’s probably one of our better tracks, but it’s not somewhere that I go and I feel like I’m going to have a shot to win here. I still don’t feel the best there. It takes me a while to get into a rhythm. And even when I get into the rhythm, there’s still three or four or five guys that I feel like are better than me there. Yeah, I mean, Ryan (Blaney), at least in the fall race, has been by far the best the last few years. But yeah, you can’t ever expect to do good anywhere. With our previous results, I think we could go there and score good points if nothing crazy happens.” You have a 35-point advantage heading into tomorrow’s race. Do you feel that playing it safe might be the way to go this year, given your past experience here?“No, I don’t I don’t think so. I don’t think ever playing it safe is ever the right call in the Cup Series. At least for me here, you’ve got to assume a guy below the cutline or even below you is going to win, so then it’s going to bring you closer to the cutline. So no, I think you need to go and try to score as many points as you can. And obviously get a win would lock you in. So yeah, I would say we’re not approaching this race any differently than we would in the spring race here. We’re trying to score as many points we can and get a win, if possible.” Joey Logano was in here earlier and he said it’s sometimes a difficult decision when you’re up front there racing and you make a decision that could either give you a shot at the win or could cost you big time. Given the points circumstances, are you going to go all out for the win or are you going to just say this looks a little risky…“I mean, I don’t have a crystal ball, so I don’t know where I’m going to be running at the end of the stages or at the end of the race. But yeah, I mean you’re just kind of making decisions in the moment. The difficult part about speedway racing is that you never know what the right decision or wrong decision is until after you make it. You just don’t know.” Besides the Chevy Allegiance to your fellow Team Chevy drivers, what qualities do you look for in a driver out there to run with and who are some of your favorites you do run with in the in the draft besides Team Chevy? “The Fords are particularly really good at these types of tracks. They’re really fast. They’re really stable. They’re really good at pushing. They’re really good at receiving pushes. So I would say all of us in the field probably look for a Ford, just because they’re by far the fastest. But also, you know when it comes down to the details of pit road and executing the green flag stops, you look for your Chevy Alliance teams. Like I said, I feel like we’ve worked really well together and even making certain moves on the track. But if you’re trying to get sheer speed and stuff, you want a Ford behind you.” |