Kyle Larson Suggests Changes to NASCAR’s Driver Approval Process Following Katherine Legge’s Cup Debut

Kyle Larson has cautiously offered his thoughts on NASCAR’s driver approval process, suggesting that improvements could be made regarding driver experience requirements. His comments come in the wake of Katherine Legge’s recent Cup Series debut at Phoenix Raceway.

Legge, a 44-year-old veteran of various racing disciplines, made her first Cup Series start earlier this month, becoming the first female driver to compete in the series since Danica Patrick. However, the relatively late timing of her approval – just 10 days before the race – sparked debate within the NASCAR community about the stringency of the approval process.

Speaking to the media in Las Vegas, Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson acknowledged the sensitivity of the topic and admitted his limited knowledge of the specifics of the approval process. “I think in NASCAR, I don’t know what the approval process is, so I can’t really speak on what needs to change,” Larson stated (via Bob Pockrass).

However, he did suggest that inconsistencies seem to exist, noting, “But it is surprising sometimes, like when some drivers are not allowed to run, and then others are. So, yeah, I don’t know, maybe there just needs to be a better something in place.”

Larson drew parallels to the requirements placed on rookies entering the sport. He highlighted the common practice of rookies needing to gain experience through ARCA races or gradually progressing to larger tracks. “I know when you’re like a rookie, you have to go run ARCA races, or you’ve got to like build up to the size of the track and stuff like that. I mean, you have to run like three or four races before you can run like an Xfinity car or something on an intermediate or super speedway. So yeah, maybe there needs to be more of that,” he concluded, implying that a similar tiered system could benefit all drivers seeking approval, regardless of their prior experience in other racing series.

Larson Previews Martinsville, Calling it Hendrick Motorsports’ “Best Track”

Shifting focus, Larson previewed the upcoming Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. He pointed out that the 0.526-mile track has historically been a strong circuit for Hendrick Motorsports, with the team securing a remarkable 29 victories there.

Larson, who has been with Hendrick Motorsports since 2021 and claimed a victory at Martinsville in 2023, expressed optimism about the team’s potential performance. “I would say as a team and organization, we’re much better at Martinsville than we are at Phoenix,” Larson noted. “So, yeah, we had hopes of being better than we were at Phoenix across the board, you know, the four of us.”

He contrasted their expected performance at Martinsville with their showing at Phoenix, where he felt the team was “pretty average,” with the exception of William Byron. Larson believes the team has a solid foundation to build upon for Martinsville. “I feel like when we go to Martinsville, we have a package we can look back on and build our car off of, making us competitive.”

Despite his confidence, Larson remained realistic about the challenges of Martinsville. “But Martinsville is Martinsville, and it’s still a tough track for me, even though it’s crazy to think that it’s probably our statistically best track on this circuit,” he added (via Speedwaydigest.com).

Larson’s Season So Far

Larson has demonstrated strong form early in the season, securing two top-five finishes. However, he is still seeking his first victory, while Christopher Bell has dominated with three consecutive wins.