Kyle Larson is looking to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship for the second consecutive year. And while he’s competing in the playoffs, NASCAR fans can see his journey in the new USA Network series Race for the Championship. In an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com, Larson explained why the show will be a good thing for NASCAR.
“I think it’s just a good opportunity for all those drivers to grow our fan base, grow the sport, and let people kind of get a glimpse into our lives and what goes on at the racetrack, away from the racetrack and all that,” Larson exclusively told PopCulture. “It was fun to be a part of and still been doing stuff with it.”
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Larson is featured in the premiere episode and the series that shows how he is on and off the track. He joins Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski as the drivers on the show who previously won the Cup Series title. Race for the Championship also focuses on drivers who are looking to be first-time winners, such as Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suárez, Ross Chastain and Corey LaJoie. Larson enjoyed filming with his family and is ready to watch the remaining episodes of the season.
“Family is really important to me and my children, and I remember we did stuff with my kids and I think they followed me at some of my dirt races that I did earlier this year and then stuff at the track or at the shop even,” Larson said. “Kind of get it an idea of what my weeks look like in balancing, racing and family and all that. So I’m definitely excited to see the episodes and excited to learn more about my competitors and what they’re into and how their race shops operate as well. I’m every bit as anticipating all these episodes like everybody else is.”
In the first episode, Larson and the drivers compete in The Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Larson didn’t win the event but enjoyed competing in a unique race. “It was an awesome event. It was really cool, and I applauded NASCAR for pulling that off,” Larson said. “I don’t think any of us quite knew how it was going to go, and I thought it was really successful. It was a great atmosphere. The format was really cool. The racing was exciting. I loved it. It was awesome, and I feel like everybody who was there had a great time. So that was a great kickoff to our season and I hope we can continue to do races like that.”