DOVER, Del. – Kyle Larson was the can’t-miss future star who tore up the sprint car circuit and would lead a new generation of young talent into the next era of NASCAR.
His promise yet unfulfilled, Larson’s path toward prominence has been a slow-burning one in six-plus years in the Cup Series. He has been saddled with mediocre cars that not even his skill – apparent if raw – could salvage, and a fantastic 2017 season seems more a blip than a sure sign Larson would blossom into a perennial championship contender.
On Sunday afternoon at Dover International Speedway, as Larson stood atop his car with a two-year winless streak behind him, perhaps his playoff victory was indeed a preview of a championship celebration ahead.
“It’s not a shock, either,” Larson said. “I feel like we’ve been running really well this year.”
Larson’s wife, Katelyn, shotgunned a beer in a sudsy victory lane bash as he flashed a No. 1 sign behind her, a worthy way to end a 75-race streak without a points-earning victory.