NASCAR CUP SERIES: ENJOY ILLINOIS 300

September 13, 2026

Kyle Larson

Press Conference

An Interview with:

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by our race winner, Kyle Larson.

We'll open it up for questions.

Q. I asked you yesterday the races, it just feels like it's starting to build up. Do you feel like you're finally back, this is what you feel like you're capable of doing?

KYLE LARSON: I mean, back to what (smiling)? Back to 2021? Back to 2023? No. We've definitely been building to get back to Victory Lane. I don't know that we're quite yet to where we can go dominate like we have in the past.

A day like today definitely gives you confidence leading into a track where we know we can go dominate. So yeah, no, it's just been neat to see all the hard work kind of pay off to a moment like this.

Yeah, just proud of everybody at Hendrick Motorsports for working hard but staying patient, just doing everything possible to try and find some grip and speed and all the things it takes.

Q. What did you learn the most from this drought individually?

KYLE LARSON: I don't know. I don't think I really learned anything. I always had the trust in our team, the trust in Cliff Daniels. It's not like we've gotten worse as a team or have forgotten how to build fast race cars.

So no, the trust was always there. I wouldn't say there was really anything to learn. I think that's why the drought didn't feel so long. Maybe the championship helped with that.

Every week I hear you guys tell the new number. It doesn't seem that large. So no, I think just having the trust is really what it boils down to. I never lost trust in that. Maybe trust and confidence in myself at times, but that's easy to look in the mirror and kind of doubt yourself.

The people around me, I never doubted.

Q. Were there any experiences over the last 51 races that happened that you're going to carry forward in your career? The question was asked if you learned anything. You said no. Is there any experiences that will stick with you?

KYLE LARSON: I mean, I guess the only thing would maybe be just the work and all of that. I guess I feel like I've always worked hard at it, to try to be good, get better, all that. I feel like the last year and a half, not winning, I feel like I've been more into learning and trying to get better, open to doing simulator stuff, building a more consistent lifestyle to all benefit the Cup Series.

Yeah, I was still going through a winless drought, but I trusted the process of what I have going on since all that, which makes a win like today rewarding.

It also just proves that, yeah, we have a great group. Again, like I said, I've had to answer to you guys for 51 races now about we're still good (smiling). It's just trusting the process. I don't think you can get too far out of whack on what you think.

I think it's easy for you all to look around and say, Oh, they haven't won in so long, they need to change what they're doing.

But that's not really been the case.

Q. I thought you might say I don't want to go through it again.

KYLE LARSON: The struggle is fine. I don't mind it. I've said that all along, too. I've had more fun this year than a lot of years. We hadn't won till this point.

I don't mind the struggle. I'm not scared of it.

Q. Logano almost seemed, like, perplexed on how you beat him on that restart, rolled the bottom so well. Cliff said he thinks the 22 had the overall better car today. Such a key moment. How did you do that?

KYLE LARSON: Well, it came from Bowman timing the push really well, allowed me to just stay side by side with him.

Joey I don't think ever had to fight anybody into one all day. His car accelerated really well from the pushes he got from behind.

I just really felt like if I could just be side by side with him, I might be able to out-leverage him that one and two, which is kind of what happened.

It really worked out better than I anticipated because I was able to tag onto his very back quarter and really get a side draft and get momentum into one to kind of carry me clear, which is a lot like he did getting the lead with the 6.

Yeah, yeah, the top lane is definitely the preferred lane. If you can stay side by side you can out-leverage people. I've seen Joey do it here a lot. He's really good at executing one and two.

When I took the lead, I was like it is still really important to get a good push from behind. Thankfully I was always clear into one.

Q. Did you wait to go, you were waiting for Bowman to get you there?

KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, you hit the gas. You can see it in your mirror, like the run coming at you. You kind of try to time the throttle.

Yeah, he just did a really good job. I think he was probably anticipating the 6, his run at the 22's rear bumper, trying to match that. Yeah, it gave me just enough of a pop to stay inside of Joey.

Q. At least early in the Chase, is there an advantage to chasing the points leader now? It's going to be pretty tight, under 10 points. Is there an advantage early on, especially considering the 5 team has been a thorn in the 11's side over the last couple years?

KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, I don't know. It's tough to know what's going on in, like, his and his team's kind of head in this moment.

It is a bit surprising to me that even in the O'Reilly series it's been kind of... Denny, leading into the Chase, Justin Allgaier, were the two heavy favorites. They've not opened the Chase up as strong as they've been the last few months.

I don't know what that is. I don't know if it's 'cause they were just racing free in the regular season, now you're kind of like trying to protect. Crazy Cup racing, kids in the O'Reilly series, things get crazy. I don't know.

I don't know. We're just trying to do the best job we can, try to score as many points as we can. I mean, I would love to be nine points ahead than nine points behind right now. It's been a good start to our Chase.

Q. Cliff said you were adamant about four tires on the last stop. Why were you convinced that was the way to go?

KYLE LARSON: Well, I don't know. I'm trying to piece together the caution periods because there were so many.

I felt like we had ran long enough, we were going to get some split decisions on whether you pit or don't pit. That's when I was like what are we thinking. I don't know really what exactly was going on in his head.

I felt like there was a delay. Man, he's thinking about staying out here. I definitely don't want to do that 'cause I just did it the run before. That didn't work out.

So then, yeah, his pit call was we're thinking two tires. I was like man, I don't want two tires (smiling). I've never been one to key up on the radio and be like, This is what I'm thinking.

I just really felt confident in that moment. I thought I was too far back in the lineup. Basically what happened played out. I thought there were going to be some two-tire guys in front of me. I was going to line up behind them on two tires with four tires probably right behind me. I was like, Man, this is going to be tough.

I'm thinking four tires. Still it's ultimately up to him. But yeah, he leaned into that and we took four. It ultimately paid off. Whether we won or not, I thought it was going to be a better call than taking two.

Q. I think you were in here when Cliff was talking about whether you are willing to take risks. As a driver, do you want them to kind of take some more risks to try and catch up with JGR and Penske that have leapfrogged a little bit, or are you happy to keep building upon what you've learned the last couple months?

KYLE LARSON: Yeah, no, I mean, I think at this point in the year, I think we're all on the same page of, like, we understand where our balance is at and our window of setups.

At least for the tracks upcoming, I don't see one where we would get way off script as far as setup. Maybe Phoenix. That's just 'cause we're so bad there all the time. I would be open to that. I don't know what their plan is.

Yeah, I don't know. Like he mentioned, we've had races earlier in the year where we have gotten too aggressive probably. I'm not involved in the setups. Afterwards, when we run poorly, he's like we were way different, our teammate was this, which is more normal to what normal is, had a much better day.

We had a few of those throughout the year and I think realized our baseline package probably isn't that bad, just got to fluff on it. I think that's kind of where we're at.

Q. You're the defending champion. Have you felt more like an underdog this year coming into this Chase than previously?

KYLE LARSON: I mean, I don't know. I just show up, honestly, to the racetrack and try to finish as high as possible. I'm not sure.

I can see how on paper or in the media's eyes or maybe even some competitors' eyes you could doubt us. I think that would be reasonable. We hadn't won in 51 races. We were kind of just mid throughout the season, not starting as high as we want to be in the Chase. I could see that.

I don't really view myself as that. I don't really feel like I'm going to prove them wrong either. Like I said, I'm just showing up to the racetrack to do the best job I can. I think when you focus on yourself, that's when you can find the most success.

Q. Do you have any thoughts on why it was such a chaotic race today? Do you think it's a preview for Bristol?

KYLE LARSON: Well, I think the majority of the cautions were due to brake rotors probably. I think there were some messy cautions. I haven't seen any highlight. I think there were some messy crashes and stuff as well.

Without the rotors, I think you have less cautions and less chaos, too. I don't know. You can't really read into anything race to race I don't think 'cause all these tracks are so different.

Q. Do you think we'll go to Bristol and have the same issue at last fall with the tires?

KYLE LARSON: No, 'cause we're going back with the tire we had in the spring, which laid a lot of rubber. I hope we don't have the fall tire.

Q. When you came in here yesterday you talked about last year at this track you had one of the fastest cars, yet the discourse seems to be surprising that you broke through at this track. Hendrick, turning it around as well as they have, what does it say?

KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I would say surprising for sure in a way that we won. It was not going to be surprising to run third to fifth or sixth. But I just feel like the Penske cars and the 20 are just so much still more elite here than I am. So that's where I feel it's surprising that we won.

But it takes a lot more than having a fast car to win a Cup Series race. You still have to execute a day from start to finish with good pit stops, good restarts, good strategy. We had that today.

So yeah, in that aspect it's not surprising as much, but still Gateway has been a tough track for us in the past. This aero package has been a difficult one for us, as well.

Q. You're the first driver to win here since they created the Rowdy Trophy, which is dedicated to your dear friend Kyle Busch. It also kind of commemorates what he did as far as giving tickets back to grassroots racers who couldn't afford to come to NASCAR. Something else you're well familiar with. Could you reflect on the trophy and them honoring him in that fashion.

KYLE LARSON: Yeah, no, I think it's neat. The trophy's back there. You think of Kyle Busch as the 8 or the 18. It's also got the 5 on it. That's pretty special I think for us.

Anytime I think you can win anything in his honor would be amazing. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of different races, awards along the way, because he did make such an impact on the sport.

Just yeah, happy to win at a place I battled with him here. When he won that final race, he had a lot of attempts inside of him on restarts. He was able to edge me out, get it done. It's cool to win one in a similar fashion.

Q. You mentioned the difficulty of this track. Eventful as well. Do you feel like this should be a Chase track going forward considering it's not next year?

KYLE LARSON: I don't know. I don't set the schedule. I'm sure there's a lot that goes into it.

You can't argue the fan base here. I think it's definitely a great host for a Chase race. It's not my place to lobby or argue or whatever for what are those final 10 tracks.

When it has been in the Chase, it's been a great place for it.

THE MODERATOR: Kyle, congratulations.

KYLE LARSON: Thank you.