Kyle Larson Says Motorsports in the Olympics Would be ‘Life-Changing’

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson on Friday gave his initial thoughts upon learning that motorsports were up for inclusion in the Olympics games in the future. The Hendrick Motorsports driver said it would be “life-changing” and “really cool” to have an opportunity to add ‘Olympic gold medalist’ to his resume. “[It’s] an opportunity that none of us have probably ever dreamt was possible,” Larson said during his media availability prior to this weekend’s Cup Series race at Daytona. “You don’t really know who the best race car drivers are in the world.” Still, even as fans may jump at the concept of seeing Larson face off against the likes of Max Verstappen, there would be some technical hurdles before making the idea a reality. “That would be difficult,” he said of those challenges. “You’d have to have different types of competitions to see who’s the best because there’s so many different types of motorsports out there.” Larson also likened it to the International Race of Champions (IROC), a multi-disciplinary racing circuit which ran from 1974 to 2006. NASCAR competitors largely dominated the series, with their racers winning the championship 18 straight seasons from 1989 to the series’ final year. The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles, California, and a report from Reuters this month stated that the International Olympic Committee was considering motorsports for inclusion for the first time in history, piquing the interest of racing fans around the globe. Other competitions such as baseball, squash, flag football, lacrosse, and break-dancing are also up for consideration.