Special to Sports News Highlights

(SNH) — Before emerging from NASCAR’s purgatory and evolving into one of motorsports’ multi-discipline darlings, Cup Series driver Kyle Larson engaged in career damage control.

Flashback to April 2020 when Larson nearly became an industry footnote.

Competing in a “Monza Madness” iRacing exhibition, Larson temporarily lost communication with his spotter and grew frustrated. On the simulator platform, the drivers’ names appear on a screen when they speak. Larson blurted out a response and used the n-word. Several drivers on the stream confirmed the incident.

Anthony Alfredo, a NASCAR national series regular, reportedly spoke up immediately: “Kyle, you’re talking to everyone, bud.”

IndyCar driver Conor Daly chirped: “Yikes.”

Yikes, was right.

Larson goes from oblivion to salvation

In his contract year with Chip Ganassi Racing, Larson, who grew up toiling on California’s short, dirt tracks and compiled six wins over parts of seven Cup campaigns, suddenly didn’t have a sanctioned ride. CHR swiftly issued a suspension for insensitive comments, despite the young pilot amassing three top-10 finishes during the opening four events of the 2020 season.

Larson was not offered a new contract and found himself out of work at 27 years old and treated like a pariah. Would he spend the remainder of his prime racing years competing on small, out-of-the-way dirt tracks and in the shadows of the NASCAR spotlight? It remained a possibility.

Throughout 2020 Larson, the circuit’s lone Asian American driver, attempted to resuscitate his reputation by attending mandated sensitivity training classes and hiring a diversity coach.

Analyzing his efforts, NASCAR officials reinstated Larson on Jan. 1, 2021. A free agent, Larson’s career went from oblivion to salvation when Hendrick Motorsports, one of the top organizations in the Cup Series, offered an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

Larson captured the Cup Series championship after visiting Victory Lane 10 times during his first season in the No. 5 Chevrolet. In 122 outings with Hendrick, Larson earned 19 checkered flags and 54 top-five finishes.

That is Hall of Fame pace racing.

The motorsports world looks at Larson differently now. On Memorial Day weekend, the Elk Grove, Calif., native attempted to become the fifth driver to compete in “The Double,” appearing in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600.

Larson’s bid, however, was interrupted by rain in both Indiana and North Carolina. Following a four-hour afternoon delay at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Larson failed to overcome a speeding penalty on pit road on Lap 131 and placed P18 in his IndyCar debut. After arriving late to Charlotte Motor Speedway, evening showers washed out the remaining 149 laps without Larson executing a rotation.

All the work and planning. Down the drain.

“Race day just sucked,” Larson told NBCSports.com. “Honestly ... I didn't really enjoy any of it.”

Larson: ‘Hopefully, we can do it again’

Despite the setback of failing to complete the “H1100,” Larson already is planning to make another attempt, possibly as soon as 2025.

“It was going perfect until race day,” said Larson, who qualified P6. “That is what kind of gets me down.  Hopefully, we can get to do it again someday and really get to enjoy doing both races.”

Perhaps next time, the effort will not leave him with a down feeling of guilt. Larson entered the Cup Series’ second half as the points leader, but decided to remain at the Indy 500 instead of prioritizing his day job with Hendrick. By not turning a lap Sunday night, Larson dropped to third place in the regular-season standings, six points behind new leader Denny Hamlin.

“I don't know if I ever quite fully got in the correct mindset,” Larson said. “I feel like I had a lot of weight on me and a lot of guilt of not being able to be in two places at one time. 

“I just was never in the right mindset.”

A disappointed Larson posted his feelings on social media: 

"What I thought could be one of the best days of my life quickly turned into one of the most disappointing ones I’ve ever experienced. I hate it for Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, HAG, Hendrick Motorsports, everyone a part of the 5 team, everyone on the 17 IndyCar for speeding, my family, my friends, my fans, and the documentary crew that has followed along the journey the past (eight) months.

"So much time, money, and effort went into this experience and it just kills me to have it all end the way it did. I feel like I let so many people down.”

No, not like April 2020.

This time Larson earned universal respect for his patience and effort. With his image all but rehabilitated, what is Larson’s next challenge?  Formula 1, anyone?

McLaren CEO Zak Brown told PlanetF1.com he felt “very comfortable” opening negotiations to have Larson test one of his machines in the future.

A chameleon-like pilot, Larson continues to compete in a series of motorsports disciplines, including Sprint cars and the 24 Hours of Daytona. IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi, who used to compete on the F1 circuit, placed Larson’s talent “on the same level” as three-time F1 champion Max Verstappen.

That’s high praise for someone who spent time in motorsports purgatory.

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