NASCAR Star Compared to Trump, Blasts Fans — Wife Dazzles in Daisy Dukes
Monday Morning Pit-Stop: The "Trump, Taylor & Kyle Larson, Oh My!" Edition
By Zach Dean | OutKick.com & Fox News Digital
Welcome to the Monday Morning Pit-Stop!
Hey there, race fans! If you’re looking for a boring, by-the-numbers NASCAR recap, you’ve come to the wrong place. Go check out ESPN… assuming they still remember NASCAR exists.
This is the Monday Morning Pit-Stop — a weekly column where we talk real racing, real opinions, and have a little fun along the way. Grab your coffee (or something stronger), and let’s dive into what happened at Richmond this weekend!
The "Dog Days of Summer" Are Real
Important Point: NASCAR summers can be a grind. There’s only one off-week, the playoffs feel forever away, and honestly? The tracks haven’t been great.
Let’s be honest — this summer has been blah with a capital B. There’s been some good moments, but generally? It’s been a snooze-fest.
Remember the good old days? We used to get:
- Daytona in July
- Bristol in August
Those races broke up the monotony! Now? We’re basically praying the Atlanta race is decent, or the whole summer is cooked.
The Main Event: Kyle Larson’s Insane Saturday
The "Wait, He Did WHAT?!" Timeline
If you missed Saturday night, you missed history. Here’s the play-by-play:
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| Morning | Kyle Larson wakes up, checks weather — looks terrible for Knoxville |
| Afternoon | Finishes 6th at Richmond NASCAR Cup race |
| Immediately after | Sprints out of track, drives to airport |
| Evening | Flies to Iowa (with a POLICE ESCORT to the track!) |
| Night | WINS the Knoxville Nationals |
What Even IS the Knoxville Nationals?
ELI5 Alert: Think of it like the Super Bowl of sprint car racing. It’s a four-day tournament every August in Knoxville, Iowa. It’s arguably the biggest, most prestigious sprint car event in the entire world. Winning it is a massive deal.
Larson Didn’t Even Plan to Be There!
"When I woke up Saturday morning, the weather here looked really bad… I’ll be able to come here tomorrow and race Sunday. Then the weather was getting better… I was a bit bummed at that point because I was really happy about the forecast when I woke up. Then I was like, no it’s fine." — Kyle Larson
The weatherman got it wrong (shocking, I know), the skies cleared, and Larson said "Send it!"
Larson Was the Most Tracked Person on Earth
No, seriously. According to FlightAware, Larson’s plane was the most tracked flight IN THE WORLD Saturday night.
"It’s kinda cool that that’s a stat, because I figured somebody would be tracking Donald Trump or Taylor Swift." — Kyle Larson
Let that sink in. More people were watching a NASCAR driver’s flight path than the former President or the biggest pop star on the planet.
The Haters vs. The Reality
The Complaint:
"He needs to focus more on winning at his actual job!"
The Reality Check:
Piss alllllllllll the way off. (Author’s words, not mine — but he’s got a point!)
Kyle Larson is the best NASCAR driver on the planet and has been for ~6 years.
Why This Actually Matters:
- Grassroots fans LOVE him — the folks buying Busch Lights and corn dogs at local tracks since 1975
- He appeals to REAL racing fans — not just NASCAR fans, but racing fans
- His crew chief Cliff Daniels doesn’t care — they’ve won a billion races together; a little Knoxville update during the race is NBD
Joey Logano: Back in the Saddle
While Larson was pulling off mission impossible, Joey Logano won the actual NASCAR race at Richmond.
From Bubble to Favorite?
- Start of summer: On the playoff bubble
- Now: Championship favorite?
"The Mickey Mouse ears look good on the trophies either way." — Joey Logano
Author’s Hot Take:
I’d love to see Logano win another championship. Everyone freaked out when he won in 2024 — the fake outrage was so loud NASCAR literally changed the entire playoff format. I thought it was silly then, and I still think it’s silly today. Shove another one down their throats, Joey!
Bristol, The Busches & Emotional Moments
Bristol is Coming Up…
…in a few weeks. (Which is stupid — it should be this weekend, but NASCAR loves making questionable scheduling decisions.)
Sam Busch Gets Emotional
Samantha Busch (Kyle Busch’s wife) shared a tearful narration about what Bristol meant to Rowdy:
"Bristol wasn’t just another race to him. He loved everything about that place. Some of the greatest moments in his career happened on that track, in the yellow M&Ms car."
The Pressure on Ty Gibbs
- Mars (M&Ms) left NASCAR
- Kyle Busch left for RCR
- The iconic #18 M&Ms car hasn’t been seen in years
- Now Ty Gibbs has to carry that legacy at Bristol
Go get ’em, kid. Man, I miss Kyle.
Natalie Decker’s Richmond Weekend
Off the track. Never on it. You know the drill.
Natalie Decker (wife of driver Derek Kraus) had a pretty dominant weekend at Richmond — supporting her husband, looking great in daisy dukes, and bringing the energy.
Solid job all around, Natalie!
Summary: What You Need to Know
| Topic | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|
| Summer NASCAR | Been pretty blah — Richmond was a nice change of pace |
| Kyle Larson | Pulled off one of the greatest doubles in motorsports history (Richmond 6th → Knoxville WIN) |
| Larson’s Popularity | Most tracked flight in the WORLD — more than Trump or Taylor Swift |
| The Haters | Exist, but they’re wrong — Larson is the best driver alive & grows the sport |
| Joey Logano | Won Richmond, now championship favorite — author is here for the villain arc |
| Bristol Up Next | Emotional return for Kyle Busch’s legacy; big pressure on Ty Gibbs |
| Natalie Decker | Won the weekend off-track |
FAQ: Your Burning Questions Answered
Q: What is "The Double" Kyle Larson attempted?
A: Racing a full NASCAR Cup race (400+ miles) AND a major sprint car event (Knoxville Nationals) on the same day. It requires finishing the Cup race, flying to Iowa, and racing winged sprint cars on dirt. Only a handful of drivers have ever attempted it.
Q: Why do some fans hate that Larson races sprint cars?
A: A vocal minority thinks he should "focus on his real job" (NASCAR). They worry about injury risk or divided attention. The author (and most reasonable fans) think this is nonsense — Larson is the best in NASCAR because he races everything, and he brings new fans to the sport.
Q: What are the Knoxville Nationals?
A: The Super Bowl of sprint car racing. A 4-day tournament in Knoxville, Iowa every August. Winning it is one of the highest honors in dirt track racing. It’s a massive deal to grassroots racing fans.
Q: Why was Larson’s plane the most tracked in the world?
A: Thousands of fans were following his flight on FlightAware in real-time — racing fans, NASCAR fans, sprint car fans, and curious onlookers. It beat out tracking for Donald Trump and Taylor Swift’s flights that same night.
Q: What’s up with the playoff format change?
A: After Joey Logano won the 2024 championship, a lot of fans/media complained about the playoff system. NASCAR responded by revamping the entire format for 2025+. The author thinks the outrage was fake and the change was unnecessary.
See You at New Hampshire!
That’s a wrap on this edition of Monday Morning Pit-Stop!
Four tires, a splash of Sunoco racin’ fuel, and maybe a nice long nap for Kyle Larson — we’ll do it all again next week from New Hampshire.
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Zach Dean is a writer for OutKick. Follow along every Monday for the only NASCAR column that tells it like it is!