Kyle Larson Sweeps USAC Midgets, 360 Sprints At Merced Speedway
Kyle Larson Sweeps USAC Midgets, 360 Sprints At Merced Speedway
Kyle Larson won both USAC National Midgets and 360 Sprint Car programs Sunday at California's Merced Speedway.
More than three months removed from dirt-track racing proved no issue for Kyle Larson during this weekend's USAC National Midget and 360 Sprint Car competition at California's Merced Speedway.
Making his first dirt oval starts since Aug. 15's runaway Knoxville Nationals crown at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway, the 32-year-old superstar added two more triumphs to his 2024 win total Sunday, powering to victories in both the USAC Midget Madness finale and 360 Sprint Car 'Race For Chase' held in support of injured driver Chase Johnson.
Larson now has won four of his last five USAC Midget features, dating back last November's Hangtown 100 sweep at California's Placerville Speedway.
Sunday's 30-lap, $5,000-to-win USAC Midget victory took some work for Larson, who rallied from 14th to finish fourth in his semifeature before ultimately outdueling early leader Logan Seavey to command the final 17 laps. Appearing in only his third Midget start of 2024, pit reporter Drake York asked Larson if Sunday's victory was relieving, to which Larson said "it is. We've been really good whenever we've ran the Midget at all these California tracks except Merced, I feel like."
"We've been average at best, and we've had a couple races we were really, really bad," Larson continued. "Felt good to get a win there. I was honestly surprised how good I could get through the holes . I don't know if the track opened up enough for me to keep my wheel spin where I needed it. But yeah, I was a little nervous going into that feature because the Sprint Cars go through the holes way easier than the Midgets."
Larson nearly ran into trouble during the 30-lap Sprint Car feature where on lap eight he bounced through the series of ruts in turns three and four, the rough racetrack a byproduct of rainfall in the days before. Larson's No. 57 Paul Silva-prepared machine slipped off the turn-four banking momentarily before rejoining the racing surface as Carson Macedo cut Larson's 2.3-second lead down to nine-tenths.
WATCH: Highlights from Nov. 24's 360 Sprint Car feature at Merced won by Kyle Larson.
According to Larson, "when the track is like that, you just have to run really, really hard."
"It's easier if you can hit it right," said Larson, who eventually cruised to a four-second Sprint Car victory. "Yeah, I stepped over it a little bit. I was actually getting too comfortable into three, and kind of starting to be too caution and cheating. And I started bouncing in one and then got onto the flat (part of the track). Yeah, learned from that. Thought the bottom might be OK in the bottom of three and four.
"Felt like it was just getting rougher, so moved back up and felt good. I don't know what happened to Carson (Macedo), but once I could see him in my sights to lap, I knew I had a huge lead and calmed down from there. Yeah, fun to get back in the Sprint Car. Wish we could've things work out better earlier in the night to run. Still good to get a win with Paul (Silva) and Kevin (Kozlowski), and everyone that helps."
Larson's now has 19 wins on his 2024 ledger: Nine in the 410 Sprint Car, six on the NASCAR Cup Series, and one apiece each in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the 360 Sprint Car, the Dirt Late Model, and the Midget. Larson could be in store for another 20-win season at this upcoming week's Turkey Night Grand Prix at beachside Ventura Raceway right outside Los Angeles.
"Thank you to Paul Silva ... everybody who's here working on these cars today," Larson said. "It's been a long day. It's been fun. Cool to get FloRacing back to victory lane, too."