Kyle Larson’s Secret Ritual Before the Championship Race

NASCAR’s Kyle Larson Reveals Unusual Preparation Before Championship Race

As he gets ready to defend his NASCAR Cup championship this weekend, Kyle Larson revealed on Thursday his unusual way of preparing for the big race, according to a report by Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass.

Larson will run 15 miles Friday morning, just hours before Cup practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with a third NASCAR championship one race away.

The run is part of his training for the California International Marathon on Dec. 6, a course from Folsom to Sacramento near his hometown of Elk Grove, California.

Larson has logged more than 40 miles a week, with no break planned for championship weekend, according to Pockrass’s report.

Larson runs solo.

"Yeah, I like to run alone," Larson told Pockrass.

"I don't feel like I'm a great runner, so I don't want to feel like I'm limiting anybody that's going with me. But no, it's fun. It's peaceful. I just put my headphones in and go log miles."

Friday brings a new wrinkle.

"I'm supposed to do 15 tomorrow morning, and it's hot, so I'm not excited about that," Larson said.

"I mean, I haven't had a Friday practice while I've been training. But yeah, staying fueled during it is the biggest piece to not feel like crap afterwards."

His marathon goal is a finish under 3:30.

Then comes the question of whether the miles help on Sundays.

"I mean, I would say it hasn't hurt me," Larson said.

"I don't know if it's helped me, but I do think it's kept my mind off of racing, which has been good because I think I have this other thing that I'm equally committed to."

The marathon has eased the title chase nerves.

"Probably, honestly, put way more thought behind this marathon than I do the Chase, which I think has kept a lot of pressure off of me, oddly," Larson said.

Larson won Cup titles in 2021 and 2025.

"So, yeah, I've definitely felt pressure, but I've felt more pressure in other years," Larson said.

"And I think a lot of it's just to do with my mind is on something else, but I'm not distracted from it either because I think it's all kind of benefiting Sundays in a way."

Larson holds a 67-point lead over Christopher Bell heading into the season finale at Homestead and needs only nine points to secure his second consecutive Cup title and third in six years.

He will get one point for starting the race and could earn more based on where he finishes the opening stage.

Even if Larson struggles — unlikely considering he has two wins and six top-five finishes in 12 starts at the track — either Bell or Denny Hamlin would need to accumulate significant points to catch him.

The maximum points for a race is 76.

That kind of cushion has removed most of the drama from the finale, which returned to Homestead this season after six years in Phoenix.

But Larson insisted he is still feeling some pressure.

"Man, you've done such great work to this point to put yourself in position," Larson said.

"I would just hate for something crazy to happen, to eliminate all the work that we've gone to get ourselves in a great position to where you don't have to score a ton of points."

"I think that's the pressure," he added.

"Like, man, don't (screw) it up at this point."

He expects those butterflies to end once he slides into his No. 5 Chevrolet, locks in and forgets about "what's at stake."

"I foresee my race looking like any other Homestead race for me: try to get to the front and manage the race from there," Larson said.

"Hopefully the first stage goes well and then you can really just race free after that. I still don't think it's going to change the approach of the race, but you can race with less worry at that point."

Larson essentially could end up turning hundreds of "victory laps."

Another Cup title would put Larson in an elite class.

He is trying to become the 11th driver in NASCAR history with three Cup titles, joining a list that includes seven-time champs Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson.

Jeff Gordon has four.

Lee Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Tony Stewart and Joey Logano have three.

Larson spent Championship Media Day on Thursday in a position no other driver at Homestead shared.

The Truck Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series contenders all arrived with rivals still in reach of them while Larson took questions alone because his points cushion made him a category of one.

Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin will take the stage for media questions on Friday.

"Yeah, it's definitely been the most unique media day for me because in the past it's been the Final Four and you're there and you don't really," Larson said.

Larson was the lone Cup Series "contender" on hand for the event.

Bell and Hamlin, both technically still in the mix for the title, were excused.