How Kyle Larson turned a write-off season into his third NASCAR championship in Miami

The 34-year-old became the 11th person to win back-to-back NASCAR championships, winning the title in Miami on Sunday.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.

This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom."It’s really cool.The way our season went makes this one extra rewarding," Larson told OutKick in a recent interview.CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGEKyle Larson celebrates with the trophy after winning the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida, on Nov.

8.(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)Entering the Chase in September, Larson had not had a victory throughout a tumultuous up-and-down campaign.

If he wasn't finishing in the top 10 , he was finishing in the 20s and 30s.He had 12 finishes outside the top 20 and 14 inside the top 10 .But when the calendar flipped, something clicked.

He finished fifth at Darlington and then won the Enjoy Illinois 300 the following week.He then took second at Bristol, then won the Hollywood Casino 400 and finished second again in Las Vegas.

Three weeks later, it was another checkered flag at Talladega."We weren’t really that good," Larson admitted, adding that it took him and his team "months to get a grasp" on what his new car "needed.""By late spring, I was thinking, 'OK, we can write this season off for a championship.Let’s just try to build to be better for next year.'"Larson fell into the old "cliché" of patience, taking things week by week and anything else similar for any NASCAR driver."But it was really true for us this year," he said.Kyle Larson celebrates with his family and teammates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida, on Nov.

8, 2026.(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY OUTKICK NEWSLETTERAnd when September hit, it was full speed ahead, no pun inte...