It’s no secret that Kyle Larson’s 2024 season will be one to keep a watchful eye on. Whether it’s the prospects of double victory at Charlotte-Indy or the return of Larson’s beloved High Limit Sprint Car series, next season is gearing up to be a rollercoaster for Hendrick Motorsport fans. But before kicking off the Cup Series action, Kyle Larson is all set to take a little detour to attend the 18th Annual Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout.

A week packed with late-model adventures and high-stake races, the Vado Speedway Park is all set to host the Wild West Shootout from January 5th through the 14th. Speaking of high stakes, if a driver can score a knockout victory in all six Super Late Model feature races, they get to claim a staggering $300,000 reward! But while many are in it for the big prize pot, Kyle Larson reveals his intentions are far more wholesome.

Kyle Larson has larger goals in mind for the Wild West Shootout than $300,000

In 2023, Kyle Larson made his Wild West Shootout debut and had the time of his life over the week. Larson came close to glory on multiple nights during his first time around the 3/8 mile semi-banked oval. While he missed out on the top step back then, this time around, the story could be different. But Larson was more ecstatic about the environment such dirt track racing creates.

Talking about his experience from last year, the No.5 Hendrick Motorsports driver added, “Yeah, the racing is obviously really good, um, every night. Which was fun for me. You know, I came up a little short a few nights of getting a win, but the overall fun of the racing was great. It was cool to see the crowd grow. Each night sounded like it was much bigger than the year before too. So that made me feel good, because I was like helping the event out, because that was the goal for me. To go there and try to help them gain some fans and stuff.”

During his debut visit, the fanfare was magnified by his presence. He also spoke about how FloRacing gave him the perfect opportunity to catch up on the Chilli Bowl.

He added, “So yeah, it was a lot of fun. Got to watch the Chilli Bowl throughout the week too on Flow, which was a different seat for me. But fun, you know. Fun to see that going on from a different perspective too. Excited to go back, hopefully, can get a win this time around and you know, close off a fun off-season of racing.” The 31-year-old sprint car series owner feels his skills are yet to shine on the dirt track. 

However, this feat might be easier said than done. Kyle Larson has some serious competition lined up ahead of him if he wants to take home the grand prize of $300,000!

It won’t be an effortless task to take home the big prize

Speaking to FloRacing, Larson reflected on the fact that the drivers feel like they’re back to the old days of battling it out while karting when they’re in the Wild West Shootout. Unlike Cup Series races, where drivers are bumper to bumper trying to slot into the fastest line, the dirt track race week offers a much more relaxed environment for drivers to warm up before the season begins.

While the week is surely relaxing, Larson is aware of the intense competition that lies ahead of him. When we talk about outright dominance at the Wild West Shootout, perhaps no name rings a bell quite like Bobby Pierce. Even for a man of Larson’s caliber, Pierce’s godly pace poses a serious challenge. Larson added, “I mean I think his car is probably better than it was a year ago too, so he’ll be much tougher even than he was then.”

Speaking of dodged bullets, Larson is elated that drivers such as Ricky Thornton won’t stand in his way. He reflected on Thornton’s exhilarating season and how it could have been a serious problem – “I’m glad Ricky Thornton’s not going to be there and he’ll be at the Chilli Bowl because he put together a spectacular season and I’m sure if he was at Vado, he’d have a good shot at sweeping the whole thing but I know Kevin [Rumley]’s been working really hard in our car and it was great to see Brandon Sheppard win the dirt track world championship.”

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It’s safe to say Kyle Larson is looking forward to a magnificent start to the 2024 season. Winning all featured races at the Wild West Shootout will just be the icing on the cake!