Kyle Larson is on top of the NASCAR world following his Auto Club 400 win on Sunday in Fontana.
Larson, who won his first top NASCAR series at the Michigan International Speedway last year and, as an extension, became the first Asian American to do so, now has his second career Cup win.
The 24-year-old California native’s triumph in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race has squarely landed him at No. 1 in NASCAR’s standings by points. Prior to it, he’d finished in the top 10 in 11 races out of 17 since Michigan, and taken home the win for the second-tier Xfinity Series race on Saturday.
“We’ve been amazing all year — three seconds in a row,” Larson told reporters after the race. His No. 42 Chevrolet shot past Brad Keselowski and Clint Bowyer to clinch victory. “I’ve been watching on TV seeing, ‘He doesn’t know how to win.’ Well, we knew how to win today. It’s spectacular. All the hard work’s paid off.”
Finally closed out a cup win this year! So fortunate to be driving fast race cars on a great team. Thank you @Target @CGRnascar
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) March 27, 2017
Larson, whose mother is Japanese American, has seen tremendous support from his parents, race car fans who took their son to his first race when he was just two weeks old.
He began go-karting at four, competed in it by seven and, by 14, had taken up sprint cars. In 2014, Larson was named Rookie of the Year by the Sprint Cup series.
“Racing is not a job,” Larson told Kore last year. “It’s what I love to do. It’s a hobby and I get paid to do it. Nothing keeps me from racing. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.”
