Kyle Larson just clinched his third championship on Sunday, capping off an unbelievable run that sees him with three titles in the last six seasons. He’s only 34 years old, an absolute force in the Cup Series, but here’s the kicker: when he was asked about chasing the legendary seven Cup titles held by Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson, Larson basically dismissed it. His tone said it all, like it was an impossible mountain to climb. “I’d have to win five in a row to feel like I have enough time, probably, like Jimmie did,” Larson said, throwing back to Johnson’s insane streak of five titles from 2006 to 2010.
Seven Titles? Larson Says It’s Too Hard
Think about that for a second. Three championships in six years, a total beast on the track, and he’s not even letting himself think about seven. After his champion’s news conference late Sunday night, Larson called seven “a big number” and flat out said, “These championships are extremely hard to come by.” It’s almost like he’s trying to manage expectations, even his own.
Instead, Larson is looking to his racing idols, Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon. Stewart has three titles, putting Larson right there with him. “To join Tony is such a cool feeling,” Larson gushed. “I can’t really believe that I’m on a list with him in championships.” Gordon, who holds four titles, is the next target for Larson. “Ultimately, if I could join Jeff Gordon, that would be amazing also for a lot of the same reasons,” he added. “You want to just keep winning. Hopefully, we can get there. I think Jeff thinks that I want to beat him and win five or win more than him. Obviously, yeah, that would be great. But for me just to be on a list with Jeff Gordon would be pretty awesome.” It’s clear his focus is on the next achievable milestone, not the ultimate record.
Gordon and Hamlin See a Legend in the Making
But here’s where it gets interesting: the legends themselves aren’t buying Larson’s humble dismissal. Jeff Gordon, who is now the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, has playfully challenged Larson to “come and get it” when talking about his own four titles. And Gordon isn’t just talking trash, he truly believes in Larson. “He’s going to pass me,” Gordon stated at the champion’s news conference. “I already came to that conclusion. I kind of knew that when he was going to Hendrick Motorsports. He’s special.”
Gordon even sees the same championship-winning DNA in Larson and his crew chief, Cliff Daniels, that he witnessed in Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus. He used Larson’s last two titles as proof. In 2025, Larson grabbed the championship with a late two-tire call, in a race he didn’t even lead a lap and without a single postseason win. Then in 2026, under a new Chase format, he put together an “awesome 10-race run” to take the title. Gordon put it perfectly: “They put themselves in position, and they had something fall their way in a great way [in 2025]. That’s how you win multiple ones in a row, multiple championships, is when you have that opportunity, you seize it. That’s what Jimmie and Chad did.” He stressed that Johnson and Knaus “never quit” and “never gave up.”
Even one of Larson’s toughest competitors, Denny Hamlin, is on board with the idea of seven titles. Hamlin believes Larson is “this generation’s Johnson” and told reporters that seven titles isn’t “out of reach.” “It seems feasible,” Hamlin said after the race. “You don’t know how long he’s going to go. That matters. If he can get to five or six by 40, then he’s probably going to try to go all the way.”
What’s Next For Larson?
So, while Kyle Larson might be downplaying his chances at a record-tying seven championships, the guys who know the sport best , legendary drivers and fierce competitors , are saying, “Not so fast!” His third title firmly places him among the greats of his era, and with his team, led by Cliff Daniels, showing that never-say-die attitude, anything seems possible. Will he chase down Gordon’s four titles next? Or will the pressure of history eventually pull him toward that seemingly impossible number seven? This debate is just getting started, and you know we’ll be watching every single lap!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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