Praise pours in for Kyle Larson following first NASCAR title

Published November 8, 2021 8:37 AM

Driver returns after suspension

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Before he headed onto the track for the biggest race of his career, Kyle Larson heard Mario Andretti praise him as one of the most well-rounded drivers in all of motorsports.

After Larson closed his 10-win season with his first Cup championship, the accolades continued, including one from his childhood hero Tony Stewart.

Larson closed his second chance in NASCAR with his first championship Sunday with a title-winning victory at Phoenix Raceway.

He was suspended nearly all of last season for using a racial slur. Now he's back, and Larson is the first driver of Asian ethnicity to win a title, and the first graduate of NASCAR’s diversity program to win the Cup.

Article Topic Follows: Nat'l Sports Headlines

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The Associated Press

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