Kyle Larson had to travel from a High Limit Racing event in Australia to even compete in the Tulsa Shootout in 2025, but it appears that it was well worth it.
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion will leave Tulsa, Oklahoma this weekend with a Golden Driller, after winning the Outlaw Winged Division of the Tulsa Shootout.
? @KyleLarsonRacin adds another Golden Driller to his trophy case!!
This time, in Outlaw Winged at the #TulsaShootout presented by @NosEnergyDrink! @TulsaShootout pic.twitter.com/JwzBDNE6Pr
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) January 5, 2025
After starting near the front of the pack, Larson was able to sneak into the lead on the race’s initial start and was dominant. However, as the laps wound down, that’s where the problems began — mainly with lapped traffic.
“Thankfully, with TJ [Smith] missing the bottom on the first lap, I was able to get by and kind of plug away,” Larson said post-race. “I thought I slipped too much early, so I went to the top and the caution came out and I could see Owen telling me to get back to the bottom, so I didn’t really know what to do.”
As Larson caught the tail-end of the field, TJ Smith, Emerson Axsom, and others inside the top five began to catch the No. 83 CB Industries machine and challenge for the lead.
“I felt like I put some really good laps together, but I could see all the little kids off of [Turn] 2, I don’t know if they were messing with me or not, telling me to get up, so I thought someone was coming.”
Despite a last-ditch effort by TJ Smith, Larson was able to hold position as the race leader, and crossed the timing line in the lead, winning the Golden Driller in the Outlaw Winged Division.
“Thought I was okay, just got boxed in and I don’t know who the lapper was that decided to run the bottom and kind of messed me up, and I knew someone would be close after that,” Larson added. “I was watching the board and TJ got to second, so it was a good race there with him — he almost had me cleared there, but I was able to chip him enough in three and kind of shut the door.”
Emerson Axom managed to snipe the runner-up spot away in the final set of corners, with Daison Purlsey in third and Thomas Kunsman, Jr. in fourth. After jumping the cushion on the final corner, TJ Smith finished fifth.
Steven Snyder, Jr. was sixth, with Garrett Benson, Braden Chiaramonte, Christopher Bell, and Neal Allison rounding out the top-10.
