“It’s definitely on the radar,” said Kyle Larson when asked about his Adelaide 500 hopes earlier this year. In many ways, the 32-year-old is rewriting the script on versatility and dominance, after not only dominating the NASCAR world but venturing beyond stock car racing to other motorsports disciplines. While his Indy 500 dreams may have been left in tatters, the California native isn’t giving up just yet, and is now setting his sights on the Australian Supercars series.
It’s not just about international glory. Larson wants to test his racing prowess against the very best in the world, and one-up his rival Kyle Busch, whose Supercars aspirations have reached a roadblock.
Kyle Larson recognizes the challenges of competing in Australia
The dream ended abruptly. Kyle Larson’s hopes of attempting ‘The Double’ and following Tony Stewart’s footsteps came to a disappointing end on Memorial Day weekend. Competing at ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ the racer was fighting hard to climb up the leaderboard when he lost control of his No. 17 Arrow McLaren and caused a three-car wreck on Lap 91. To make matters worse, he was forced to retire early at the Coke 600 as well, bringing an anti-climactic end to a highly anticipated attempt.
But that’s not discouraging him. Setting his sights on the Australian Supercars series, Kyle Larson candidly said, “I like to race so, it’ll be fun. It’s just again, it’s a lot that goes into it. Logistically, it’s even tougher probably than doing Indy. You have to be down there for probably two or three weeks, it’s around the holiday season. Fresh off the Cup season. Maybe for sure. If not this year, another time.” That’s quite an ambitious plan to compete on a whole different continent.
But if there’s anyone who can do it, it’s Larson. Widely considered one of the most adaptable and versatile racers out there, the California-native has already secured 38 wins in the World of Outlaws and 29 triumphs in the All-Star Circuit of Champions. Last year, he took home $100,000 after winning the High Limit International Sprint Car event in Perth, Australia. Now, he’s planning to follow Shane van Gisbergen’s footsteps, as the Kiwi is a three-time champion in the Australian Supercars series.
Kyle Larson is still in the ‘exploratory’ phase of potentially running an Australian Supercars race at the end of the year or sometime in the future: pic.twitter.com/HyCEFp5WlF
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) May 31, 2025
While there’s no guarantee Kyle Larson will be successful in the land down under, there’s no harm in trying, right? The racer isn’t closing the curtains on this Indy 500 dream either, but hopes to race at the event when NASCAR commitments do not weigh him down. Perhaps that day will come when he closes the curtains on his full-time career at the highest level. As for the Australian Supercars series, it’s just another goal on Larson’s bucket list that he wants to tick off.
Larson wants to experience a different racing culture
Kyle Larson is truly a trailblazer. While his feats in the NASCAR Cup Series are well known, he’s not satisfied with simply competing in the stock car racing series. Previously, he has even compared himself to F1 champion Max Verstappen, claiming, “I know in my mind I am better than him as an all-around driver.” That’s quite a bold statement, and it’s not just empty words. The 32-year-old is confident in his abilities and is not afraid of proving it.
Sharing his desire to compete in Australia, Larson couldn’t help but say, “Nothing is set in stone yet. There’s talks kind of starting but still a lot to work through. I for sure want to get there and run the Supercar, but more than anything I want to get there and run the Sprintcar because just the atmosphere, racing in the city is really cool.” And now that he’s set eyes on his new ‘dream’, it’s only a matter of time before it’s fulfilled.
He’s not the only one who wants to race in the land down under. Kyle Busch has also expressed interest in racing in Adelaide and was in talks with Triple Eight, Supercars, and Adelaide 500 organizers to run both Supercars and Super2 races last year. Unfortunately, those plans were scrapped because of scheduling conflicts and Rowdy’s commitments in the US. But now, since both the Kyles share the same dream, perhaps they can fulfill their Supercars ambition together in the future. Do you think such a prospect is likely? Let us know in the comments!
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