Kyle Larson is rarely tapped for questionable moves in NASCAR. His rivals, like Joey Logano or Ross Chastain, are notoriously known for their bump-and-runs or wall rides. However, Larson keeps achieving the best while keeping a clean slate. Although NASCAR is famous for its conflicts and scuffles, things are a bit out of control in its sprint racing counterparts. That is why Larson could not help but get into trouble recently.
This week, sprint car stars headed southwest to famed Eldora Speedway for some big-money races. The culmination of this four-race event is the $200,000 42nd running of the Kings Royal. But drivers, including Kyle Larson, got a little too excited before they could reach the Saturday event.
Kyle Larson gets embroiled in chaos
In NASCAR, Kyle Larson has a history with Denny Hamlin. In the sprint car racing world, he is developing it with David Gravel, a top World of Outlaws talent. Back in 2020, Gravel could have made his NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports breakthrough with Larson getting a suspension. However, the latter’s comeback axed Gravel’s opportunity. Similarly, the two drivers have clashed multiple times in sprint car events, like the 2020 Knoxville Nationals, when Gravel outdueled Larson to win. During the “The Knight Before” event for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series on Friday, the two were locked in a battle again. And the conclusion of the 30-lap feature saw a scuffle unfold between the two.
Rico Abreu dominated the night, leading every lap to score his second consecutive “The Knight Before” victory at Eldora Speedway. However, ‘The Big E’ hosted another major storyline alongside Abreu’s win. 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson engaged in an intense fight with David Gravel. As Abreu took the checkered flag, Larson and Gravel locked horns, with the former prevailing for the final podium spot. The two drivers collided on the track, and that subsequently led to a heated exchange of words. Post-race, both were called for assessment, as an insider updated on X: “Both Kyle Larson and David Gravel have been escorted to the World of Outlaws command center.”
Both Kyle Larson and David Gravel have been escorted to the World of Outlaws command center.
— tjslideways.com (@tjslideways) July 19, 2025
Kyle Larson joked about the incident on X: “Just @DavidGravel and I ironing out the details of his 2027 High Limit contract tonight on the backstretch at Eldora. Still negotiating terms… mainly how he’ll handle racing against the best every night. ” David Gravel took shots of his own at Larson: “We can playing that game, but eventually it’s not gonna be good. He needs to be a professional…He’s not driving like that on the racetrack. We’re friends, but right now we’re not.”
Kyle Larson finished 3rd while David Gravel trailed him in 4th place. Their post-race escort was World of Outlaws official Carlton Remers, who did not look pleased. According to another X update, both sprint car stars left the command center following a brief meeting. This follows Larson’s $100,000 win on Wednesday. Gravel, who leads the WoO points standings this year with 10 wins, knew the challenges of Eldora beforehand. He said last week, “Every other lap I tried a different lane and the car started getting free and it just kept getting slicker and slicker every lap… 40 laps here the track changes so much.”
Clearly, neither Gravel nor Larson could tackle the ravages of Eldora Speedway without slipping into conflict. It kind of confirms Kyle Larson’s bold statement earlier this week.
Larson puts this sport on a pedestal
Given Kyle Larson’s 37 Cup Series victories, you would think NASCAR reigns supreme in his mind. After all, the Hendrick Motorsports driver fetches wins like berries in a garden in the Cup Series. However, he is also a sprint car racing champion. Larson’s side quests have yielded many victories, from his third Chili Bowl title earlier in 2025 to clinching the High Limit International in Australia. At the same time, Larson is accurately aware of the costs involved. Larson won the $100,000 event in Eldora earlier this week on national television, but he had to dodge a terrifying carnage first. The event began in a scary way as a severe multi-car pileup tore up contenders. Among the affected drivers, Tyler Courtney was transported to a local hospital for observation.
Hence, Kyle Larson issued his verdict on which discipline of racing intimidates him the most. He broke some stereotypes for NASCAR fans in the process: “I think a lot of fans see me race on Sundays and they have a misconception of sprint car racing, that this isn’t, you know, professional, and I come ‘down’ to win these races. But it is the toughest form of racing I get a chance to be a part of. So, the quality of equipment, the quality of drivers, the fans, everybody involved. Everybody’s, you know, partners and sponsors. This is as professional as it gets for American auto racing.”
The professional side did get a bad rap following Kyle Larson’s tussle with David Gravel. Let us wait for further developments on this Eldora scuffle.
The post “We can keep playing that game”: Kyle Larson Escorted Out of Track After Sprint Race loss Turns Ugly at Eldora Speedway appeared first on EssentiallySports.
