NASCAR Young Gun Kyle Larson Set to Break out in 2015

Going from the "next big thing" to being an actual contender at the Sprint Cup level is a difficult task for any driver. That's exactly what Kyle Larson will try to do in 2015 after a successful rookie season with Chip Ganassi Racing.

Larson, who won the Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year in 2013, entered the Sprint Cup spotlight at just 21 years old. After the step up in competition, Larson won Rookie of the Year, rewarding Ganassi. The last driver to win both in consecutive years was Kyle Busch in 2004 and 2005. 

Between his recent win at the Rolex 24 and results from last season, big things are in store for Larson during his sophomore campaign.

Larson's 2014 results raised eyebrows in the Sprint Cup, with Jeff Gordon becoming one of his biggest advocates. Chase Elliott may be taking over the No. 24 car after this season, but Gordon made it clear he wanted Larson in a Hendrick machine.

"I’m disappointed that we don’t have him, I’ll be honest, but we didn’t have a place for him," Gordon told reporters at the Sprint Media Tour. "I think Chip did a great job scooping him up and backing him the way they have and giving him opportunities to go showcase his talent and now getting him into Cup, where he truly belongs."

The respect from Larson goes back to when he was in the first grade, but he's moving forward with Ganassi this season.

Rather than trying to fly under the radar after missing the Chase last year, Larson was one of the most consistent drivers during the final 10 races. His six top-10 finishes in NASCAR's postseason were impressive after posting just 10 during the entire regular season.

This year, he plans to make those results count. The defending Rookie of the Year has some lofty goals for 2015. He referenced those expectations after his team's co-owner, Felix Sabates, guaranteed both Larson and teammate Jamie McMurray will make the Chase this year.

"We are capable of definitely being a top-10 car each week, winning at least two races, making the Chase and going for the championship," Larson told reporters in late January. "Those are pretty realistic goals. … I would have guaranteed that we would have made it last year, but things just didn’t work out. I would guarantee it, too."

If any young driver can back up those comments, it's Larson. However, it's not always as simple as having the talent to achieve the mark.

Take Joey Logano for example. Coming into his rookie campaign, Logano had already earned the moniker "Sliced Bread" because, well, you get the saying. That didn't quite work out perfectly for Logano.

During his first three full seasons, he won just one race and finished no better than 16th in the standings. Reaching that standing now is good enough to make the Chase, but it wasn't at the time. Things are working out much better for Logano now with Team Penske—winning five races and making the final four in the Chase last season—but nothing is promised.

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Don't expect those issues for Larson moving forward.

If his early results at Daytona are any indication, Larson should be able to have immediate success. Prior to last year, Larson had an abysmal showing in the prestigious Rolex 24. This January, Larson and McMurray helped anchor the winning team in the event.

During the 24-hour event in Daytona, Larson and McMurray teamed up with IndyCar drivers Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan to pull off the triumph. Completing 695 laps between the four drivers, it was a huge accomplishment for Larson in only his second attempt.

"To get the opportunity to run the Rolex 24 for [team owner Chip Ganassi] was something I looked forward to last year," Larson said during the NASCAR Media Tour in Charlotte. "And then, after how I felt I ran last year, I hated the race.

“I didn’t really want to come back and run it again this year. I’m so happy I did, so happy I did. I’m having the time of my life right now, a lot of cool things going on. The Rolex 24 is the latest cool thing that’s happened."

Along with the Rolex 24 victory, Larson also shared a special moment with his wife, Katelyn Sweet, just a month before the race. On Dec. 22, 2014, Sweet gave birth to a baby boy, Owen Larson, their first child.

Simply put, the winter has been an eventful one for Larson. This upcoming season will be just as eventful with several trips to Victory Lane on tap.

The proof is evident from Larson's results late in 2014.

Of Larson's six top 10s in the Chase, five were at tracks where multiple races are held each season. At four of those, the Chip Ganassi driver bettered his previous result. That was a trend for Larson that led to him being one of the strongest competitors down the stretch.

Larson's two second-place finishes at Loudon and Kansas could have easily been victories had he not missed opportunities to take over. Those two races were sandwiched between Chicago and Charlotte, where he led a combined 25 laps and finished third and sixth, respectively.

Those numbers have analysts like Mike Hembree of USA Today believing he might be the next legend in NASCAR:

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His name is bandied about in the grandstands and garage areas as if he might be the next coming of Foyt or Andretti, Petty or Earnhardt.

And he might be.

Kyle Larson is in the birthing years of what many think will be one of the most successful careers in auto racing history. A winner in sprint-car racing at 14 and on an accelerated curve since, Larson carries the unofficial title of Racing's Next Big Thing.

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Chase Elliott might be the most talked about Young Gun before the season starts, but Larson's success will turn him into a star this season. The 22-year-old driver might not be taking over the No. 24 car, but he has a chance to make the No. 42 just as memorable.

Coming into 2015 with a wealth of experience, Larson is a driver to watch with Chase aspirations. For those doubting him now, he'll have the last laugh in Victory Lane. 

All quotes are taken from official NASCAR media releases unless otherwise noted.

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