Dale Earnhardt Jr. questions Kyle Larson's form highlighting lack of "reasonable result" after Indy 500 attempt

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has recently questioned Kyle Larson’s NASCAR form following his attempt at the 2025 Indy 500. Speaking on his Dirty Mo Media YouTube show, the veteran commentator expressed concerns about Larson's lack of standout performances since the high-profile event in May.

Earnhardt Jr. didn't claim Larson had completely fallen off but stressed that his recent performances haven’t lived up to the usual “Larson standard”. According to him, Larson has not delivered a clear, top-tier result since attempting the Indy-Charlotte double in May.

“Everybody’s careful about this one,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. [57:05]

“He hasn’t had a reasonable result or a Larson-style performance since Indy,” he added.

Though Larson has logged some top-five finishes, Earnhardt Jr. stressed that the driver hasn’t looked as sharp or threatening up front as he usually does. The concern isn’t about a single bad race—it’s about a pattern. The 50-year-old also pointed to the fact that Larson usually runs top-two or top-three every third race, yet that trend has not held since May.

“We’re used to seeing Larson, every third race at least running in the top two, top three, battling for the win,” Earnhardt Jr. added.

He also speculated on possible causes. The summer schedule, with its mix of road courses and tracks like Pocono, may be affecting Larson’s rhythm. Despite the critique, Dale Earnhardt Jr. made clear that he still believes in Larson’s talent. If Larson won the next race, he said he wouldn’t be surprised at all. However, even with a win, the dip since May would still stand out.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s story is in the spotlight again

On July 14, Dale Earnhardt Jr. released a new set of images tied to the second season of his podcast series Becoming Earnhardt. This new season focuses on Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s 1980 Cup Series campaign.

The release follows the 2023 debut season, which covered the 1979 season in eight episodes. The new material includes images from the 1980 Mello Yello 300 in Charlotte, where David Pearson took pole and won. Earnhardt Sr. had started second but crashed after 60 laps. The photos come from a collection Earnhardt Jr. found in his aunt’s scrapbooks.

“1980 Mello Yello 300. Charlotte. Pole sitter David Pearson would win. Dad started 2nd but crashed after 60 laps… Bobby Allison started 4th and finished 2nd in my grandfather Robert’s Gee’s Camaro,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrote on X.

One image showed Robert Gee—Earnhardt Jr.’s grandfather—standing next to the Camaro Allison drove that day. Another featured Earnhardt Sr.'s No. 2 Osterlund Ventura. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also shared an anecdote about Jake Elder, who was the crew chief for Earnhardt Sr. at the time. According to him, Elder was annoyed that team owner Rod Osterlund allowed Earnhardt Sr. to run feeder series races instead of focusing entirely on the Cup championship. That Mello Yello 300 was Elder’s last race with the team, and Earnhardt Sr. went on to win the 1980 title.