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The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion is up for honors. Kyle Larson has been nominated for Best Driver at the 2022 ESPY Awards, which will be held on July 20 at 8 p.m. ET.
The 29-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver is the defending Cup Series champion, having finished the 2021 season with 10 victories, 20 top-five finishes, and 26 top-10 finishes. Along with his successes, Larson led 2,581 laps in the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. This was the most in a 36-race season since Jeff Gordon led 2,320 laps and won six races in 2001 to win his fourth and final championship.
Winning 10 races was no easy task, but Larson also won several crucial races during a season where he established two consecutive three-race winning streaks. After leading 327 of the 400 laps, he won the Coca-Cola 600 "crown jewel" event. He also took first place in the maiden Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.
The 2022 season only had one trip to Victory Lane, but Larson earned the nomination with a remarkable performance in 2021. He won ten points-paying events and the All-Star Race before finishing the year as champion. He ended the season by winning the race at Phoenix Raceway, giving the organization its 14th Cup title and its first championship.
Kyle Larson has a chance to become the 19th NASCAR driver to earn the award.
Kyle Larson is the most recent NASCAR competitor nominated for Best Driver and will have the chance to join the historic list in late July. He has an opportunity to become the 19th NASCAR driver to earn the award.
Kyle Larson was also the first driver to win ten races in a season since seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson in 2007. NASCAR drivers have won the honor 18 times in their 29-year history, with Johnson and Jeff Gordon winning four times each. Kyle Busch, who won the award in 2019, is the most recent NASCAR driver to do so.
Kyle Larson is the second Hendrick Motorsports driver to be nominated for the Best Driver award in a row. Chase Elliott won the 2020 Cup Series championship and was given the nod for 2021. However, he was ultimately defeated by seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton.
Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch have also won several times, as have Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte, and Dale Jarrett. Larson will be up against 2021 Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen, defending IndyCar champion Alex Palou, and four-time NHRA Drag Racing winner Steve Torrence for the honor.
