Kyle Larson welcomes crown jewel Brickyard’s comeback on NASCAR schedule: “That race means a lot more on the oval”

Ahead of the Pocono race, Kyle Larson has welcomed the Brickyard 400's return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The crown jewel race marked its resurrection on the 2.5-mile oval after the last battle was held in 2020 and the IMS Road Course took charge until 2023.

NASCAR boasts four crown jewel races- the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600, the Brickyard 400, and the Southern 500. The year 1994 witnessed the Brickyard's inaugural running with NASCAR, and on its 30th anniversary, the IMS race has found its way back into the Cup Series calendar.

Kyle Larson gave his two cents on this, saying:

"I’m just happy we’re back on the oval. I think it’s good for the sport being back on the oval; I think that race means a lot more on the oval. Happy to have a crown jewel race back, and hopefully we can have a good showing."

The crown jewel was part of the 'Winston Million,' wherein any driver to secure three wins from four crown jewel races will go home with a paycheck of $1 million. In 1985, Chase Elliott's father Bill Elliott became the first driver to collect the million-dollar prize money while the scheme ended after Jeff Gordon became the last driver to etch the triumph in 1997.

Kyle Larson believes NASCAR lost the crown jewel race when it switched to Indianapolis Road Course

For three years since 2021, the 2.439-mile road course on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway held the baton for hosting the Brickyard races. The first year witnessed Kaulig Racing's A.J. Allmendinger taking the throne while Tyler Reddick emerged triumphant in the second year of Brickyard's running on the road course.

Last year, Michael McDowell reigned supreme after raking the Stage 1 win and dethroning Chase Elliott by 0.937 seconds and Daniel Suarez by 5.750. The Front Row Motorsports driver fought a close battle for contention before marking his maiden triumph in the 2023 season.

Kyle Larson hasn't been able to bag any crown jewel race win except the 2021 Coca-Cola 600, the same year he became the Cup Series champion. During the Brickyard's first stint on the IMS road course, the Hendrick Motorsports driver secured a third-place finish, followed by a disappointing DNF in the second year, and P8 in the final season.

From his experience, Larson said that the crown jewel lost its allure when it was hosted on a road course but expressed his happiness on the resurrection.

"I’m just happy we’re back on the oval because of the history and the meaning of the Brickyard 400. I feel like when we went to the road course, we lost a crown jewel race," he said (2.48).

Kyle Larson will next be seen at the Pocono Raceway for NASCAR's 21st Cup Series weekend while marking his 20th appearance of the season.