Kyle Busch has a challenge of sorts for Kyle Larson and the owner-crew chief of his Winged Sprint Car.
Rowdy is open to driving or eventually racing a World of Outlaws and High Limit Racing style race car but says he has never been offered the opportunity. But when asked about his interest in racing a Midget or Sprint during a Friday press conference, he said the topic has casually come up with Larson.
“Not Midgets, no,” Busch said. “I don’t fit. I don’t fit in a Midget. I could fit fine in a Sprint Car (but) no one has ever called me for it. … Although I have called Larson out on it.
“I told him, if you can get me with (Paul) Silva and get me a ride at one of your races you’re at, we’ll either figure out if Silva is really good or if you’re really good.”
He said it with a hearty laugh.
Paul Silva is considered an enigmatic but widely brilliant mechanic and the chief architect of Larson winning at the highest level of Winged Sprint Cars. Of course, Larson is no slouch behind the wheel either and it is something of a perfect professional marriage.
Silva has also engineered both of Larson’s wins in the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.
This has become a topic of conversation in recent years because Busch has started to dabble in open wheel dirt cars alongside his 8-year-old son, Brexton. Kyle has wanted to race, even if not in the same class, to both teach and enjoy the moments with his family.
“It’s just practice,” said Busch of why he does it. “It’s just staying in the car, staying sharp and doing all those things.
“I used to do that with all the unlimited Truck (Series) starts (and) unlimited Xfinity (Series) starts and did that for a long time, but then got limited on that. Then I started doing some Super Late Model stuff, and started doing that a little bit more and more, but years went on and that stuff is just crazy, crazy expensive.
“The Micro thing, with Brexton going to the races he is going to, I can run on the same track as he can, and I can just get out there and run around and just get laps and do it for fun mostly. I have won a few shows. I won I think two winged shows at just different tracks across the country, not the big ones, I am not that good.”
Busch joked that he’s the wrong Kyle, in reference to Larson.
“The point is to just go out there and get some track time and I can help with Brexton’s stuff when I can feel and see what the track is doing than just being a spectator or crew chief on his car.”
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.