Kyle Larson: NASCAR Is 'Probably Only Sport That the Athlete's Salaries Have Gone Down'

Kyle Larson’s interest in the antitrust suit filed against NASCAR is twofold, that of a Cup driver and a race series owner.

Larson and his brother-in-law Brad Sweet own the High Limit Racing Sprint Car Series, which purchased the All Star Circuit of Champions from Tony Stewart in October 2023. The Sprint Car series primary competitor is the World of Outlaws.

The principal difference between the two is High Limit doesn’t restrict its drivers from competing in other events and series. WoO teams are allowed to compete in a maximum of four non-WoO races per season. If a team exceeds the limit, it loses its eligibility for monetary benefits, such as the exclusivity bonus fund, points fund, and tow money.

In the suit, 23XI and Front Row note that NASCAR prevents its Cup Charter teams from competing in another series, and the car they race is exclusive to stock car racing’s premier circuit.

Larson said the suit might involve every team in every racing series “in a way.”

“I think there’s stuff that will be learned from it all,” Larson said. “Brad (Sweet) and myself are drivers. I’ve been an owner. We want it fair for everybody. Obviously, it’s on a way smaller scale. I don’t know if that makes it easier or harder, but we’re trying to figure out our own Charter stuff. I think being from the NASCAR side and seeing what’s going on now, you can get different ideas.”

Larson believes the strength being exerted by 23XI and Front Row in the suit is “pretty interesting.”

“It’s cool to see somebody stand up to a huge corporation,” Larson said. “Obviously, I would love to see our teams making more money because I think that helps the overall health of our sport. I definitely give kudos to Front Row and 23XI for sticking up for what they believe.

“We’re probably one of the only sports, if not the only sport, that the athlete’s salary has gone down in the last couple decades. I think you look at yearly, most athletes’ salaries and stuff are going up, not just athletes, but coaches, staff members, everybody in the sport.

"Obviously, we would love to see it trend upward instead of the opposite, which it’s been. With that, I think the teams probably have to make a lot more money to make it viable to pay the people that are working for their organizations more.”