Kevin Harvick Made to Remember Jimmie Johnson’s Traumatic Era as Kyle Larson Rolls Back the Years

Let us go back in time to 2013 at the Dover International Speedway, the AAA 400 race was pivotal in deciding the championship. This was the last year before NASCAR adopted the elimination-style format to decide its champion. So points reigned supreme here, and Jimmie Johnson was able to execute the race with complete domination. Leading 243 laps, he was just riding in his own lane at the Monster Mile and snagged his fifth race win of the season. This was the moment where Johnson took charge of the points in the title race as he went on to secure his sixth championship crown that year. Although domination is rare in the Next Gen era, it seems like Kyle Larson is looking to change that notion.

Larson delivered a racing spectacle last Sunday at Kansas Speedway. And like the 7-time champ, his numbers at the 1.5-mile track were impressive: 221 of 267 laps led, started from the pole position, swept the stages, and secured his third win of the 2025 season. This wasn’t just another win; it was Larson’s 32nd career triumph. Tying NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett on the all-time list. More significantly, it pushed his career laps-led total past 10,000, joining only Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin among active full-time drivers to reach that milestone. Now, Kevin Harvick, who raced against some of the best racers who simply lost for words seeing Larson in his element. And even his co-host Mamba Smith couldn’t resist reminding him how Jimmie Johnson used to toy with the competition back in the day.

Larson’s Kansas Dominance Evokes Memories of Johnson’s Dynasty

“We’ve seen Kyle dominate a lot of those races at that race track,” Kevin Harvick observed after the race, acknowledging Larson’s masterful control. “And so to be able to dominate the first two stages and win the race kind of put the lid on things.” The AdventHealth 400 showcased Larson at his absolute best. After putting his car on pole during Saturday’s qualifying session, he controlled nearly every aspect of Sunday’s race. His eight stage wins this season have already set a record for the first 12 Cup races, and his sweep of both stages at Kansas marked the 14th stage sweep of his career. The victory propelled him past Hendrick teammate William Byron to take the series points lead by 35 points.

“This is why, you know, a lot of people and myself, including Kyle Larson, is the best driver on the planet right now,” Mamba Smith declared during the podcast. “When he wins, he’s the only guy that we’ve seen really have dominating performances in the last few years, like old school, the way Jimmie Johnson used to do. And you’re just like, golly, like ain’t no one gonna stop this guy unless it’s… He stops himself.”

Let us go back to 2013, when Johnson added another win to his name while Harvick, who was in the running, could only watch in despair. When Johnson won at Dover, he replied with wins at Kansas and Phoenix, but that would not be enough to stop the HMS driver. The #48 team visited victory lane again at Texas, and that saw Johnson keep his points lead intact. In the end, Harvick had to settle for a third-place finish until he would have his moment the very next year.

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Despite the dominant showing, Larson’s victory wasn’t without its challenges. As Kevin Harvick had predicted before the green flag dropped, the race ultimately came down to “Kyle Larson versus his right rear tire. And that was really his biggest challenge of the day was just keeping the tires on the car for the whole run.” The final 49-lap green-flag run saw Larson’s comfortable lead shrink from two seconds to just 0.712 seconds over Christopher Bell at the finish, with Ryan Blaney closing fast in third place.

With his third win of the season now secured, Larson turns his attention to a historic challenge: attempting the Indianapolis 500/Coca-Cola 600 double for the second time. Practice for the Indianapolis 500 begins Tuesday, marking the beginning of Larson’s quest to complete both races after falling short in his previous attempt. The NASCAR Cup Series will first head to North Wilkesboro for the All-Star Race before the grueling Memorial Day weekend double.

“Not His Fault We Can’t Execute”: Rivals Acknowledge Larson’s Superior Performance

While some fans and analysts debated whether the race’s lopsided nature made for exciting viewing, fellow competitors like Denny Hamlin refused to diminish Larson’s achievement. On his “Actions Detrimental” podcast, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran placed the responsibility on himself and the rest of the competition. According to him, none of the drivers were able to test or challenge the No. 5 car, but at the same time ran into problems of their own.

“That’s not Larson’s fault. It’s all of our faults. It really is it every contender that was even close,” Hamlin admitted with characteristic frankness. “I don’t know what else to say about it. It’s just you know, it’s not his fault that we all can’t execute.” This candid acknowledgement from one of NASCAR’s most successful active drivers further underscores the level at which Larson is currently performing. He makes his advantage, sticks to the plans and executes without any errors.

Had it not been for the pit road mishap by Chase Elliott and the #9 team, who knows, we would be talking about his redemption run. Not to forget, Brad Keselowski was in the mix as well, but it was his crash due to a flat tire that forced Elliott into pitting late in the race. Even Hamlin had a tough outing due to problems with his clutch pad, which forced him to retire. So the trend here is simple: Larson has set a blueprint on how not to make mistakes and make the most of your chances. Unless someone else masters this art, we might see him add more wins to his name this year.

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