Kyle Larson decided to have one last hurrah—racing in the Turkey Night Grand Prix—before the arrival of his third child next month.
Following a couple of glasses of wine and a touch of nostalgia, the three-time winner of the iconic event elected to enter the field.
With an assist from a friend, midget team owner Chad Boat, a clean, black car with the No. 87 awaited Yung Money’s arrival.
“Just got kind of thinking about it and I knew I would only be gone one day,” Larson said. “Katelyn’s really pregnant right now, and I don’t want to miss anything. So that’s why I didn’t run like the multiple-day events.
“But I wasn’t planning on running this and texted Chad late Thursday night to see if he’d have a car. Then just tried to figure it out the next day, Friday and, yeah, pulled the trigger, booked a flight and flew here (Saturday) morning.
Despite missing Friday’s practice, and spinning during his first qualifying lap, Larson rallied from 22nd to finish second in the 81st running of the USAC National Midget season finale.
— Racin Boys —