Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson recently competed in the Bank of ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course on Sunday, October 5, 2025. During a post-race interview with NBC Sports, Larson got candid about Trackhouse Racing driver Shane van Gisbergen’s latest triumph at Charlotte.

The #5 Chevy Camaro ZL1 driver qualified fourth for the 109-lap main event. He completed the 2.28-mile road course track with a best lap time of 86.31 seconds and reached a top speed of 95.10 mph. Meanwhile, Shane van Gisbergen secured P2 in the qualifying session with a best time of 85.97 seconds and a top speed of 95.47 mph.

Van Gisbergen took the lead early and dominated stage one, finishing it in P1 while Kyle Larson closely followed in P2. However, both drivers fell back to P5 and P6 during stage two. In the final stage, the #88 Chevy driver regained the lead and went on to win the race, leading a total of 57 laps. Larson, showing strong pace, led for 27 laps and finished just behind van Gisbergen in P2.

Reflecting on the close battle with van Gisbergen, Kyle Larson told the press:

> “I’m happy with a second-place finish for this No. 5 Chevrolet team. Shane van Gisbergen is just so good. It was a fun battle with Christopher (Bell), too. To start the final stage, we were trying to break up his (SVG) rhythm and race, and I thought it was playing out well. He was just so fast. I tried riding. I tried saving my tires, but I just can’t do it as well as he does. But overall, it was a great finish and momentum to head into the Round of Eight.”

After the Charlotte ROVAL race, Larson advanced to the Round of Eight playoff. He currently sits third in the Cup Series playoff standings with a four-point lead over the cutoff line.

### Kyle Larson Shares His Mount Rushmore List

Ahead of the Charlotte ROVAL race, former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson appeared on the *Stacking Pennies* podcast hosted by part-time Spire Motorsports driver Corey LaJoie. During the conversation, Larson opened up about his personal Mount Rushmore of racing figures.

The Hendrick Motorsports ace began by naming former Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon as his “guy,” followed by former Cup Series team owner Tony Stewart, who is currently competing in the NHRA Series. Larson also mentioned his admiration for former sprint racing driver Joey Saldana and Jac Haudenschild.

Following his IndyCar stint, Larson added Mario Andretti and Parnelli Jones to his Mount Rushmore list. He explained:

> “Yeah. Uh, well, Jeff Gordon was always my guy growing up. Um, so I’m sure I was nervous meeting him. Tony was that guy. But I don’t know. I was, I was always, uh, I loved, you know, I liked Joey Saldana, Jac Haudenschild. Um, you know, obviously, um, you know, I knew from an early age like I wanted to be versatile. So, Mario, Parnelli, like, I definitely idolized kind of those guys and what they did.”

### Kyle Larson’s 2025 Season Overview

Kyle Larson has enjoyed a strong 2025 season, securing three wins, 19 top-ten finishes, 12 top-five finishes, and one pole position at Kansas Speedway in 32 starts so far. As the playoffs intensify, Larson remains a key contender for the Cup Series championship.
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