NASCAR: Petty says Larson in Top 0.001% of greatest drivers

Talking to Eric Estepp on Out of the Groove, former NASCAR driver and now TV pundit Kyle Petty compared Kyle Larson to two of the most naturally talented drivers in Cup Series history. Larson is going to command attention this Memorial Day Weekend.

“I can go back to Tim Richmond, probably the most talented race car driver I ever saw,” Petty said. “Just sat in it, drive it. IndyCar, Sprint Car, Super Modified, I don’t care, he just could get it done. I think Kyle Busch is that same guy, same guy. Put him in anything and he can go get it done.

“Kyle Larson is a special talent and what I mean by that is, Tim came to Cup racing from open-wheel, from IndyCar and found a home here [at NASCAR]. And Kyle [Busch] has found a home here, and he’s not ventured out that far,” Petty continued. “So we don’t really know what could Kyle Busch have been, what could Kyle Busch have done if he had come the route of Kyle Larson or come a different route like a Tim Richmond, somebody like that.

“But I look at Larson, and he’s a little bit different because not only do we talk about that he can drive it we have to talk about that he can win it. He is the first guy, and I’m going to say this and Tony Stewart was the only other guy that I know of, but Tony had come from open-wheel so he had the advantage of going back to open-wheel and having a shot at winning it.”

“He is, he’s in that top when I look at it, he is in that top 0.001% of great race car drivers who can do anything any time and can not only do it but can win,” Petty said of Larson’s talent.