Kyle Larson could MISS first race in over a decade

NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Larson could be set to miss his first Knoxville Nationals event for over a decade in 2026.

Larson has made an appearance at the annual sprint car event held at Knoxville Raceway in each of the last nine seasons, winning the prestigious event on three occasions.

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However, following the release of the 2026 Cup Series schedule, it's looking like the 2021 Cup Series champion may have to miss the 2026 Knoxville Nationals event.

And that's because it's going to fall on the same weekend as the Cup Series night race at Richmond, also penned in for the weekend of August 15, 2026.

With no chance Larson skips a Cup Series event, he will almost certainly skip next year's Knoxville Nationals, meaning he will miss out on 10 consecutive appearances in the event.

Larson's sprint car racing exploits

Larson won the 2021, 2023 and 2024 Knoxville Nationals events, with his first victory coming in the same year in which he won his Cup Series Championship.

The 33-year-old is well known to try out various sprint car racing events, with Larson clearly having an undoubtable love for racing.

However, with no championship wins in the last three seasons, some have urged the talented racer to cut back on the number of events he partakes in away from NASCAR, and instead focus on solely Cup Series business.

Rumours have suggested that he will not race in as many sprint car races in 2026, with Knoxville Nationals an easy one to cross off the to-do list given its place on the 2026 racing schedule.

However, his presence at the event will be missed, recently providing entertainment at Knoxville Raceway when he blew a right-rear tire while running eighth with four laps to go at the 2025 event.

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