Getty Kyle Larson takes the stage at Nashville Superspeedway.
The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion is up for a prestigious award. Kyle Larson is nominated for Best Driver at the 2022 ESPY Awards, which will take place on July 20 at 8 p.m. ET.
Larson will have to beat out a stacked list of drivers to secure the win. The other nominees are 2021 Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen, defending IndyCar champion Alex Palou, and four-time NHRA Drag Racing champion Steve Torrence.
Larson is the second consecutive Hendrick Motorsports driver to earn a nomination for the Best Driver award. Chase Elliott, who won the 2020 Cup Series championship, received the nod in 2021, but he ultimately lost out to seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton.
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Larson Had a Season for the Ages in 2021
GettyKyle Larson celebrates a win in the Coca-Cola 600.
The 2022 season has only featured one trip to Victory Lane, but Larson turned in a historic performance in 2021 to secure the nomination. He won 10 points-paying races, as well as the All-Star Race before ending the year as the champion. Larson was the first driver since Jimmie Johnson in 2007 to win 10 races in a single season.
Winning 10 races was not a simple feat in itself, but Larson also captured some important races during a season in which he posted two separate three-race winning streaks. He won the Coca-Cola 600 Crown Jewel race after leading 327 of the 400 laps. He also won the first Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.
Along with his wins, Larson also led 2,581 laps while driving the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. This was the most in a 36-race season since Jeff Gordon led 2,320 laps and won six races to claim the fourth and final championship of his career in 2001.
Gordon did not win Best Driver after capturing his fourth championship. Instead, he and Kevin Harvick both lost out to Michael Schumacher, who had just won his fourth of seven Formula 1 championships.
NASCAR Drivers Have a History of Winning Awards
GettyJimmie Johnson poses with an ESPY Award.
Larson is only the latest NASCAR competitor to receive the Best Driver nomination, and he will have an opportunity to join a historic list in late July. He could become the 19th NASCAR driver to win the award.
The Best Driver ESPY Award first debuted in 1993 with Nigel Mansell winning. He then captured his second consecutive award in 1994 before Al Unser Jr. beat out Dale Earnhardt and Michael Schumacher in 1995.
Jeff Gordon, who has four Best Driver awards in his collection, was the first NASCAR driver to win. He beat out Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve in 1996 before going on to win in 1998, 1999, and 2007. Along with Gordon, Johnson has collected four Best Driver awards. He won every year from 2008 to 2011 while in the midst of a five-year championship run.
The list of NASCAR drivers that have won the award also includes Tony Stewart (2003, 2006, 2012), Kyle Busch (2016, 2019), Martin Truex Jr. (2018), Kevin Harvick (2015), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2004), Bobby Labonte (2001), and Dale Jarrett (2000).
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