By Jerry Jordan, Editor

CORONADO, Calif. — Kyle Larson isn’t just racing into history this weekend on the deck of the USS Midway – he’s officially becoming the face of NASCAR on iRacing 2026, and the Hendrick Motorsports star sounded genuinely pumped about it during his media availability following his burnout on the iconic aircraft carrier.

Larson reflected on the unique opportunity to promote the sport, the race, the video game and the military venue all in one smoky burnout session.

“It’s really, really a great opportunity to be able to come here and promote the sport, promote the race, promote the video game, promote the Midway here, the aircraft carrier, through just doing burnouts on it,” Larson said. “So, yeah, pretty awesome.”

The California native, who grew up honing his skills in racing games, gave a heartfelt shoutout to his parents. “I think they know I’m thankful for everything that they sacrificed … I thank them for having a computer that had some racing games on it so I could hone my craft at an early age.”

Now the circle is complete, with Larson gracing the cover and leading the NASCAR integration on the iRacing sim platform.

Larson admitted he was anxious to translate sim knowledge to the real thing in practice but it’s the race that counts. The street course created by NASCAR on the naval base presents unique challenges — bumpy surfaces with varying surfaces of concrete and asphalt.

“On the sim, it’s kind of all one grip … concrete acts different than asphalt and when you throw sealer in the mix of it, it can have to learn in real life,” Larson said.

Still, he’s optimistic that preparation and real-world adjustments will pay off. The military setting clearly resonated with Larson, who explained he never thought he’d be doing a burnout on an aircraft carrier and that it was harder than it looked. There is even talk that the burnout atop the Midway might be included in the actual game but that is still in the developmental and discussion stages. Larson said it would be “cool” to have his burnout memorialized in the game, which was also announced would include burnouts for winners going forward in 2026.

Larson emphasized that this is NASCAR’s chance to show appreciation for those who protect the country, “We wouldn’t be able to race … without them protecting us.”

He also highlighted the importance of bringing NASCAR back to Southern California regularly. Fans here “show up and show up well,” he said, and that will help create an event atmosphere that feels special.

When reminded he’s the face of NASCAR on iRacing next year, Larson laughed, “Yeah, yeah. I hope, I hope there’s no like curse that goes along with it like in the other sports.”

Larson’s selection as the 2026 face of iRacing marks a milestone for sim racing and NASCAR’s digital push. For fans and young gamers dreaming of wheel-to-wheel action, seeing one of the sport’s most talented drivers front and center could spark the next generation of competitors. Whether on the sim or the deck of the Midway, Larson continues to drive the sport forward with skill and gratitude.