One look at his wrist and Kyle Larson says it's time to win races and Sprint Cup crown - MotorSportsTalk

Kyle Larson is not a quitter. But after his dismal debut in last year’s Rolex 24, the reigning NASCAR rookie of the year was prepared to skip this year’s running of the Rolex.

But one look at the newest addition to his jewelry collection on his left wrist proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Larson was right in giving himself and the Rolex 24 another try.

He and Sprint Cup teammate Jamie McMurray were part of the winning team in last weekend’s annual running of the Rolex at Daytona International Speedway.

“To get the opportunity to run the Rolex 24 for (team owner Chip Ganassi) was something I looked forward to last year,” Larson said during Thursday’s final day of the annual NASCAR Media Tour in Charlotte, N.C. “And then, after how I felt I ran last year, I hated the race.

“I didn’t really want to come back and run it again this year. I’m so happy I did, so happy I did. I’m having the time of my life right now, a lot of cool things going on. The Rolex 24 is the latest cool thing that’s happened.”

MORE: Larson not disappointed he won’t drive No. 24

It’s hard to say what meant more to Larson, being a part of the winning team or the Rolex watch he was given.

“Right now it’s 1:17,” Larson, 22, said, one of several times he was caught looking, admiring and smiling at the new watch on his left wrist during the news conference.

Time is of the essence for Larson, who is entering his second full-time season on the Sprint Cup circuit. He nearly won in Cup last year several times, and he is bound and determined to earn his inaugural win this year.

“Hopefully, 2015 goes a lot better than last year did for me,” said Larson, who barely missed qualifying for the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup and ultimately finished 17th in the final standings. “I’d like to get a couple wins and definitely make the Chase, and go for the championship. I think we can do that.”

Larson isn’t the only one thinking that. Team minority owner Felix Sabates made a rather bold prediction when he spoke to the assembled media.

“I’ve never guaranteed anybody anything in all the years I’ve been in racing,” Sabates said. “But I’ll guarantee you both of these guys (Larson and McMurray) will be in the Chase.”

Majority team owner Chip Ganassi isn’t one to usually gloat, either, but he echoed Sabates.

“Obviously, Kyle Larson’s development is nothing short of amazing,” Ganassi said. “I want to thank all the people who told us we were bringing him along too fast last year. Thank you for that. It was great to see him win the rookie of the year. We’re very proud of that and look for many more bigger and better things out of him in 2015.”

Follow me @JerryBonkowski

Vicki Golden has earned a career worthy of a thousand stories and 805 Beer tells at least one of them, as “Inverted Perspective” premiered March 30 on the company’s website and YouTube channel.

Golden did more to break the glass ceiling in SuperMotocross than she ever thought possible. She knows this because riders have never felt the need to explain any of her accomplishments with the disclaimer, “for a girl”.

At this point in Golden’s career, she’s been the first woman to finish top 10 in AMA Arenacross Lites, the first woman to qualify in the Fast 40 in Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the first woman to compete in freestyle Moto X competition, earning a bronze medal by doing so.

Her love for moto came from childhood while she watched her dad and brother ride. By seven she was on her bike and making waves throughout Southern California.

Golden, 30, is still madly in love with the sport and has no plans on moving away but her career is already one to talk about. 805 Beer’s film series wanted to do exactly that.

“I’m taken aback by it all,” Golden told NBC Sports about the documentary. “It’s just crazy to see your story, it’s one thing to live your life and battle everything that comes about but it’s another to just sit there and talk about it.”

805 approached Golden about the feature by asking, “Do you even realize that what you do, and your story is special?”

Golden took the question as a blank canvas to map out the highs and lows of her career and life.

Women in SuperMotocross: Jordan Jarvis knows how tough it is

The title “Inverted Perspective” came from a brainstorming session with Dominick Russo and it highlights Golden’s outlook on the sport of SuperMotocross and her life in general.

“My whole life, my whole career was thinking differently and looking at things that shouldn’t be done and aren’t there, while being able to make a place for myself, where no one thought there should be a place,” Golden said. “It’s inspiring someone to think in different ways. It sums up my life.”

*Vicki Golden is not “fast for a girl”; she’s just fast. – 805 Beer*

While Golden is no stranger to the spotlight, this was the first time she’s been fully involved with the storytelling and creation of a feature about herself.

“It’s not like a full new experience,” Golden said. “Obviously, you get your standard questions about your upbringing and accomplishments, but I’ve never really put into perspective things that happened in my past with my dad and putting that to light. Also, certain other things that maybe got overlooked in previous interviews or films. I wanted to touch on these and Dom wanted to create a story. It’s just cool to see it come to light, it’s a nearly impossible thing to tell somebody’s life story in 40 minutes.”

Golden’s father was left paralyzed after an ATV accident, robbing him the opportunity to ride again. This happened a few months before the father-daughter duo was set to compete in the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals when Vicki was 12. While she might have been unable to grasp the severity at the time, it’s something she carries with her. Golden continues to ride in his honor.

Years later, an accident in 2018 nearly sidelined the then 25-year-old Vicki when a freestyle accident almost resulted in the amputation of her lower leg.

Women in SuperMotocross Ashley Fiolek is building community

Golden 805 Beer — *Vicki Golden has ridden a variety of disciplines in SuperMotocross, which gives her a unique perspective. – 805 Beer*

“Inverted Perspective” highlights her father’s diligence in helping Vicki continue with her career and the kindness and strength he carried while fighting his own battle.

“My dad was the entire reason that I started riding in the first place,” Golden said. “So, to honor his memory and to honor what we went through and how hard he pushed to keep our dream alive and keep everything going – in that sense then, it was really special to be able to honor him and talk about him.”

The 40-minute feature was filmed entirely in black and white, a stark contrast from the oversaturated world of motocross where the brighter the suit the easier it is for fans to find their rider and follow him in the race. By filming in monochrome Russo and Golden had the chance to focus on the race and track from a different perspective.

“It was cool to be able to film it differently,” Golden said. “It created a challenge in the sense of what was going to be more visually impactful for the film.

“I couldn’t be here without the companies that back me but at the same time, it’s not like the logos or colors disappeared, it’s just different lights shed on different spots. It’s just a cool way to do it and to take color away and still be impactful. When you think of black and white, you think of old school, the OG way of doing things.”

One look at his wrist and Kyle Larson says it’s time to win races and Sprint Cup crown

Vicki Golden and 805 Beer tell a unique story from an Inverted Perspective

Read more about SuperMotocross