Kyle Larson Racing announces its closure after the World of Outlaws season

By Oct 23, 2020, 6:00 PM EDT
Kyle Larson Racing closing
Sam Martin/World of Outlaws
0 Comments

Kyle Larson announced Friday that he will be closing his Kyle Larson Racing sprint car team that fields Carson Macedo full time in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Series.

Kyle Larson Racing started in 2013 as a partnership with NASCAR veteran Justin Marks (who will move into Cup Series ownership next season). Larson became the sole owner two years ago.

NASCAR announced Larson’s reinstatement Monday for next year, making it likely that he will return to the Cup Series in 2021.

KLR will run through the end of the Outlaws season, which will conclude with the Nov. 6-7 races at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

Macedo was the 2019 rookie of the year and had five victories with the team. In a note posted on Twitter, he said he would be announcing his 2021 plans soon.

Read more about Kyle Larson

Larson High Limit Eagle
Kyle Larson wins third consecutive High Limit Sprint race at Eagle Raceway,...
Larson High Limit Tri-City
Kyle Larson wins High Limit Sprint race at Tri-City Speedway ahead of Rico...
High Limit Larson
Kyle Larson scores first High Limit Sprint Car win at Wayne County Speedway

In a statement distributed through the World of Outlaws, Larson said:

“We have made the very tough decision to close Kyle Larson Racing (KLR) upon the conclusion of the 2020 season. It has been a difficult year for everyone amid COVID-19, which is one of a handful of factors that led to this choice.

“My commitment to sprint car racing, and grassroots racing as a whole, remains as strong as ever. Owning a World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series team brought me great satisfaction. It was a thrill to compete as an owner, and I am blessed and honored to have had the opportunity.

“As sad as this moment is, we’re thankful of the support of so many great partners. All were crucial in allowing us to finish the season with our driver, Carson Macedo, and the entire No. 2 team.

“I always told myself that if I ever got the chance to own a sprint car team, I wanted to give someone an opportunity like I had. I saw that in Carson – a California kid just like me who loves dirt racing and drives hard every single night. We’re incredibly proud of Carson and everything he’s accomplished while racing for KLR, and we wish him all the best as he continues his career.

“You can’t win races without a stellar crew behind you, so a big thank you goes to Joe Gaerte, Trey Bowman and Patrick Dudzinski for the tireless work they’ve put in day after day. I know what a grind the schedule can be, and our guys are some of the best in the business.

“Getting into team ownership didn’t just happen. There is a long list of great people and partners who made all of this possible. First is Justin Marks, as we both shared a passion for winged sprint car racing. Justin pulled me into team ownership in 2013 as a partner with Larson Marks Racing. LMR turned into KLR in 2018, and our World of Outlaws team wouldn’t have been possible without great sponsors in Tarlton and Son Inc., Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions, GoPro Motorplex and Lucas Oil. Many other partners helped along the way, including Durst, Weld Wheels, SRI Performance, Allstar Performance and Howard Johnson Lima (Ohio).

“Additionally, I want to thank the World of Outlaws for everything they do. It truly is the Greatest Show on Dirt. I will always be a huge supporter of the tour, and I thank them for allowing me to be a part of their series, both as an owner and as a driver. While I will no longer be an owner in the series, I will continue to be out there racing whenever I can in the No. 57 car for Silva Motorsports.

“Lastly, I want to thank the race fans for your unwavering support of Carson, our KLR No. 2 car and me. Competing in the World of Outlaws is such a rewarding experience because of the enthusiasm you have for the sport and its personalities. It’s something myself and my family have always appreciated and will never take for granted.”

Ford unveils a new Mustang for 2024 Le Mans in motorsports ‘lifestyle brand’ retooling

Associated PressJun 9, 2023, 7:00 PM EDT
Ford Mustang Le Mans
Ford Performance
2 Comments

LE MANS, France — Ford has planned a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its iconic Mustang muscle car next year under a massive rebranding of Ford Performance aimed at bringing the automotive manufacturer “into the racing business.”

The Friday unveil of the new Mustang Dark Horse-based race car follows Ford’s announcement in February (and a ballyhooed test at Sebring in March) that it will return to Formula One in 2026 in partnership with reigning world champion Red Bull.

The Mustang will enter the GT3 category next year with at least two cars in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, and is hopeful to earn an invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The IMSA entries will be a factory Ford Performance program run by Multimatic, and a customer program in WEC with Proton Competition.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, also an amateur sports car racer, told The Associated Press the Mustang will be available to compete in various GT3 series across the globe to customer teams. But more important, Farley said, is the overall rebranding of Ford Performance – done by renowned motorsports designer Troy Lee – that is aimed at making Ford a lifestyle brand with a sporting mindset.

“It’s kind of like the company finding its own, and rediscovering its icons, and doubling down on them,” Farley told the AP. “And then this motorsports activity is getting serious about connecting enthusiast customers with those rediscovered icons. It’s a big switch for the company – this is really about building strong, iconic vehicles with enthusiasts at the center of our marketing.”

Ford last competed in sports car racing in 2019 as part of a three-year program with Chip Ganassi Racing. The team scored the class win at Le Mans in 2016 in a targeted performance aimed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford snapping Ferrari’s six-year winning streak.

Ford on Friday displayed a Mustang with a Lee-designed livery that showcased the cleaner, simplified look that will soon be featured on all its racing vehicles. The traditional blue oval with Ford Performance in white lettering underneath will now be branded simply FP.

The new mark will be used across car liveries, merchandise and apparel, display assets, parts and accessories and in advertising.

Farley cited Porsche as an automaker that has successfully figured out how to sell cars to consumers and race cars in various series around the world while creating a culture of brand enthusiasts. He believes Ford’s new direction will help the company sell street cars, race cars, boost interest in driving schools, and create a merchandise line that convinces consumers that a stalwart of American automakers is a hip, cool brand.

“We’re going to build a global motorsports business off road and on road,” Farley told the AP, adding that the design of the Mustang is “unapologetically American.”

He lauded the work of Lee, who is considered the top helmet designer among race car drivers.

“We’re in the first inning of a nine inning game, and going to Le Mans is really important,” Farley said. “But for customer cars, getting the graphics right, designing race cars that win at all different levels, and then designing a racing brand for Ford Performance that gets rebranded and elevated is super important.”

He said he’s kept a close eye on how Porsche and Aston Martin have built their motorsports businesses and said Ford will be better.

“We’re going in the exact same direction. We just want to be better than them, that’s all,” Farley said. “Second is the first loser.”

Farley, an avid amateur racer himself, did not travel to Le Mans for the announcement. The race that begins Saturday features an entry from NASCAR, and Ford is the reigning Cup Series champion with Joey Logano and Team Penske.

The NASCAR “Garage 56” entry is a collaboration between Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear, and is being widely celebrated throughout the industry. Farley did feel left out of the party in France – a sentiment NASCAR tried to avoid by inviting many of its partners to attend the race so that it wouldn’t seem like a Chevrolet-only celebration.

“They’re going right and I’m going left – that NASCAR thing is a one-year deal, right? It’s Garage 56 and they can have their NASCAR party, but that’s a one-year party,” Farley said. “We won Le Mans outright four times, we won in the GT class, and we’re coming back with Mustang and it’s not a one-year deal.

“So they can get all excited about Garage 56. I almost see that as a marketing exercise for NASCAR, but for me, that’s a science project,” Farley continued. “I don’t live in a world of science projects. I live in the world of building a vital company that everyone is excited about. To do that, we’re not going to do a Garage 56 – I’ve got to beat Porsche and Aston Martin and Ferrari year after year after year.”

Ford’s announcement comes on the heels of General Motors changing its GT3 strategy next season and ending its factory Corvette program. GM, which unlike Ford competes in the IMSA Grand Touring Prototype division (with its Cadillac brand), will shift fully to a customer model for Corvettes in 2024 (with some factory support in the IMSA GTD Pro category).