There was a time when getting passed by Kyle Larson did not necessarily alarm the driver behind him. Joey Logano remembers the calculation: Larson had the speed to get by, but there was a decent chance he would eventually find the wall and puncture a tire. That expectation, Logano says, no longer applies.

Larson was never short of raw pace. Logano remembered seeing it at Homestead, where the young driver was always quick. The problem, from his rivals’ perspective, was what might happen after the speed showed itself. A daring pass did not always translate into a clean finish.

Logano now sees a driver who has grown beyond that early reputation. Speaking in a clip shared by Eric Estepp on X, the three-time Cup champion was asked about Larson potentially joining him in that exclusive group. He made clear that the talent was never in question.

“And he’s proven many times he’s freaking talented, right? And the kid’s so good. So, yeah, he’s really coming to his own,” Logano said.

He then explained how differently Larson was viewed when he first arrived in the Cup garage. “You kind of remember when he first started. He was always fast, especially here in Homestead. And then he’d hit the wall. And, like, see, you weren’t worried about it. Like, he’d pass you, and you’d go, nah, whatever. He’ll hit the wall in a few and have a flat tire. And he did. He doesn’t hit the wall anymore.”

That final observation is the heart of Logano’s assessment. Larson’s speed was visible from the beginning; what has changed is his ability to turn it into results without the mistakes that once gave rivals a reason not to panic when he came past. Logano is describing the maturation of a driver who has learned to make his talent count.

The timing of the praise is fitting. Larson could become a three-time Cup champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend, joining Logano as the only active driver with three titles. Logano won in 2018, 2022 and 2024; Larson’s titles came in 2021 and 2025.

A third would make Larson the 11th driver in Cup history to reach that mark, alongside Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough and Tony Stewart; names Logano specifically mentioned when reflecting on the company he belongs to.

“Yeah, I mean, every time you win one, it’s a huge event, right? They’re so hard to come by. And Larson’s a very deserving champion. And I know he hasn’t won it yet, but let’s be real,” Logano said. He noted that only a handful of drivers have reached three titles, adding that it would be “a pretty cool group of drivers to be included with.”

Larson’s position heading into the finale makes the possibility feel less hypothetical. He leads Christopher Bell by 67 points and Denny Hamlin by 70, and needs only nine points to secure the title. NASCAR’s clinching breakdown puts his championship probability at 99.4 percent; without stage points, he can still clinch by finishing 28th or better.

The gap was so large that Larson was the only Cup driver on stage for Thursday’s championship media day. Bell and Hamlin were still mathematically eligible, but were not part of the presentation. Larson called the experience awkward, while conceding that he and the No. 5 team had earned it.

That control came after a regular season that hardly advertised an inevitable champion. Larson entered the Chase as the seventh seed, 55 points behind top-ranked Hamlin, having gone through the 26-race regular season without a win. Nine races later, he had three Chase victories, six top-five finishes and eight top 10s, scoring 125 more points than Hamlin over that stretch. His 6.78 average finish was also better than either of his previous championship campaigns at the same stage.

Larson has sounded relaxed about the task left in front of him. Discussing the points cushion, he said there was “less pressure” than he had felt entering the old Championship 4 finales, almost reaching the point of none. That confidence is understandable when eight stage points can end the title fight before halfway.

For Bell and Hamlin, the arithmetic has been less comfortable. Both acknowledged mistakes and missed opportunities, with Hamlin admitting he had no optimism about his championship chances. Larson has not simply been fast; he has capitalised while his rivals have struggled to put together the same complete run.

That gives Logano’s recollection more weight than a routine compliment between champions. Larson’s speed was obvious when he was the young driver who might hit the wall after a pass. Now, with another title within reach, Logano sees someone who has removed that vulnerability from his game. The garage no longer has the old reason to wait for the mistake.

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