Kyle Larson has weighed in on the GOAT debate in NASCAR without much hesitation. The Hendrick Motorsports driver didn’t bother with a diplomatic answer or a humble nod to his own career.
Recently, sitting down for an episode of Field Day with YouTuber That Guy Garf, Larson faced the big question: who’s the GOAT? Larson, with no pause, just one name said, Jimmie Johnson.
“I think the greatest of all time would be Jimmie Johnson,” Larson said. “Seven-time champion in the modern era of NASCAR… I mean, winning five in a row and then another two — that’s incredible.”
To be fair, Jimmie Johnson’s resume doesn’t need much selling. Seven Cup Series titles, five consecutive between 2006–2010, all of which were in the playoff format era. Kyle Larson mentioned that winning on a consistent basis is much more difficult in contemporary NASCAR: smaller fields, greater parity, and a championship that requires a level of perfection to be nearly flawless.
“It just gets tougher and tougher to win races and win championships,” Larson said. “Drivers are getting better, cars are more equal… for him to do what he did? That’s insane.”
Meanwhile, Johnson was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2025 and now co-owns Legacy Motor Club. His stats are legendary, but Larson’s take goes beyond numbers; it’s also about what it takes to do it in the modern era.
The 32-year-old driver may also be building his own Hall of Fame career, but he’s not putting himself in the GOAT tier, not yet, anyway. Instead, he mentioned Denny Hamlin when asked about the LeBron of NASCAR.
Right now, with already a Cup title and 32 race victories to his name, Kyle Larson is carving his own legacy. Maybe one day, the GOAT discussion will include his name.
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