21. The Interview: Katelyn Larson
Wife of Kyle Larson
Editor’s Note: People Who Race tells the stories behind the faces in motorsports and are told by veteran award-winning television broadcaster Kaitlyn Vincie.
For Katelyn Larson, life at the race track began when she was just three weeks old, traveling to races with her family. Since then, she’s had a front-row seat to watching both her brother, Brad Sweet, and her husband, Kyle Larson, achieve incredible success in racing. Now, she’s devoted to supporting her own children’s racing careers, traveling the country as both a team owner and a mother.
KAITLYN VINCIE: I want to start with how you grew up in and around a racing family. What do you recall about the early days of going to the race track?
KATELYN LARSON: I think it’s probably pretty parallel to Kyle’s story growing up. I was three weeks old when I went to my first race, the Gold Cup in Chico, which is ironic considering that’s the track our family has taken over with my brother, his wife Rachel, and Kyle. Obviously, I don’t remember the very first time I was there — that’s just what I’ve been told.
Further down the road, my brother started sprint-car racing and was planning to move to Indiana. But as a child, we were always together as a family every weekend, going to the race track. My dad remodeled this old Suburban and made it into a Dually, and that stands out to me. I just remember a lot of late nights and friends who are still friends today and feel like family.
KAITLYN VINCIE: I love the sense of community you had from a young age at the track. What has it been like for you to see your brother have so much success in the dirt racing world?
KATELYN LARSON: When we were in high school, he was in FFA and did speech and debate, parliamentary procedure and all those things. I was more on the showing animals and welding side of FFA. I did not do public speaking. To see how some of that has been a direct reflection of where he’s at today is really cool. It gave him such a strong foundation to be able to sell anything to anyone. He has so much passion for this sport, and he’s been in it for so long and loved it from the beginning. To have so much success from an early age, and now in a different way too — he’s not just winning races, but he’s involved in promotion and owns race tracks — is an amazing accomplishment for him and for the sport as a whole.
KAITLYN VINCIE: He’s had an incredible career trajectory, for sure. Now you and Kyle have your own family, and the kids are racing. What has that experience been like for you?
KATELYN LARSON: It brings me a lot of joy to watch. It’s taken time, and I’ll admit it’s been a life and career change for me too. I went from being a supportive wife at the race track to now being a supportive mom. I hardly go to any NASCAR races anymore because we’re racing on the weekends. Being at the kids’ dirt track is definitely dirtier, sweatier and a little more chaotic than a Cup weekend. But to watch them grow and be successful at it, there are definitely mixed emotions for me. The other day, Owen flipped and Audrey won, and I felt like I had similar emotions in both situations. I was holding back tears in both scenarios. It’s been great for our family, though.
KAITLYN VINCIE: They’re already showing so much talent and promise, which isn’t surprising. Is it more nerve-wracking watching your children race or your husband?
KATELYN LARSON: I think when Kyle runs a sprint car with four wheels over the cushion, that’s the most nerve-wracking for me, which happened recently at Attica — and then he flipped. Audrey doesn’t make me as nervous since she isn’t going as fast as Owen is right now. Owen’s racing with the adults, and he just seems so young, but he does a great job. When he goes on track, I’m usually filming him, so everything feels like it’s in slow motion for me. I feel like the older we get, and the more things that happen in life, the more nervous I get about everything.
KAITLYN VINCIE: That is so true. I don’t think people fully understand what it’s like for someone like you to watch your husband do something he loves that is also very dangerous. I’m curious whether that’s hard for you, or if you’re just used to it by now?
KATELYN LARSON: I would say I was definitely used to it up until maybe the last year or so, especially now that I’m watching the kids do it too. I think about things that have happened recently in our lives, and how things can change so instantly. So I definitely find myself getting more uncomfortable with it.
KAITLYN VINCIE: I understand that. You and Kyle have been together for such a long time. You’ve been with him through so many different iterations of his career. What stands out the most to you about his competitiveness? I think we’ve all gotten to witness one of the greatest talents in motorsports, period.
KATELYN LARSON: I see all sides of him, and what I see most is his time at home with our kids. As far as his competitiveness goes, he’s just so streamlined and natural. There are still times I watch him race and think, “How did he do that?” Or I’ll ask, “How did he make that happen?” His passion for it is starting to show with the team we own now. He started a Dropbox that’s so organized, and every weekend he’s uploading GoPro videos and encouraging the kids to study them. It’s all a direct reflection of what he does on a weekly basis. He studies every driver and every track, which is probably what people don’t see. He has so much natural, raw talent, but he definitely puts in a lot of work — more than people may realize.
KAITLYN VINCIE: I can definitely sense how hard he works. On a fun note, the shotgunning beers. It basically started as an accident the first time you did it. You were just having fun, your kids weren’t with you, it got caught on camera, and then it took on a life of its own.
KATELYN LARSON: The camera definitely caught me in the corner doing that. My brother and dad were always beer drinkers, and living on the lake, I’d have a beer with them from time to time. Fans always ask me if I’m going to shotgun a beer if the kids win, and I’d say, “Probably not.” But it was never about me — it was about Kyle. At the time, it just kept going and going because he was winning so many races. Everybody started loving it, and I think the fans liked that I stayed true to my dirt track racing roots. I do want the fans to know I’m probably going to taper that off now that the kids are racing and just let them have their moments.
KAITLYN VINCIE: You were an extension of the moment, for sure. I was bought in. I bought the Shotgun Sweetie shirt and everything. I’ve also noticed you’ve really gotten into fitness lately. Why is that important to you?
KATELYN LARSON: With how much we travel and how much we’re always on the go, I started struggling with being tired all the time, and I couldn’t figure out why. I’m definitely on a full health journey, and part of that has been working out to feel better and get stronger. I think God lines things up in certain ways too. My dad is injured right now with two broken legs, and I’ve been helping him. In the beginning, I was lifting him quite a bit, and I’m grateful I put myself in a position where I’m physically able to help him. He’s going to be OK. We’ll get him healed up. He was actually in the gym with me for the first time today. He doesn’t have a choice — he’s stuck with me now.
Thanks Kaitlyn. I've commented on many posts how racing mom's/wives are a different breed. I've always been to much of a wuss to be able to be either. 😂 From what I've seen and read Audrey is a little spitfire. Watch out racing world she's gonna be tough to handle. 😉