Kyle Larson has always worn multiple hats in racing, from NASCAR champ to dirt track innovator. Larson co-founded High Limit Racing in 2022, and since then, he’s done many things to uplift sprint car racing’s profile. The latest schedule drop for 2026 shows that drive-in action too, with 61 races across 13 new tracks to chase bigger crowds and bigger purses topping $5 million. It’s clear Larson sees untapped potential here. But as crossovers heat up across motorsports, one move by Larson stands out.

Roger Penske, who owns IndyCar, built an empire by linking his success in both NASCAR and IndyCar. This helped IndyCar attract more fans. These steps are a nod to how blending racing worlds can spark real growth. And with Larson’s latest announcement, that strategy takes a sharper turn, as High Limit’s blueprint feels right in following that type of step.

High Limit’s NASCAR doubleheaders echo Penske’s IndyCar playbook

Insider Jeff Gluck nailed it when he spotted the pattern in High Limit’s fresh lineup: “High Limit dropped their schedule, and they have doubleheaders again with NASCAR at Vegas in spring and Texas. Thought those were a cool crossover this year.” This year, High Limit Racing’s schedule overlapped with many NASCAR events, and Vegas and Texas were two of those.

Fans got to experience both dirt racing and NASCAR action in the same weekend, so that certainly helped strengthen the link between the two series.

High Limit dropped their schedule and they have doubleheaders again with NASCAR at Vegas spring and Texas. Thought those were a cool crossover this year. pic.twitter.com/CevdnIFQ7k

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— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) November 3, 2025

In 2026, Larson‘s High Limit Racing is aiming to mirror Penske’s 2026 St. Petersburg gem, where Penske’s IndyCar pairs with the NASCAR Truck Series on the same weekend for the first time, kicking off both seasons with shared FOX broadcasts and street-course hype. Back in the day, Penske turned such links into gold, boosting IndyCar attendance by 20% at joint events and turning one-off races into media buzz that stabilized purses amid open-wheel viewership dips.

The official word from High Limit gives a proper outing: “Finding a rhythm with season-opening and season-ending events, the coast-to-coast campaign will once again begin at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as part of NASCAR weekend on March 12-14 and come to an end with the All-In Championship Weekend at Texas Motor Speedway on October 16-17. Like Vegas, TMS will also host an event during a NASCAR weekend, with the Stockyard Stampede returning to Fort Worth on April 30 & May 2.”

These dates by High Limit Slots link right into NASCAR’s spring Vegas excitement and fall Texas finale, much like Penske slotted Trucks into IndyCar’s March 1 opener. This St. Petersburg collaboration between NASCAR and Penske also paved the way for future partnerships of a similar kind. For High Limit, it could mean similar success, exposing dirt racing to NASCAR’s 75 million viewers and stabilizing teams via that new franchise system.

Larson himself puts the vision in gear, stating, “I really feel like sprint car racing is in a very healthy spot, not only financially but competitively. I think having two national tours just allows both series to elevate and become better… The competitiveness is what really drives the sport up. So yeah, it’s been good.”

High Limit’s expansion to 50-plus racing events last year and this year’s strategic schedule announcement could double down on that success, pulling in cross-fans like Penske did for IndyCar post-2000s mergers. It’s a calculated strategy that Larson borrows from a titan who’s owned tracks and teams for decades. And if this borrowed strategy hits the sweet spot that Larson aims for, it could potentially vault his project to $10 million purses by 2027.

As Larson juggles these builds, he’s eyeing tweaks elsewhere to keep the plates spinning.

Larson prioritizes NASCAR over Dirt

Larson opened up on the Happy Hour Podcast with Kevin Harvick about easing off his sprint car schedule from next year. After an exhausting 50-plus dirt starts plus four Xfinity races and family matters in 2025, he’s cutting back his dirt dates to stay sharp. The new NASCAR rules are increasing the limit to lower-tier series like Xfinity to 10 races from five, so he’s prioritizing those while honoring his High Limit roots.

It’s real talk from a guy who’s won everywhere, but knows that physical exhaustion can take a toll in the NASCAR Cup Series if not managed properly.

“I’ll probably tweak my schedule a little bit next year, but still you’ll get in 30 sprint car races, which is a lot. But maybe not 50 that I have on my schedule before the season starts,” Larson said. This shift stems from his summer slumps in both 2024 and 2025, when his racing dates clashed with IndyCar and Cup.

And those back-to-back races in different series left him physically drained, and he also missed a few wins that he knew he could have grabbed. With son Owen hitting the track too, Larson’s will now pick and choose races more cautiously to fit kids’ events and Hendrick duties. It’s smart math for a two-time Cup winner, who is looking to make his own legacy for the next generation.

The burnout confession cuts deep: “When they start getting these dirt racing schedules out, I get a whole spreadsheet going of, you know, all the races I could run throughout the year, which is usually over a hundred. And then I kind of start weeding some out and whatnot. But, I’ll be honest, the last couple of years I’ve probably done too much, and I do get a little bit burned out in the summer.”

High Limit’s growth demanded his involvement, but now that franchises are locking in stability, he can step back a little bit without feeling guilty. This balance echoes peers like Kyle Busch navigating similar paths, keeping dirt competitive while focusing on the NASCAR Cup Series.