“Smoke It Up”: Kyle Larson Opens Freedom 250 Weekend With Speed and Style
- Crystal Clay
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
by Crystal Clay
CORONADO, Calif. (June 19, 2026) — A retired aircraft carrier beneath his tires. Smoke pouring from a stock car against the backdrop of San Diego Bay. As introductions to NASCAR San Diego go, Kyle Larson’s series of burnouts aboard the USS Midway may have been the most American celebration imaginable.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver arrived on the flight deck Thursday evening as part of NASCAR’s official kickoff event for the Freedom 250 at Naval Base Coronado, where he was unveiled as the cover athlete for NASCAR 26.
The burnouts also served as a demonstration of a new NASCAR 26 feature that will allow players to celebrate victories with post-race burnouts when the game launches in September.
Larson celebrated the announcement with a surprise series of burnouts in the cover car and talking with NASCAR and iRacing executives on stage to discuss the upcoming release.
When asked what advice he had for players eager to try the feature for themselves, Larson kept it simple.
“Smoke it up,” Larson said.
For Larson, the appeal extends beyond the game’s new features. The Cup Series champion said one of his favorite aspects is watching his children load into the virtual cockpit of the No. 5 car and race as their father, a level of immersion that speaks to the realism modern racing gameplay can provide.
“It’s cool for them to have their dad a part of it and have them race as me,” Larson said. “I hope a lot of people pick the 5 car to drive.”
Less than 24 hours later, Larson traded burnouts for lap times.
The NASCAR Cup Series driver paced Friday’s practice session at the Qualcomm Circuit at Naval Base Coronado, but despite topping the speed charts, he wasn’t ready to declare himself comfortable with the temporary street course.
“This one’s probably just more mental than any road course so far because you’re just trying to learn something new, learn quick,” Larson said following practice. “Fifty minutes is not enough time.”
The challenge didn’t come as a surprise.
During Thursday’s reveal event, Larson described the circuit as “really, really tough” after spending time on both iRacing and Chevrolet’s simulator. He pointed to the track’s bumps and several sections that appeared visually tricky on screen.
After finally running the course in person, Larson said the virtual preparation translated well.
“I felt like the sim and iRacing both visually were pretty close after now getting out there in real life,” Larson said. “So that side of it helped.”
While some details differed from what he experienced in simulation, the overall visual presentation closely matched what he expected.
“The concrete sections are white, so that’s a little different,” Larson explained. “Some of where the paint lines and stuff line up are a little different, but other than that, it was pretty close.”
Larson also noted Thursday that every lap around the new circuit would be a learning experience for the field. Even after posting the fastest time in practice, his comments suggested that the process is far from complete.
When asked whether there was anywhere he would refuse to perform a burnout, Larson couldn’t think of a single location.
“I would do a burnout anywhere,” he said.
And if Sunday’s race ends with Larson standing in Victory Lane, the USS Midway exhibition may have only been a preview.
“Well, they said they have to run that car a little bit more this weekend, so it’ll be a bigger burnout, for sure.”
The NASCAR 26 cover athlete may have arrived in San Diego with tire smoke and style points, but as the weekend progresses, finding speed around one of the most unique venues on the NASCAR calendar remains the priority.
Should that speed carry him to Victory Lane, however, fans can probably expect another memorable celebration.
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