Life in Arizona allows NASCAR driver Kyle Larson more quality time with family
Did you know Kyle Larson, often regarded as one of the greatest drivers in modern-day motorsports, currently resides in Scottsdale? Chances are, if you watched Netflix’s “NASCAR: Full Speed” docuseries, you might have noticed the 31-year-old representing the Grand Canyon State by sporting a Whisper Rock Golf Club hat, with Arizona front and center.
The simple answers as to why the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion relocated to Arizona are as expected: golf, immaculate weather, picturesque scenery — all of the customary reasons people fall in love with State No. 48.
However, the root of why Larson has now chosen to call Arizona home comes down to family.
Larson might display a notoriously reserved persona at the track, even with his elite status in racing, but you can sense the overwhelming pride and enthusiasm he feels in being a husband to Katelyn and father to Owen, Audrey and Cooper.
Whether his wife is shotgunning beverages in victory lane, or Owen and Audrey are joining their father on the front stretch atop his iconic, HendrickCars.com No. 5 — like this past weekend at Las Vegas — Larson has always made it a point to make his family a fixture in his many celebrations.
Coming off his first win of the season, Larson now returns home to Scottsdale in preparation for the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, where he’ll get to enjoy another two weeks in the desert before going back to North Carolina for the remainder of the season.
“It's relaxing and just a nice change of pace,” Larson told The Arizona Republic. “I don't think about North Carolina at all when I'm out here. But once I go (back), I'm content there as well, so I feel like we have a good balance.
“It's nice to kind of get away from racing a little bit, because I'm surrounded by it every day of the week. I enjoy everything about where we live, how close everything is and how nice everything is. It's a nice kind of recharge.”
In November 2022, the Larson’s purchased their 6,500-square-foot home in Scottsdale, but weren’t able to fully indulge in their new lives as Arizonans, as Katelyn was pregnant with Cooper through New Year’s Eve.
Now having been here since NASCAR’s finale four months ago, Larson’s been able to reap the benefits of living in Scottsdale. The two things at the top of that list: convenience and time — specifically, family time.
Originally hailing from California, the racing power couple have many family and friends who still reside on the West Coast. They’re able to see their loved ones more often with sub-two hour flights or a quick road trip, as opposed to the alternative of traveling to North Carolina.
While golfing was a motivator for Larson moving to Arizona, he only finds himself on the green one-to-two times per month. According to him, it takes up too much time, and he’d rather spend it being productive or present as a father and husband.
“Life is good everywhere, but you just have access to a lot more,” Larson said. “Great restaurants, shopping, golf, hiking, all of that stuff. North Carolina, if you want to go hiking, you drive like 45 minutes somewhere. There's nice restaurants everywhere, but there's less.
“I just have way more time in Arizona. The gym that I work out in is 10 minutes from my house. When I'm in North Carolina, I have to drive 35 minutes to the gym, there and back.
“Even like with the NASCAR stuff, I can call in to all the (meetings). Where when I'm in North Carolina, I obviously go and it just takes up way more time. It's less time for quality time I get to spend with my family. I'm way more engaged with the family when I'm in Arizona.”
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During the offseason, Larson was able to develop more of a life with his family in Arizona by getting out of the house, staying active and finding local spots to frequent.
On Tuesdays — or “Taco Tuesday” — Larson enjoys going to The Living Room by his house for the atmosphere, outdoor patio and live music. On Italian nights, they prefer Sophia’s Kitchen. And when Katelyn wants to do some shopping at Kierland Commons, it's SOL Mexican Cocina.
But the Larson family’s favorite spot? Buffalo Chip Saloon and Steakhouse.
“The Buffalo Chip in Cave Creek is like the coolest freakin’ bar,” Larson said. “It's like an old saloon. They have rodeos, bull riding … kids up to six years old can go mutton bustin’, where you ride the sheep. So (Audrey’s) done that, Owen's done that.
“It's a huge bar — like, multiple bars. They have a buffet, barbeque, a rodeo, a mechanical bull, like, it's packed. They have different stuff going on every week. That's our most fun thing to do.”
Although it might be fun to get out and explore the many amenities Arizona has to offer, Larson really doesn’t care as long as he’s spending more quality time with his children.
What he really enjoys is watching Audrey participate in gymnastics and Owen play flag football. The Larsons also will make trips to Scottsdale's Ice Den, where they can skate at the same place the Arizona Coyotes practice.
“I don't have time to do that stuff during the racing season, especially when we're in North Carolina,” Larson said. “Once we go back, I race a few days a week, typically, so I miss out on a lot of the stuff for the kids.”
Larson admits he does feel bad his kids don’t have many friends in Arizona yet. While they might be young, they also live in North Carolina for over half of the year with lives of their own already built up back there.
When living in Scottsdale, Larson puts an emphasis on making sure his kids get out and socialize, whether it be as a family or through their aforementioned activities.
However, when they can’t get out of the house, both kids and parents are able to make the most of their time together with some help from the year-round, near-perfect weather and the layout of their spacious home.
“The kids are always outside playing,” Larson said. “In North Carolina, the way our house is laid out, they don't really go outside a whole lot. But the way it's laid out in Arizona, the kitchen looks out to the backyard and you can kind of just sit around while they play.
“It's just really nice and accommodating. Kids like to know that you can see them while they're playing. And the kids, they play more often in Arizona, which is nice.”
In the short time Larson has been in Scottsdale, he’s experienced enough to where it feels like home. In fact, he wishes he could spend more time in Arizona, as is typically the case for those who don’t live here full time.
The challenge is, with the way the NASCAR schedule is composed (only a handful of West-Coast races, which are mostly scattered), it doesn’t make much sense for Larson to live in Scottsdale throughout the season.
As for what the future holds for Larson in the Valley, it’s too early to tell. While he loves living in Arizona, it ultimately comes down to what’s best for his family.
“Who knows where our lives go in the next 30 years or whatever, but Arizona is definitely a place where you want to be when you retire,” Larson said. "As of right now, I would say that I would be there forever, but you just never know where life goes.”
Larson meet & greet
Race fans can stop by JINYA Ramen Bar's central Phoenix location (5120 N. Central Ave.) from 5-6 p.m. on Saturday to meet NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson. JINYA, a contemporary Japanese dining establishment with more than 60 restaurants in North America, is the official restaurant partner for Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team.
NASCAR weekend
At Phoenix Raceway, Avondale
Friday
9:30 a.m. — Hauler parade
Noon — Parking lots open
1:30 p.m. — ARCA Menards Series practice
1:30 p.m. — Gates open
2:30 p.m. — ARCA Menards Series qualifying
3:05 p.m. — NASCAR Cup Series practice
6 p.m. — ARCA Menards Series General Tire 150
Saturday
7 a.m. — Parking lots open
9 a.m. — Gates open
9:35 a.m. — NASCAR Xfinity Series practice
10:05 a.m. — NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying
11:35 a.m. — NASCAR Cup Series practice
12:20 p.m. — NASCAR Cup Series qualifying
2:30 p.m. — NASCAR Xfinity Series race (FS1)
Sunday
6 a.m. — Parking lots open
8 a.m. — Gates open
12:30 p.m. — NASCAR Cup Series race, Shriners Children’s 500 (Fox)
For information on fan experiences and other events, visit phoenixraceway.com
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Life in Arizona allows NASCAR's Larson more quality time with family
