Kyle Larson Admits Why Meeting Patrick Mahomes Was Nerve-Racking

On the recent episode of the "Stacking Pennies" podcast, Larson was asked who would be on his Mt. Rushmore of racing legends. He pointed fingers at icons such as Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Mario Andretti, and Parnelli Jones. But none of them had caused him to go spellbound or made his mouth dry in shock. It was Mahomes who did that. 

Why Larson Got Nervous Around Mahomes

Larson explained, "I liked Joey Saldana, Jack Conchild. I knew from an early age I wanted to be versatile. So, Mario... Parnelli... I definitely idolized those guys and what they did. But I don't get starstruck or nervous meeting them or anything like that."

"I guess I get more nervous meeting a Patrick Mohones this week because I don't know what we are going to talk about. Stuff like that is more nerve-racking to me." With Gordon and Andretti and Parnelli, Larson could just talk about racing and forgo moments of awkward silence.

But that isn't possible with the likes of Mahomes and Kelce, with whom Larson doesn't share much of a common ground. This had left him rather fidgety. Despite this, he had made some key observations about how the NFL athletes prepare for games and taken strong inspiration from the same.

The balance he shows between respecting his racing heroes and staying humble showcases how comfortable he has become at the top of the game. But his admission about getting nervous around Mahomes proves that even a NASCAR champion can have fan moments at times.