Kyle Larson remembers racing Kyle Busch for 2018 Chicagoland win: 'Brings a smile to my face'

NASCAR is still reeling from the May 21 death of future Hall of Famer Kyle Busch, who provided Chicagoland Speedway fans with a very memorable 2018 victory at the Joliet, Illinois, track. 

NASCAR returns to Chicagoland for the first time since 2019 this weekend. 

A year prior to the venue's last NASCAR weekend, however, Busch beat Kyle Larson in a thrilling battle for the win that saw Busch nearly spin Larson in the final corner before the former took the checkered flag. 

Kyle Larson remembers battle with Kyle Busch

"We've all seen it a lot, and it brings a smile to my face every time I watch it," Larson said Thursday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. "I remember it just being a lot of fun. I had a lot of good battles with Kyle and always finished second to him, so that was another one. But it wasn't like a disappointing second. 

"I felt like I had carried the car to have a shot to race for the win. Just the fashion that the finish was, I got into Kyle first, he got into me into [turn] 3, and I was OK with that. I thought that was all fair. I initiated the contact. And Kyle Busch is just the guy I've always respected more than anyone in the field. I respect his talent. I respect the way he carries himself. He just always pushed me to be better, and I always tried to level up when I was around him. It was a fun battle."

Even Larson, who is one of the most aggressive drivers in NASCAR, is happy the outcome of that race went the way it did. 

"I'm honestly glad that I didn't win that race, just because I got into him first," Larson said. "It would've changed the trajectory of his respect level for me. Even after that one, I feel like he gained a ton of respect for me. We're going to miss him. Wish he was there this weekend."

Larson enters Chicagoland fourth in the Cup Series standings and on the heels of four consecutive top five finishes. He's looking for his first Cup win at the facility, though he did win the 2018 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at the track.