“Going to miss this great guy”: Kyle Larson mourns the loss of Sprint car legend Bobby Allen

The racing world suffered from the loss of Bobby Allen on October 5, and various revered figures paid their tribute to the sprint car legend, including Kyle Larson. The California-born driver shared a story on his Instagram account paying homage to Allen, and shared that he will miss the former sprint car racer.

Allen ended his racing career with 30 victories in the World of Outlaws racing circuit and was a revered name in the field. He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1998 and remained a relevant figure in the sprint car world for decades to come.

On the other hand, with Larson often competing in the sprint cars himself every year, he had gotten the chance to meet Mr. Scruffy himself. With his sudden demise at the age of 81, the 2021 Cup Series champion shared his condolences:

"R.I.P. to the legend Bobby Allen! Going to miss this great guy!"

Kyle Larson's Instagram story | Source: Instagram/@kylelarsonracin

Meanwhile, Kyle Larson has continued his stride in the NASCAR playoffs and moved on to the Round of 8 after a second-place finish at the Roval.

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Kyle Larson was content with his result at the Roval

Kyle Larson driving the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports at the 2025 Bank of America ROVAL 400 - Source: Imagn

While Shane van Gisbergen completed the high five at the Roval, Kyle Larson's second-place finish was a much-needed one for the No. 5 crew. Arriving at Roval, Larson had the worst average finishing position on a road course in the 2025 season.

Despite this, his previous prowess at the track helped him claim a stellar result at the last road course this year. This helped him move into the Round of 8 after a string of strong results throughout the year.

So, reflecting on his outing at the Roval, Larson said in the post-race interview (NBC Sports):

"I’m happy with a second-place finish for this No. 5 Chevrolet team. Shane van Gisbergen is just so good. It was a fun battle with Christopher [Bell], too. To start the final stage, we were trying to break up his (Shane van Gisbergen) rhythm and race, and I thought it was playing out well. He was just so fast. I tried riding. I tried saving my tires, but I just can’t do it as well as he does. But overall, it was a great finish and momentum to head into the Round of Eight."

With Larson having made it into the Round of 8, he now has one more task lined up in front of him before making it into the final four. He is already four points above the cutline, and he just has to remain consistent to make it to Phoenix as a championship contender before brawling out for the title at the end of the day.

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Edited by Geetansh Pasricha