Last year it was Kyle Busch who left Supercars standing at the altar. This time it’s Kyle Larson, who has pulled the pin in the wake of his disastrous Indy 500/Coke 600 double.
It’s an understandable decision. At the end of a 36-race NASCAR season, does Larson really need to fly halfway around the world to compete in Adelaide?
The Indy 500 experience showed that biting off too much can make even an exceptional driver like Larson look average, as well as potentially distracting from his main job in NASCAR.
But don’t underestimate how real the prospect of Larson tackling the Adelaide Supercars event with PremiAir Racing and the associated sprintcar races with Jason Pryde Motorsport was.
It had full funding in place with major backing from NAPA, the sister brand of Supercars’ title sponsor Repco, and a wildcard team to be led by none other than Roland Dane.
There was key support too from event promoter the South Australian Motor Sport Board.
The SA Government has been gung-ho on attracting an American star since NASCAR team owner and legend Richard Childress attended the 2023 race and met Premier Peter Malinauskas.
That kicked off talks to have RCR driver Busch in the event last year, initially under a deal with Erebus Motorsport, before Triple Eight and MobileX were co-opted into the program.
Busch pulled out of that deal – which was also mooted to include Super2 races to help get up to speed – in August, citing a clashing commitment, and the program was shut down.
There had been scepticism throughout that NASCAR veteran Busch could be competitive amongst the Supercars field.
This year Larson appeared the perfect solution with his well-proven versatility and adaptability setting him up not only for a Supercars tilt but a run on the Adelaide speedway track too.
So, what happens next?
Early indications are the plan will once again fall by the wayside with Larson’s decision. No star, no wildcard Supercar. It appears as simple as that.
But what an incredible waste that would be when the funding and the team is ready to go, and the hype is already built.
What are the other options?
Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott is a logical suggestion, given his high profile and status as NAPA’s own NASCAR star.
That, though, would risk yet another case of the whole cycle repeating and potentially wear the patience of those involved at the Aussie end even thinner.
Perhaps the next call that needs to be made is to the NASCAR star that knows Supercars and the Adelaide streets better than anyone, Shane van Gisbergen.
Sure, SVG has downplayed the prospect of a wildcard Supercars return based on the difficulty in getting back up to speed against the regulars.
But it would tick some big boxes for the event – regardless of whether the Kiwi signed up for the Supercars race, the speedway element, or both – and keep his profile high in Australia.
US outlets are reporting that van Gisbergen is involved in a four-into-three driver squeeze at Trackhouse Racing for 2026, with young gun Connor Zilisch making his case for a promotion.
While there will hopefully be a long and prosperous road ahead for van Gisbergen in NASCAR yet, it could be a timely opportunity for the driver to reconnect with the local scene.
Otherwise, Adelaide’s status as the first-ever Supercars Grand Final is not a bad promotional backstop on which organisers can fall ahead of another crack at the US dream next year.
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