NASCAR’s Kyle Larson And Wife Katelyn Welcome New Baby Boy To The Family
Ah, the joys of New Year’s Eve celebrations. Among a myriad of time-honored traditions such as champagne-fueled dancing, partying in Times Square with a gazillion blitzed strangers you’ll never meet again, or forcing your bleary-eyed partner to stay up to watch others celebrating the boozy ball drop, it’s hard to choose exactly which one we’ll remember the most. That said, if you’re NASCAR star Kyle Larson and wife Katelyn Sweet Larson, that choice will forever be the easiest they’ll ever make.
While most of the western world was furiously engaging in all sorts of late-night shenanigans, the happy couple welcomed their new baby boy, Cooper Donald Larson, into the world on the final day of 2022. The 2021 Cup Series champion driver from Elk Grove, California and his wife share two other children together, their 4-year-old daughter Audrey Layne Larson and their 8-year-old son Owen Miyata Larson. The glowing couple made the announcement via Katelyn’s Instagram page.
“Welcome to the family!” she posted. “We are all obsessed.”
Beaming ear to ear, the proud father of now three also posted the happy news to his Twitter page, writing, “Welcome to the family, Cooper!”
Welcome to the family Cooper!
Cooper Donald Larson
12/31/22 pic.twitter.com/OWEJRDLGty— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) January 2, 2023
At NASCAR’s Champion’s Week in Nashville last month, Larson revealed that his son’s impending birth was the sole reason why he hadn’t made any offseason racing plans, save for a late-model event in January in New Mexico. While in the Music City, he also opened up about what he relishes the most about fatherhood.
"I actually like the middle of the night wake-ups and getting to feed your baby and spend a little quality time holding them while they are new," explained Larson. "I like all that. Those milestones of the first few months go by really fast.”
“They develop so fast that soaking all that in, I’ve really enjoyed that with the two kids,” he continued. “Hopefully, this one is as easy as they’ve been and not too tough."
While the 30-year-old driver behind Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro took home the circuit's coveted top prize in 2021, the most recent season presented the tenacious wheelman with some tough turns. As the defending champ, Larson throttled into his Cup Series campaign with flying colors by securing the pole at the Daytona 500, followed by a win at Fontana, but from there, life on the track was a little rocky. It would take him another grueling 22 races before he’d post his next win which came at Watkins Glen. He did seem to find some much-needed momentum early in the playoffs with a win at Homestead-Miami, but he was subsequently knocked out of title contention in the Round of 12.
Kyle Larson’s Wife Katelyn Explains Origins Of Her Beer-Chugging Celebration
NASCAR Cup Series fans will also recall the fiery encounter that ensued between Larson and Bubba Wallace during the Las Vegas playoff race. After Larson executed an aggressive move, Wallace made the controversial decision to wreck Larson and then physically confront him in the infield.
Though posting three wins in a single season is an impressive feat for any Cup Series driver, it’s far from the 10-win season he recorded in 2021 before taking home the title. But fear not, with his son’s birth in the rearview, the former champ will undoubtedly be ready once the 2023 schedule commences Feb. 5 with the Clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles.
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