Kyle Larson has simplified his approach to winning another Golden Driller in this year’s Tulsa Shootout.

Despite winning two of the four features he entered in last year’s appetizer for the Chili Bowl Nationals, Larson’s current schedule from North Carolina to Australia—followed by a nearly 11,000-mile return to Oklahoma—precludes such an aggressive plan at Tulsa Expo Raceway.

So, the two-time NASCAR Cup champion will race just the Winged Outlaw class and shift his attention to the next Larson generation of racers: son Owen, 11, and daughter Audrey, 7.

• NASCAR Drivers Racing In The 2026 Tulsa Shootout
• 30 Favorites To Win At The Tulsa Shootout
• Here's More Information On How To Stream The Tulsa Shootout

“That’s what I’m most excited about is just getting to see the kids participate in a big event, have fun and, hopefully, do a good job,” Larson said before Monday’s drivers’ meeting for the second High Limit Racing preliminary at the Perth Motorplex.

“Audrey, she’s getting to run her first Shootout in the junior sprint—and she takes it very seriously. We’ve watched every lap of the 2024 Shootout, every lap of the Junior Sprint. So she’s been studying. Hopefully, she can do good.

“And then Owen, he has been doing a good job this year, but he’s going to be in a lot of tough divisions, so I don’t know what to expect there. Obviously, it takes a little bit of luck along the way.”

Larson required little luck on his trip Down Under. He left his North Carolina home after spending Christmas with his family. He flew from Charlotte-Douglas Airport at 6 p.m., then transferred planes for a 9:50 p.m. flight out of Dallas-Fort Worth for Brisbane, Australia. 

After arriving Down Under at 6:30 a.m. on December 27th, Larson boarded an 8:50 a.m. flight and arrived in Perth at noon with plenty of time to rest up before Night 1 at the Motorplex.

The defending winner of the High Limit International main event partnered again with Jason Pryde Motorsports to pilot the No. 1k sprinter. Larson topped the speed chart in the fifth round of hot laps. He qualified eighth then made a dramatic return to the infield for driver introductions via helicopter to deliver the $110,000 for the event—a record first-place prize for an Australian sprint car race.

Larson finished second in the fourth heat race but cut a right rear tire in the feature. After a quick repair, he returned to the field and recovered to a 17th-place result.

Larson proved more consistent on Monday. Again, he was fastest overall in hot laps and posted quick-time in Round 2 of qualifying. Larson finished third in Heat 3, sixth in the Dash and fifth in the Night 2 feature.

After winning the $110,000-to-win finale for the second straight year on Tuesday, Larson will pull an all-nighter as he did after winning the inaugural High Limit International finale in 2024 before heading to Perth Airport on New Year's Eve.

“It’s still pretty much the same route to get there for the most part,” Larson said of the 10,816-mile journey. “A 5 a.m. flight out of here to Sydney, then from Sydney to Dallas and then to Tulsa.

“I think I land at like 3:30 central on the 31st and then the Outlaw Wing heat races are probably a few hours after that.”

Larson returned to Tulsa without a hitch in 2024 and expects no issues on Wednesday. Due to time constraints, the defending winner of the Winged Outlaw class will skip practice and concentrate solely on that race. With five golden drillers in his trophy case—his most recent addition from the 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals—Larson has ample experience on the one-fourth-mile oval.

Although few drivers possess Larson’s ability to be successful behind the wheel of a wide variety of cars, he’s curious how quickly he’ll acclimate to the No. 83k CB Industries ride.

“The micros are different and the brakes are really touchy,” Larson said. "I remember that was kind of the biggest thing to get used to last year. But I had four divisions to kind of get the feel for the pedals.

“I don’t really have any expectations. I’m just going there to have fun. If we make the show, we make the show. If not, I’m not going to be too upset.”

All five days of the 2026 Tulsa Shootout will be streamed live on FloRacing.