NASCAR on TV this week

Tyler Courtney, Kyle Larson Working Together To Bring Paul Silva A Golden Driller

TULSA, O.K.- Kyle Larson hasn’t made a proper attempt at the Chili Bowl since 2022 and with that, neither has Paul Silva.

Larson made a last-ditch effort to make the race back in 2024, but that effort was made with Keith Kunz Motorsports, the place that helped Larson get his start in the NASCAR world.

The Silva-Larson duo is well regarded in the dirt racing world, with the anomaly of the sport’s most intriguing mind turning the wrenches and one of the best behind the wheel. The two pick and choose when and where they want to race and while Larson is often happy to talk dirt tracing, Silva almost never speaks to the media.

See also
Kyle Larson Wins Thrilling Monday Chili Bowl Feature

One thing we hardly ever see from the duo is the addition of a second car and driver. But that’s exactly what the group has brou 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals with Tyler Courtney.

It’s well known Larson and Courtney are close friends, but what about their driving styles? How do the two mesh together with Silva to make racecars go faster? Can the addition of a second car return a Golden Driller to the Silva Motorsports camp?

The latter will be answered later this week, but Courtney and Larson are both enjoying the experience and challenges of getting both cars ready to go for a shot at Saturday’s top prize.

“Me and Kyle have actually talked about it for the last couple years,” Courtney told Frontstretch. “He wasn’t really doing the Chili Bowl or really any midget racing. This summer he texted me about running out west in the midget stuff and then doing Chili Bowl to follow that up. He’s just a great friend and I love working with Paul, Trevor and Doug.”

Courtney and Larson both struggled in the Monday (Jan. 13) night Race of Champions but the team turned the corner with a prelim night win later in the evening for Larson. Courtney will have the opportunity to join his teammate as a prelim winner on Friday (Jan 17).

As for the Silva aspect, Courtney summed it up quickly.

“Ah, he’s the same old Paul,” Courtney said. “Just quiet, head down and wants to win just as bad as anybody else.”

There are always challenges to having one crew chief and a small crew setting up two different racecars for two different drivers. One adjustment one way may help one and hurt the other, something Larson has realized over the course of the week, and mentioned after his Monday night win.

“I think it’s ultimately a good thing,” Larson told Frontstretch following his Monday night win. “I thought it would be a lot better, you know I thought ‘Sunshine’ [Courtney] and I had similar styles but I think we’re quite a bit different driving styles.

“Out west was kind of a struggle, … Like Bakersfield, he comes in and he’s scared and I’m getting ready to qualify and I’m like fuck, now I’m scared. I told Paul man, sometimes it might just be better for my mind to just have us.”

“No, ‘Sunshine’ is a great driver, he’s one of my best friends, I’m having a lot of fun with him.”

Courtney echoed this on Tuesday, highlighting the different approaches of the two on the racetrack, and enjoying the aspect of figuring things out as a team.

“Yeah, we’re definitely different on the driving styles for sure,” Courtney said. “We’re still able to kind of run a similar setup, but just kind of how we go about in on the racetrack is quite a bit different.

“He’s an anomaly himself, he can make things happen with a racecar that almost everybody in the building can’t do. It’s been a little tricky kind of balancing that back and forth but I think we’re both pretty good at what we do and we’re gonna figure it out.

“Like I said, you get to race with one of your best friends at one of the biggest races of the year, nothing really beats it.”

Chase_folsom_ROVAL_2022

Chase began working with Frontstretch in the spring of 2023 as a news writer, while also helping fill in for other columns as needed. Chase is now the main writer and reporter for Frontstretch.com's CARS Tour coverage, a role which began late in 2023.  Aside from racing, some of Chase's other hobbies include time in the outdoors hunting and fishing, and keeping up with all things Philadelphia sports related.