Organizers of the 2028 Olympic games in Los Angeles reportedly are interested in adding auto racing to the events and having the opportunity to compete in the Olympics is something Kyle Larson never imagined.
“To get the chance to compete for an … Olympic medal or just compete in the Olympics would be life changing,” Larson says. “(It’s) an opportunity that none of us probably ever dreamed was possible.”
For many years, the Olympic charter prohibited “sports, disciplines or events in which performance depends essentially on mechanical propulsion.” In 1900, 14 events were held in conjunction with the World’s Fair. Motor racing was one of those events that were never classified as official. The International Olympic Committee has never decided which events were Olympic from that 1900 event.
In 2018, karting was included in the Youth Olympic Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Now, Reuters reports the IOC is in discussions to bring motorsports to Los Angeles in 2028. Auto racing is one of more than a half dozen sports lobbying to be added by the local organizers. The IOC would need to ratify the organizers’ decision when it meets in Mumbai in October.
“I don’t know how the concept of it would be,” Larson says. “You don’t really know who the best race car drivers are in the world. You’d have to have different types of competitions to really see who’s the best because there’s so many different types of racing or motorsports.”
In addition to auto racing, other sports lobbying to be included in the 2028 Olympics are flag football, cricket, baseball/softball, lacrosse, breakdancing, karate, kickboxing, and squash.