Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson was named the winner in the “Best Driver” category at the annual ESPY Awards held Wednesday night.

The ESPY awards celebrate athletes, teams, and great sports moments from the previous year. The ceremony was held in California, but Larson was not in attendance. Larson was off dirt racing at Port Royal Speedway in Pennsylvania, winning a World of Outlaws event.

Larson won the 2021 Cup Series championship in his first year with Hendrick Motorsports and on the strength of 10 wins, as well as the All-Star Race, and over 2,000 laps led.

Those nominated alongside Larson were Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, four-time and defending NHRA Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence, and IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou.

Larson is the 19th NASCAR driver to win the award. The most recent was Kyle Busch in 2019 after his championship triumph.