Envisioning a theoretical Team USA auto racing lineup

While the Paris 2024 Olympic Games take place over the course of the next two weeks, one sport that won't be represented is auto racing. Perhaps it should be, though — after all, it's an international sport, and there are global competitions between drivers of different disciplines on equalized playing fields.

Just imagine what an auto racing Olympic field could look like. The Netherlands have Max Verstappen. Spain has Alex Palou. New Zealand has Scott Dixon. The United Kingdom has Lewis Hamilton. It could be anyone's race to win.

The United States has plenty of big names in the racing world as well, many of them competing in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NTT IndyCar Series. With that in mind, here is a theoretical list of five drivers who could have represented Team USA if their sport had been part of the 2024 games.

Kyle Larson (NASCAR)

A no-brainer. Larson is the most recognizable name in American auto racing, and he's at the apex of his powers as he currently leads the NASCAR Cup Series in points and wins in 2024 despite missing the Coca-Cola 600. More importantly, one of his greatest strengths is his adaptability to any type of vehicle or race track, with a resume on dirt that's just as impressive as his stock car career.

In a theoretical Olympic auto racing competition, one has to imagine there would be a diverse set of events for drivers to run. That makes Larson the perfect ace to headline Team USA, and he'd give the squad a great chance at gold in anything he competes in.

Josef Newgarden (IndyCar)

Back-to-back defending Indianapolis 500 winner. Two-time IndyCar Series champion. The best American open-wheel driver of his generation and a beloved fan favorite. Newgarden is another obvious choice, despite being in the midst of his worst season since joining Team Penske as he currently sits ninth in points .

Throughout his career, Newgarden has excelled on ovals in IndyCar, with 16 of his 30 career wins coming on such tracks. Should there be an open-wheel oval event in this theoretical competition, he'd be the top candidate to carry the banner for Team USA.

Kyle Busch (NASCAR)

Busch is the most accomplished active driver in NASCAR with 63 Cup Series wins and two titles in exactly 700 career starts. And his combined win total of 231 in all three series is the most in NASCAR history. He is currently having one of the worst seasons of his career as he takes his lumps with a struggling Richard Childress Racing team, but he himself hasn't run out of talent by any means.

Busch's place on the Olympic squad would be more of a lifetime achievement award than an honor of currently being one of the best drivers in the world. That said, perhaps the global stage would be able to reignite the fire inside of him.

Logan Sargeant (Formula One)

Sargeant, who currently drives in Formula One for Williams Racing, is the first American to compete in the series since Alexander Rossi ran five races in 2015 and the first full-timer from the states since Scott Speed. He's struggled in his two seasons in F1, scoring only one career point thus far, but he would give Team USA some versatility with his experience at a level of racing that no one else can provide.

Connor Zilisch (NASCAR)

There are plenty of candidates who could fill the final slot here with NASCAR's Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott and IndyCar's Colton Herta at the top of the list. However, every squad needs the young hotshot, and there's no one better to fill that role than Zilisch, who at 18 already has a case for being one of the most versatile racers in America.

Included among Zilisch's accolades are a Rolex 24 class win and a CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy. He's perhaps the most intriguing talent to enter the NASCAR ranks since Larson and, in an alternate universe, an impressive performance in Paris with Team USA's auto racing squad could have served as his official coming-out party.