Jasen Vinlove, USA TODAY Sports MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Kyle Larson’s trajectory is all upward. He won last week’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup race at Fontana, Calif., and remains solidly atop the series point standings. He is being tagged as stock car racing’s next superstar. But Larson, who has four top-two finishes in five races this season, watches his coins. For example, most of his air travel — in a time when many drivers own jets or rent jet rides to race weekends — is on commercial airlines. “I’ll fly commercial as much as I can, especially the West Coast stuff,” Larson said Friday.

NASCAR drivers fly. NASCAR is all about time. Spend less of it on the track than the other guy and you might win. In just three years he had his private. Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Learjet 60. See photos of Dale Jr’s jet: click here. When Dale Earnhardt Jr takes off for a NASCAR race he flies off on his own private Learjet 60. The 60 XR is top of the line in the Bombardier Learjet fleet. Most people who own one say they prefer it over a Gulfstream V.

“I think commercial is better. The team plane — you have to stop for fuel. Commercial’s not bad.” Larson said flying on private planes is costly. “That’s a lot of money to be private flying, especially to the West Coast,” he said. “Yeah, I’m cheap with my money when it comes to flying.

And I like to rack up the miles so I can maybe get some free trips.” RELATED COVERAGE: Larson’s travel plans have evolved a bit with his success. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver now ventures into first class, he said. Larson said Danica Patrick (he described her as “obviously a very wealthy person”) couldn’t understand two years ago why Larson would buy a $120 coach ticket when first class cost $500. “I’m going to save that money,” he said.

“But now I fly first class.” Jimmie Johnson, who followed Larson into the Martinsville Speedway media center and overheard his answers, offered the opinion that, because of Larson’s recent success, “His days of flying commercial are just about over.” PHOTOS: KYLE LARSON THROUGH THE YEARS.