First win diecasts are always sought-after, but when that inaugural victory is from a Cup champion, generational talent and one of the sport’s most popular drivers, that first-win is a lock for Holy Grail territory. Such is the case for Kyle Larson’s first win in the 2016 Pure Michigan 400 on Aug. 28, 2016.  

Larson had several close calls for win No. 1 prior to his 99^th start. In fact, he nearly earned his maiden victory in just the fifth race of his rookie campaign in 2014 but settled for second against Kyle Busch at Auto Club Speedway. Larson was in contention for a win in several other races his rookie season. He placed third and second at New Hampshire that year and racked up five more top-five finishes. Despite race-day speed and some fortuitous luck, Larson was still seeking his first win in 2016, his third full season.  

He looked poised to earn a trip to victory lane at the spring Dover race that year, but again settled for runner-up. A few weeks later, Larson showed serious speed at Michigan but was held to third. 

When the Cup Series returned to Michigan in August for the Pure Michigan 400, it looked like another up-and-coming star and Larson’s future teammate, Chase Elliott, was set to get his first Cup Series win. Elliott led 22 laps before a restart stacked the field with nine to go. Larson sprang to the lead when Elliott spun his tires on the restart. Larson built a lead in the waning laps and left Elliott trailing by 1.5 seconds as the checkered flag flew, earning Chip Ganassi its first win since 2013 and Larson’s first in NASCAR’s premier division.  

After so many near wins in Cup, the normally cool and collected Larson could be heard screaming over the radio in excitement before shredding his rear tires, to the point they damaged both rear quarter panels, in a victory burnout.  

Those shredded tires, “folded” quarter panels, confetti and streamers adorn Larson’s No. 42 Target Chevy SS race-winning diecast.  

Larson’s 2016 Michigan raced-win diecast was offered in Elite (150 produced), Elite Autographed (442), ARC (781), ARC Autographed (288), Color Chrome (36), Elite Color Chrome (53), Color Chrome autographed (48) and a 1/64 version, according to Diecast Registry.  

Despite the extensive production run, landing Larson’s maiden Cup win isn’t easy — or at least it isn’t cheap. From October through December 2024, over 15 examples of Larson’s 2016 Michigan raced-win diecasts were sold on eBay. Pricing ranged from $25 for an unboxed 1/64 and $50 for a boxed 1/64 to a whopping $975 for an autographed 1/24 Color Chrome version. Most 1/24 examples fetched between $300 and $700, though one auction winner did snag an ARC version for the relatively low price of $120.  

As such, Larson’s first win isn’t a grail in the sense it’s unavailable, but for many, it’s only offered at a price point that puts it into grail territory.  

Those looking for a slightly cheaper Larson Michigan win have more options. Larson’s 2016 win kicked off his streak of three straight Cup wins at the speedway, including a sweep of the track in 2017.