Kyle Larson looked ready for a weekend sweep at Texas after his win in the Xfinity Series on Saturday. And in the Cup race on Sunday, he led for a race-high 90 laps and captured Stage 2, only to come up short in the Würth 400, finishing fourth.
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Despite his early lead and control, Larson couldn’t fend off Michael McDowell, who had the advantage of being on fresher tires. He also couldn’t defend a well-timed push from Tyler Reddick.
Earlier, on Lap 221, McDowell’s pit call vaulted him into second place. And, after Cody Ware’s major crash on Lap 236, McDowell took full advantage on the restart, grabbing the lead as Larson moved high through Turns 1 and 2.
During this late restart, Larson lined up alongside McDowell as cautions disrupted the flow. McDowell reacted faster off the line and surged into the lead with help from Reddick’s #45 car. Larson, having drifted too far from Ryan Blaney behind him, had made himself vulnerable to a late-race double pass.
Larson later accused McDowell of jumping the restart, though no penalty was issued. So NASCAR did not find any fault in McDowell’s move. According to Alan Cavanna, Larson later apologized, conceding that he had simply been outpaced on the restart.
“Yeah, I just got predictable and they — him [McDowell] and Reddick — just anticipated it and they were formed up ready to go,” Larson said, before elaborating on the sequence of events.
“I kind of launched away from the #12, and even though you’re going slow, then the draft and pushes really matter. So, I just didn’t have that behind me. And yeah, they had me cleared before, or the #71 had me cleared before one, so [I] was hoping he was going to leave me a lane for some clean air, but he closed off and I got tied and then got tied again in 3 and 4. Ran Reddick up out of the groove. So, just kind of race fell apart right there for me,” explained the Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Larson also found himself in hot water with the #45 team over his aggressive move against Reddick, whose crew voiced frustration on the radio. The team radioed its driver not to waste time when he caught Larson again.
Reddick was about to take fourth from Larson when the caution flag flew. According to the scoring loops, he was scored fifth.
Larson speaks about changes he expects to be made to TMS
Following a frustrating outing for the #5 Hendrick Motorsports team, Kyle Larson was asked whether he felt any changes were needed at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). He responded that he didn’t have a clear answer, noting that the track hasn’t evolved much with age.
Specifically, he pointed out that drivers no longer move up the surface in Turns 3 and 4 due to persistent bumps that discourage higher lines. He acknowledged that Texas isn’t the worst track on the schedule, but emphasized there’s always room for improvement.
Larson suggested that elements like reconfigurations or progressive banking could make the racing more engaging and allow for greater maneuverability.
As for short-term fixes, Larson noted that creating more dramatic moments, such as crashes or pack racing, could generate excitement. This would provide fans with action similar to what they get at Atlanta.
However, Larson also added that with the number of speedway-style races already on the calendar, going down that road again wouldn’t make much sense.
