Kyle Larson must have hoped for a top finish in Homestead-Miami on Sunday. That’s not surprising, given his excellent track record. But tire trouble in the very first stage must have been the last thing he expected. Any driver would be frustrated in such a situation, and Larson was no different. He let his thoughts be known on the team radio immediately.
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“These f***ing cars are stupid,” he yelled. “How can you get a flat tire and be done … or you get a flat tire and wear out a little bit of your diffuser and your race is killed? Stupid!” He was riding close to the wall when his right rear tire blew out and got him loose. He was lucky that it happened when he was close to the wall.
Kyle Larson has a flat and hits the wall!
: NBC | #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/cVjPRkBu8Z
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 27, 2024
The position prevented the car from going into the fence with a lot more impact and sustaining heavier damage. He finished the race in 13th place, a result nearly not enough to secure him a Championship 4 spot. He now has to perform well in Martinsville to close the seven-point gap he has with the elimination line and progress to the season finale.
Ahead of the Round of 8, Larson’s inclusion in the finale was almost a foregone conclusion and he was the favorite to win the championship. Although things are not out of his hands yet, he finds himself in a narrow corner. Humongous pressure now falls on his performance in Martinsville.
Larson acquits the No. 3 of any blame after late-race crash
The tire blowout at the start of the race certainly hurt Larson’s chances but that was not the incident that saw him fall outside the top 10. With 12 laps to go, Larson and Ryan Blaney were locked in a battle for the lead. The two were against each other while lapping Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon.
As all three cars got close to the wall, Larson made contact with Dillon and spun around. This twist is what ruined his chances of a top finish completely. However, he did not put any blame on the No. 3 driver in his post-race interview. He said, “Austin did nothing wrong. I was hoping he’d see me coming and maybe give me the top knowing that I was running there.”
“But he didn’t. He kept running his line and there was a little bit of a hole and I thought that might be my opportunity to win. If I could get clear of Austin and get to the wall. But yeah, just didn’t work out that way.”
The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports star will just be one of the many attempting to win this coming weekend. He doesn’t need to win to progress, but he needs to ensure that he doesn’t get caught in scenarios that might end his race prematurely. The majority’s favorite not making it to the finale would be one hell of a twist this late in the season.
