Kyle Larson has apologized to Austin Cindric twice within two days of the second race of the season — immediately following the race and again on the latest episode of Corey LaJoie’s Stacking Pennies podcast. While the #5 driver had confirmed that he and Cindric had exchanged a few brief texts, a detailed discussion about the on-track incident had yet to occur. However, a recent video posted by Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass indicated that the two drivers have talked things out.
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In the video, Cindric shared, “Kyle and I got connected on Monday, and I thought we had a good talk. Kyle took responsibility on the end of the race there, which obviously ended our race.”
“Talking about it doesn’t really unwreck my racecar, but we are on the same page is kind of what the expectations are — Moving forward and racing together. It’s about all I can influence is talking about it.”
He continued, “I hope to race Kyle, and I certainly have a lot of respect. But I know if I want to win in this series, I am certainly going to have to race against him a lot more. So, I expect us to be at that level throughout the year. And I just expect to be better than what we had on Sunday.”
Austin Cindric on his talk with Kyle Larson about their contact when racing for the lead Sunday at Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/RvTLV6Qh3X
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 26, 2025
The ongoing debate over the recent wreck has turned into a polemic topic among fans, who are divided in their opinions of both drivers. Some argue that Cindric should enhance his driving skills and learn to extricate himself from unsafe positions, while others criticize Larson for his recurring pattern of errors on the track, followed by apologies, only to make errors again.
One fan drew parallels between the current drivers and Dale Earnhardt, remarking, “He could’ve lifted and lived to race another set of corners. It’s the last 5 laps of the race. If you’re put in a situation, put yourself out of it. If the guy on your inside is slamming the door, go open another one. These boys wouldn’t have lasted a race with Dale Sr. on track,” warning them about the aggressive racing style of Dale Sr.
Some sided firmly with Cindric, with comments like, “Larson is good at wrecking people , apologizing then wrecking someone else the next week.”
Another pointed out, “For what people claim to be the “best driver on the planet” Larson makes a ton of really bad decisions on the track and seemingly rookie mistakes.”
Criticism was also directed at Cindric, with one fan mockingly writing, ““I can block and fade cars high and expect them to lift, but under no circumstances will I return the favor.”” Another fan voiced his discontent saying, “@AustinCindric just stop man. The only reason you’re in cup is because of your father. After this week you’re irrelevant for the next 6 months.”
Meanwhile, another sternly advised, “Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong look in the mirror at who’s to blame.”
What happened between them on the race track?
Cindric had started the race in the front row from the second position and kept himself at the front of the pack when the race had just ten laps remaining. However, after that, he engaged in an intense tussle with Christopher Bell. As the Ambetter Health 400 race neared its climax at Atlanta, the Team Penske driver was in a tight contest for the lead, but the situation quickly escalated.
In the heat of the competition, Larson, leading the pack, inadvertently forced Cindric, who was just behind him, into the outside wall. The contact triggered a chain reaction, causing the #2 Penske driver to collide with William Byron.
The fallout from the incident was severe, with Cindric’s car crashing into the inside wall on the backstretch, plummeting him to a 28th finish. While Byron managed to coax his damaged vehicle back to the pit road, the #2 Ford car suffered a lot of front-end damage and required towing to the garage. Hence, what had looked like a promising shot at a podium finish for Cindric ultimately resulted in a disappointing DNF.
