Kyle Larson, who started first in the 400-lap race at Richmond Raceway on Sunday, dropped a spot before the day’s first caution waved on lap 3. Once the race restarted, the Elk Grove, California, native lost another position on lap 28 before finishing stage one at lap 70 in third.
During the stage break, a quick four-tire stop by the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team allowed Larson to gain a spot in the race off pit road. Slight contact on the restart sent the No. 5 entry up the track, but the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion recovered to regain the runner-up position on lap 84. When Joey Logano pitted from the lead on lap 124, Larson led until he visited pit road one lap later. Once pit stops cycled through, he was again scored second – a position Larson would hold through the end of stage two at lap 230.
Another lightning-fast pit stop by the No. 5 pit crew gave Larson the top spot in the race off pit road, but the team’s fortune would change with cloud cover that appeared over the track – cooling the racing surface that caused Larson’s Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to become “very loose.” By lap 275, he had fallen to sixth and, when a round of green-flag pit stops began at lap 285, Larson was scored 12th. Once the cycle ended at lap 305, he was running ninth. But the loose condition returned, and a chassis adjustment was made during the team’s final four-tire pit stop at lap 347. Larson returned to the track in 17th and raced with the leaders – albeit one lap down – for much of the remainder of the race before finishing 14th.
QUOTING KYLE LARSON:
“Once the cloud cover came over the track, we struggled with the entry – which was very loose and a handful – and the exit. The pit crew did a great job. We had great pit stops all day.”
NEXT RACE:
With just three races remaining until the playoffs commence, Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet team will now head to Watkins Glen International for 90 laps of road course racing, which takes place Sunday, Aug. 21 at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on USA.
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