Larson finishes 35th at Charlotte, eliminated from playoffs

Kyle Larson, who started 18th in the final race of the round of 12 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL on Sunday, maneuvered his way up to 11th by lap 20 before some of the leaders “short pitted” the 25-lap stage. “Short pitting” allows drivers to pit before the end of the stage for new tires and fuel and not lose a lap, and then cycle past other competitors once they stop during the stage break. No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels elected to keep Larson on the track with the Elk Grove, California, native finishing stage one in sixth to earn valuable championship points.

After stopping for four tires and fuel, Larson started stage two in 27th position behind those that “short pitted”. A fast No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 allowed him to move up the scoring pylon and, when some of the leaders “short pitted” the stage, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion crossed the finish line to end stage two in third.

Having secured the second most points during the first two stages, Larson was in good position to transfer into the NASCAR playoffs round of 8. But, while running 13th on lap 97, the No. 5 entry got loose in turn 7 on the road course and slammed the wall. Larson was forced to visit pit road so the No. 5 team could replace the right-rear toe link, but the repair left the defending race winner five laps down in 35th position. Although he returned to the track still in a transfer position, a series of late-race cautions allowed competitors to gain the necessary positions to eliminate Larson from the round of eight.

QUOTING KYLE LARSON:
“You hit the wall and just give up that many spots – you know it’s going to be close (in points) and then the caution waves. I made a mistake today and it ultimately cost us a chance to go chase another championship. I’m just extremely mad at myself. We will keep fighting and we will come back stronger. I will definitely come back stronger, smarter and make better moves out there.”

NEXT RACE:
Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet head to the West Coast and will compete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET. The 400-mile race will be broadcast live on NBC.