Larson, HendrickCars.com Chevy collected in incident during closing laps at Talladega
TRACK: Talladega Superspeedway
LENGTH: 2.66-mile oval
DATE: Apr. 23, 2023
STARTED: 9th
FINISHED: 33rd
STANDINGS: 4th (-36 points)
In front of teammates from our three Hoover, Alabama stores, Kyle Larson set sailed from the ninth position in Sunday’s 500-mile race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Shortly following the green flag, a caution occurred on lap two and Larson chose the inside for the restart, which placed him 10th. Without drafting help, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion fell to the middle of the pack and, on lap 39, the 30-year-old driver came down pit road under green for fuel only. Following his quick pit stop, a caution slowed the field but Larson stayed out when pit road opened, advancing his position to third for the restart with 13 laps to go in stage one. Working with fellow Chevrolet teams, Larson maintained his top-five running position through the remaining laps of the stage, securing a fifth-place finish in the first stage.
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During the stage break, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com driver visited pit road for four tires and fuel, but a miscommunication on strategy cost Larson time on pit road heading into the stage two. Larson chose 10th, taking the outside for the lap-68 restart. Following 36 green-flag laps, Larson gave up the 19th position when he came to the attention of his crew under green for fuel only on lap 104. With limited drafting help, Larson raced the second stage’s remaining 16 laps mid-pack before going on to finish stage two in 28th.
In the final stage break, the Elk Grove, California, native visited the HendrickCars.com pit crew for four tires and fuel, gaining two positions on pit road before the stage-three restart. Larson took the inside and progressed to the 21st position before avoiding an on-track incident that caused a caution with 47 laps to go. The No. 5 driver was told to save fuel until coming down pit road on lap 143 to top off. Larson chose 14th and the inside lane for the restart with 41 laps to go.
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During the run, Larson fluctuated around the top 10, aiming to stick alongside his Chevy teammates. He continued to gain track position and was in sixth when a caution occurred with five laps to go. Following the overtime green-white checkered re-start, Larson was collected in an on-track incident, resulting in significant damage to the right side of his vehicle and a 33rd-place finish.
QUOTING KYLE LARSON:
“Thankfully I’m okay but my car is absolutely destroyed. The cockpit is a mess. I’m just thankful that I’m alright and all that. It’s just a bummer. We put ourselves in a position once again on a superspeedway and the results don’t show it, another wreck not of my doing on a superspeedway. I just hate it but we’ll keep getting better, and eventually it’ll have to work out, I would think.”
NEXT RACE:
Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet head to the “Monster Mile” next Sunday, April 30. The 400-lap race at Dover Motor Speedway will broadcast live at 2 p.m. ET on FS1.
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