Even though he was locked and loaded, securing a berth in the final 4, Hendrick Motorsports ace, Kyle Larson looked like he was about to have another win until a critical error ended his day. The #5 driver after a successful race in Vegas had the momentum, acing the first stage of the race, fans were stocked to see Larson who looked like he was going to repeat his race-winning Vegas performance.
However, with just 60 laps remaining, the HMS driver’s day ended in misery as a slight miscalculation while entering the pit road rendered the 2021 Cup Series champion and his #5 Chevy out of contention. Coming in too hot, Kyle Larson miscalculated his entry, bumping into the rear of the #12 Team Penske Ford before he plowed into the barriers head-first. That was pretty much killed his game. With NASCAR dropping its Radioactive segment, the NASCAR nation heard the driver relay the obvious to his team as he painfully admitted his slip-up.
Kyle Larson admits his mistake moments after the Miami misery
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The HMS star was in cruise control, leading more than 90 laps of the race, it was shaping up to be another triumph for the 31-year-old until things literally came to a crashing stop. In lap 213, in an effort to maximize his run and carry more speed, Ryan Blaney pitted, prompting Kyle Larson to follow the Ford into the pit road. As the 2 cars entered the pit lane Ryan Blaney slowed down to avoid a speed ticket, causing Kyle Larson to swerve past the #12 Ford.
While the latter managed to avoid a dramatic pit road collision with the former, he slammed into the sand barrels at the entrance in the process. The #5 Chevy received extensive front-end damages and was called into the garage, handing the driver another DNF of the season. While the NASCAR nation continues its “hit or miss” argument about Kyle Larson, in one race the driver of the No. 5 might have lost some of his credibility as he ends his day in catastrophe, making this his 8th DNF this season. Amidst a series of successful campaigns, such sudden disappointments have cast a shadow on his capabilities.
With the organization releasing its in-car radio conversation on its Radioactive segment, the community heard the driver repent his mistake with a 2-worded admission. “I’m broke,” said Larson before relaying that he did not anticipate the #12 to slow down that much while his crew chief, Cliff Daniels called off the day.
Often lauded as a once-in-a-generation talent, Kyle Larson’s recent performance has got the community talking as experts including drivers have come out with their takes, reacting to the driver’s catastrophic error.
WATCH THIS STORY: Kyle Larson: A racing prodigy’s dream journey
Dale Earnhardt Jr shares his thoughts on Larson’s pit lane incident
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Despite acing the first stage of the race, Larson was losing momentum in stage 2. The HMS car struggled to hold on against the Team Penske Ford in the fray as the race progressed. Eventually, Ryan Blaney turned the tides, winning stage 2 and racked up valuable stage points on the way.
This prompted Kyle Larson to take up the pace that later led to the horrendous end. In an effort to catch more speed, Larson followed the #12 into the pit lane where he got into the barriers. Reacting to the incident, NBC commentator and veteran of the sport, Dale Earnhardt Jr dissected the whole scenario.
Junior highlighted how each driver was racing with one being on the defensive while the other was on the offensive. He said, “I think Ryan was on the conservative side while Larson was absolutely on the aggressive side and those two things created quite an issue,” He then added, “I think that it actually hurt Blaney’s car a little bit; Blaney wasn’t sure he said so after the race that he didn’t know about the damage, didn’t know if it affected his car that bad.”
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READ MORE: Denny Hamlin Claims Christopher Bell’s Victory Couldn’t Have Been Possible Without Kyle Larson