Last weekend in Las Vegas, Kyle Larson found himself crashing into the wall 141 laps into the race. Instead of spinning out, Larson miraculously recovered to win the playoff race last weekend. The 2021 champion was hailed for his magnificent driving, but the #5 driver felt the praise belonged somewhere else.

Looking ahead to the next race, Kyle Larson—the defending winner at the Homestead-Miami Speedway—analyzed the incredible reason behind his ease at the 1.5-mile racetrack. 

Kyle Larson credited a surprising development for his championship-worthy performance this year

Even though Kyle Larson won his first championship two years ago, the #5 driver truly seems at the top of his game this season. Enthroned on the playoff standings with 4 wins and 14 Top 5s, Larson has exhibited a formidable performance, particularly in the season’s playoffs. Nowhere was it more evident than on Stage 2 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With 25 laps to go, the Stage 1 winner began slowing down on account of tire issues. It turned out that the Hendrick Motorsports driver came in contact with the wall and fought against his instincts to turn the car vigorously away from the impact. 

Showcasing commendable skills, Larson managed to keep the car steady and drove ahead unscathed from a race-ending crash. In an interview with Fox journalist Bob Pockrass, Kyle Larson revealed how other teams’ adversity became his advantage in the past few years.

Recently, the HMS driver has shown unparalleled expertise at the upcoming playoff track. In the past three years, Larson has amassed the best track record with an average finish of 2.5 in Homestead. When Bob Pockrass enquired what clicked for the #5 driver on that racetrack, Larson disclosed the contentious racecar model that immeasurably aided his recent success. As reported by Foxsports.com, Kyle Larson responded, “I think just being able to be comfortable running next to the wall, but lots of people run by the wall. And I don’t know what makes me go faster up there than some others. 

“It just suits me, and I think the Next Gen car helps me a lot because you can make mistakes and get into the wall a little bit where the old car, you couldn’t really make mistakes and hit the wall because you ended up getting a flat tire or you’d mess up your aerodynamics pretty badly. Now the bodies are so tough that you can kind of drag along it a few times and be OK.” However, despite the unanimous applause for his on-track maneuver, Hendrick Motorsports’ crew chief was not impressed with Larson’s Next Gen tactics.

Watch this story: Christopher Bell Had Kyle Larson’s Heart in His Mouth During Lucky Championship 4 Escape

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Kyle Larson’s save in Las Vegas was not 10/10 for his #5 team

Kyle Larson confirmed his place as the first Champion 4 contestant for the final race at the Phoenix Raceway. It wouldn’t be unusual for the focus to shift to the remaining 7 playoff drivers in the next two weeks. And yet, Larson and HMS’ #5 team were not ready to slow down even for the race they were not required to win. 

Their single-minded focus and dedication were visible in Larson’s crew chief Cliff Daniels in his post-race interview. When asked to rank his driver’s ‘spectacular save’ from 1 to 10, Daniels refused to mark it as a perfect 10, unlike most spellbound viewers. The #5 Chevrolet’s crew chief admitted not many drivers could have withstood that contact and survived to get the checkered.

At the same time, Larson did not quite meet Cliff Daniels’ exacting standard. Matching the ambitions of his star driver, Daniels responded, “Well, we hit the wall. If he wants a 10, don’t hit the wall.”

Constantly chasing the unattainable, Kyle Larson will endeavor to get the perfect 10 in Homestead this Sunday. And he will definitely try not to hit the wall with his Next Gen racecar next time.

Read More: Following Controversial Kyle Larson Altercation, Joe Gibbs’ Star Delivers Honest Statement; Jimmie Johnson Comes for Support