Kyle Larson looked like one of the drivers to beat at Iowa after qualifying second and finishing Stage 1 in third. Hendrick Motorsports appeared to be in a strong position heading into Stage 2. Instead, Larson’s race unraveled after a four-wide battle ended with contact between him and teammate Alex Bowman. Now, with Bowman out and Larson 16 laps down, the Hendrick camp is left dealing with another nightmare at Iowa.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“Did someone jam it in on him or could he not hold it down like normal?”
That was Kyle Larson’s immediate comment for John Hunter Nemechek after contact with Alex Bowman sent both Hendrick Motorsports cars into the outside wall at Iowa Speedway.
Kyle Larson’s frustration had already turned toward Nemechek after he was told that the Legacy Motor Club driver claimed he was on the downshift when the situation developed.
“Cool. Cool. Professional,” Larson responded sarcastically.
The incident unfolded on Lap 148 as Larson was running around 16th. Larson had already been shuffled toward the outside by John Hunter Nemechek. This left him caught in a four-wide situation involving Nemechek, Shane van Gisbergen and Bowman.
As the cars moved through Turn 4, Kyle Larson came down the track and made contact with Bowman’s No. 48 Chevrolet. The impact sent both cars toward the outside wall on the frontstretch and brought out another caution.
For Alex Bowman, the damage was severe enough to end his race. “We’re f—— destroyed,” Alex Bowman said over the radio as his team assessed the damage.
Kyle Larson, meanwhile, initially appeared to have escaped the worst of it. His radio suggested he believed the wheel was still okay. But the incident left his No. 5 Chevrolet severely compromised. He is currently 16 laps down. On the other hand, Alex Bowman has been officially ruled out.
It has been a remarkably difficult Iowa outing for Larson. The Hendrick driver finished 34th in the inaugural Iowa Cup race, followed by a 28th-place finish last year. Now, he is running 33rd in the third Cup race at the track, making Iowa an unusually brutal venue for one of NASCAR’s biggest stars.
The struggles have also left Hendrick Motorsports in an unfamiliar position. Because of the various problems that have hit the organization throughout Sunday’s race, William Byron is currently the only Hendrick driver inside the top 25, running sixth as the remaining Hendrick driver, Chase Elliott is running 30th.
For Kyle Larson, what began as a promising afternoon after starting second has turned into another Iowa disaster. And this time, his teammate paid the biggest price. And looking at the way things are, Iowa might turn into another disappointing weekend for the entire Hendrick camp.