Heartbreaking. That’s the only way to describe Kyle Larson’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. For a driver who started 19th, worked his way to the pack, and even led six laps, finishing 26th was a pretty harsh outcome. But it was always going to be a gamble, and in a sport defined by fine margins, sometimes race strategies can backfire. A lesson the No. 5 crew learned the hard way. ‘Yung Money’ was running near the top when the race went into overtime, but that’s when things went disastrously wrong.

Just when the checkered flag looked in sight, Larson led the inside line with Byron hot on his heels. But in a split second, the Hendrick Motorsports driver slid to the apron, his No. 5 Chevy looking limp and lifeless as it faded away from sight. Unfortunately, it all came down to fuel.

Kyle Larson admits fuel uncertainty amid Talladega chaos

Speaking to FOX’s Bob Pockrass post-race, Kyle Larson looked disappointed. He said, “Obviously, we knew it was close because we got the warning on whatever pump we were on under caution. It sounded like we would be okay once I went to the other pump. Even when I was under yellow, having to flip the switch. He (Cliff Daniels) had a lot of confidence when he told me, so it gave me confidence. I was just hammer down, and there wasn’t really anything I could do.” He went on to say, “Then I got another warning on the final pump we had, and I was just hoping we would make it to the finish, but it started sputtering.”

Fuel was tight across the field after the race went into overtime, forcing several drivers to pit under the final caution. Larson and his team decided to stay out, gambling on fuel mileage after running near the front all afternoon. The final caution extended the race five laps beyond its scheduled distance, just enough to tip the balance. When the green flag waved, the No. 5 car began to sputter, and he fell through the pack.

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion crawled across the finish line in 26th, a heartbreaking result that could prove costly in the playoff hunt. What could’ve been a comfortable points cushion heading into Martinsville has now turned into a fight for survival. As things stand, Kyle Larson holds the final transfer spot, just one point behind Christopher Bell, and risks elimination if any of the four drivers below him pull off a win next week.

In fact, it was Crew Chief Cliff Daniels who assured the Hendrick Motorsports driver that they could make it before the final restart. However, echoing Larson’s sentiment and revealing how razor-thin the margin truly was, Daniels said, “That was basically a quarter gallon down from where we ran out on the back straightaway to make it back around. In the game of small margins, it was just a small margin that made the difference.”

Looking ahead to Martinsville, Larson acknowledged the pressure of the playoffs, saying,  “It’s great to be that (+36 points) if nobody below wins. You gotta assume one of them guys is gonna win. They’re all really good there. Every single one of them has a win there, I believe. It’ll be a fight — a point battle between me and Christopher [Bell]. You just don’t want to be the fourth spot guy, but we’ll see. Hopefully, we can go execute again like we have been and be up front.”

But now, as Chase Briscoe locked his spot in the Championship 4 with a victory at Talladega, Larson readies himself for a points battle with the Ford drivers. But his own teammate, Chase Elliott, faced a really harsh race at Talladega.

Chase Elliot laments not having enough stage points amid playoff title fight

Chase Elliott had one of the most devastating days at the YellaWood 500. With just a few laps remaining in Stage 1 at the superspeedway, chaos erupted at the front of the field. After the first round of green-flag pit stops, AJ Allmendinger held the lead with Noah Gragson alongside him. Entering Turn 3, an ill-timed move from Erik Jones sent Gragson into Allmendinger’s door, launching both cars hard into the outside wall.

The wreck didn’t stop there; it also collected defending fall Talladega winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Dillon, Austin Cindric, and, most importantly, the Round of 8 playoff contender Chase Elliott. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion, who entered the race 23 points below the cut line, wasn’t part of the initial collision but was caught in the aftermath after being doored by Cindric, spinning sideways and taking additional hits from Dillon.

Elliott explained post-race, “I haven’t seen it, but I got turned sideways—somehow, someway. And yeah, hit some more stuff after that. Stage points are so crucial right now. I wasn’t super surprised. Everyone was getting super aggressive, and unfortunately, we didn’t make it through.”

The result leaves Elliott 62 points below the cut line, making his path to the Championship 4 nearly impossible. As the Hendrick Motorsports driver heads to Martinsville, he will need a miracle, as a win has become the only lifeline capable of keeping his title hopes alive.