Kyle Larson seems to win in the most crucial races. Back in the round of 16 opener, he tamed Darlington Raceway to advance into the round of 12 and that exact momentum found its way into the 1.5-mile racetrack of Homestead-Miami. However, he has faced a plethora of criticisms after he nudged Ryan Blaney during last week’s 4EVER 400, which, many think, was unnecessary.

One of those people is Large, the co-host of Rubbin’ is Racing. As things stand now, Kyle Larson is locked in the final 4. He could have stayed away from trouble at pit road last week and honed his skills for Phoenix. But he didn’t. And Large couldn’t approve of his on-track antics.

Kyle Larson turned a blind eye to the bigger picture

Once a driver makes their way into the championship race, they have no reason to be aggressive, as they have nothing more to gain other than closing the points gap. But in a high-speed sport like NASCAR, the risks of contact far outweigh the rewards. And that is what Large felt Larson did wrong.

Even after NASCAR rescinded Ryan Blaney’s penalty from Las Vegas, the #12 Penske speedster entered the race with a 17-point deficit. He was below the cutline, whereas Larson was sitting at the top of the leaderboard. There could be no way that Larson might have viewed Blaney as an immediate rival. And hence, nudging  Blaney while entering the pit road seemed a bit extra for Large.

Large roared, “And with 55 (laps) to go, Larson hits the sand barrier heading to green flag pit stop behind Blaney. It just seems like a stupid f****ng move. I don’t know if you guys feel different about this.” Interestingly, co-host Spider did feel differently about Kyle Larson’s move on Ryan Blaney.

According to Spider, although Larson had already punched his ticket for the Grand Finale at Phoenix, closing the points gap could prove beneficial for him. Furthermore, the aggressive demeanor of Kyle Larson seemed to have impressed him. He said, “To me, he’s got nothing to lose…I like the aggressiveness; that’s what it’s going to take to win a championship so keep that same energy Kyle and let’s go win this thing.”

Large, however, wasn’t ready to let it slide. He exclaimed, “He’s (Larson) very well aware that the guy who’s in front of him was below the cutline. Blaney was below the cutline going into the race. He had won stage 2, so he’s gaining points… like, Blaney cannot f*ck this race up. The last thing he needs to speed on pit road.”

“Blaney was arguably too slow going in, but I think Larson was arguably too fast,” he added.

Watch this story: Kyle Larson Wins His Own Sprint Car Series, Faces Backlash From Fans

Despite the contact from the #5 Chevy, Ryan Blaney didn’t hold any grudges against him. But he did have something to say about the way Denny Hamlin raced him. And when both Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr fell out of contention during the latter half of the race, the fans felt like Blaney could have had an advantage. But Blaney admitted that this wasn’t even in his wavelength of thoughts.

Blaney shed light on his mindset even after the skirmish with the 23XI owner

Trending

Martin Truex Jr’s Crew Chief Makes Heartbreaking 4-Word Racing Admission

May 04, 2024 04:11 PM EDT

“Get This M*f*** Down”- Disgruntled Bubba Wallace Puts 23XI on Blast After Shocking Let Down at Signature Track

May 06, 2024 02:30 AM EDT

Tony Stewart’s ‘Little Bi**Es’ Warning Goes Wrong After Last Lap Horror in the Indy 800

May 04, 2024 04:25 PM EDT

“Getting the Heck Out of Miami”- F1’s Outrageous ‘$’ Ask Leaves NASCAR World in Utter Disbelief

May 04, 2024 10:26 AM EDT

Racing Community Goes Berserk as Tony Stewart Drops Surprising ‘Fans Double’ Announcement Amidst Indy Return

May 03, 2024 01:47 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest NASCAR stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

With only 38 laps till the checkered flag in the 4EVER 400, Blaney and Hamlin were battling for the lead. Hamlin made an attempt to veer to the lower groove and after successfully moving to the inside of Blaney’s machine, he tried to push Blaney up against the wall. While the two drivers battled with each other, Christopher Bell sneaked past and drove forth, eventually winning the race.

However, when Denny Hamlin hit the wall after facing a steering issue, Blaney was right behind him. Blaney could have felt good about Hamlin falling out of contention. Following Hamlin, even Martin Truex Jr got ousted from the race due to an engine failure. Surprisingly, none of that mattered to the 29-year-old.

After the race was all done and dusted, a Frontstretch reporter took the opportunity to walk up to Blaney and ask him about the same. Blaney wasn’t ready for the question and replied that he hadn’t even given it a thought during the race. His only focus was to win the race and nothing derailed his champion mindset.

“I didn’t really think about it honestly,” said Blaney, “I wasn’t really sure, I knew obviously the 11 had problems right in front of me and they told me about the 19. Honestly I was still figuring out how to win the race. That was the biggest thing.”

Ryan Blaney now sits on a 10-point cushion above the cutline. All things considered, he is in a more advantageous position than Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr, who are both at a 17-point deficit and a must-win situation. Needlessly to say, one of them will get eliminated. The stakes just keep getting higher and higher as NASCAR prepares to let its wrath loose on the Virginian paperclip.

Kyle Larson Claims Yet Another Championship Win Amidst His Worsening Playoff Misery