Denny Hamlin Reaches the Top as Kyle Larson’s No-Show on Track Drops Him Below Joe Gibbs Racing Veterans

Christopher Bell was declared the winner at Charlotte after leading the race for 249 of the scheduled 400 laps when the Coca-Cola 600 was halted and eventually called off due to a persistent downpour. The race was red-flagged for over two hours, during which Kyle Larson, fresh from the Indy 500 and a helter-skelter journey involving two helicopter rides, had just arrived to hop into his #5 pit stop.

His day had already been tough. At the Indy 500, Larson faced a couple of setbacks that relegated him to a P18-place finish after starting promisingly. By the time he arrived in Charlotte, eager to make up for the Indy disappointment, it was too late—the race had been stopped, and he didn’t get the chance to compete. This stroke of bad luck also knocked him off the top spot in the driver standings.

Kyle Larson really took a hit this weekend

Before the Coca-Cola 600 was cut short, Christopher Bell was tearing it up in his Joe Gibbs Racing #20 Toyota, leading a race-high 90 laps and snagging his eighth career Cup Series win—his first in a major race. Coming into this race, Bell had won only one top-10 finish in his last seven Cup races. His crew chief, Adam Stevens, had been hammering him to keep the lead, especially with stormy weather on the horizon.

And while it was a good day for Christopher Bell and Co., just as Larson was pulling up to Charlotte Motor Speedway to jump into his #5 Chevy, NASCAR threw in the towel. They called the race off due to the ongoing rain, high humidity, and the slim chances of getting the track dry and the race back on before 1 a.m.

Larson had been gunning to be the first driver since Tony Stewart to complete the full 1,100 miles of the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double-header. But lousy weather put an early end to that dream. NASCAR rules say you can’t hit the playoffs without starting every race, which puts Larson in a bind. However, Hendrick Motorsports might ask NASCAR for a waiver, giving him a shot at the playoffs despite the setback.

There is no guarantee that NASCAR will approve the waiver, but it’s hard to imagine the sport’s governing body keeping its top driver out of the postseason. Larson did not address the media after the race.

However, it does not succumb to that. Before the Charlotte race, he was leading the pack in the driver standings with 486 points. Hot on his heels were two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers- Martin Truex Jr with 456 points and Denny Hamlin with 447 points. But after the race was called off and Larson’s car, driven by a substitute, Justin Allgaier managed a P13 finish, he couldn’t even participate. The drop cost him dearly, bumping him down to third place with the same 486 points [six points behind Hamlin], while Hamlin took the lead with 497 points, and Truex nudged into second place with 487 points.

The sting of missing both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 was tough enough, but sliding from the top of the standings? That just added insult to injury.

Sad #5 driver is still hopeful

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Kyle Larson didn’t hide his disappointment when talking about his whirlwind double-duty attempt, which saw him miss out on crucial racing moments this past weekend. Later, speaking with Bob Pockrass, Larson shared his heartfelt reactions, saying:

“I‘m very very thankful for the experience. Obviously everything about the two weeks, all that was great until today. So just sad. Yeah, just sad. Everything that could’ve gone wrong today, went wrong. Hopefully get to do it again in the future, hopefully weather is better next time.” But despite that, Larson’s resolve remains strong, already expressing his desire to tackle the double duty again.

However, this year’s attempt shook up his standings in the playoffs. But will Rick Hendrick give the green light for such a venture next year, considering the risks involved?