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USA Today via Reuters
Feb 14, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (5) during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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USA Today via Reuters
Feb 14, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (5) during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
AJ Allmendinger was less than impressed with how Kyle Larson kept bumping him throughout the race, which knocked out his rear tires. The part-time Kaulig Racing driver was one of the many cars that Larson overtook, after changing to fresh tires from his last green flag pit stop. While Martin Truex Jr and Chris Buescher battled it out for first place, Kyle Larson steadily gained track positions, overtaking the pair with 8 laps to go to secure this third win of the season.
AJ Allmendinger’s second Cup race this season was far from what he expected
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Kyle Larson & HMS Are Planning to Return to Indy 500 Next Year. But Should They?
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Grudges, road rage, beef, and animosity. NASCAR has got it in spades, and we saw that in Sonoma. When Kyle Larson picked up the pace after coming out of the pits with 20 laps to go, fans saw him overtake one, sometimes two cars at a time. This brought with it some drama of its own, as tempers were flaring on the team radio about incidents occurring on the track.
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A visibly upset Allmendinger was heard speaking with his team over the radio, saying “F*** Kyle (Larson), got no rear tires” after the 31-year-old bumped the rear of Allmendinger’s #16 Chevrolet Camaro. Allmendinger’s crew chief Travis Mack tried to keep his spirits high by saying “You’re doing a great job” on the team radio, which was acknowledged with a “dammit” by the 42-year-old.
Allmendinger, who is currently a part-time driver for Kaulig Racing, was competing in his second NASCAR Cup Series race this season. He finished sixth at COTA earlier this year and finished in the same position at Sonoma Raceway as well, partly due to his tires not working optimally toward the end of the race. By the time the 42-year-old reported the incident on the team radio, Kyle Larson had already climbed to fourth place on the grid.
However, his prospects in his full-time Xfinity season aren’t looking too great either!
How has AJ Allmendinger fared in the Xfinity Series?
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When the veteran moved out of the NASCAR Cup Series after winning the playoff race at Charlotte last year, hopes were high for his Xfinity return this year. However, despite 14 races so far, AJ Allmendinger hasn’t won a single race. Currently racing full-time for Kaulig Racing, the 42-year-old has three top-5 finishes and seven top-10 finishes to his name. Ranked sixth in the standings, Allmendinger will take solace in the fact that his Kaulig Racing teammate Shane van Gisbergen has now secured back-to-back wins at Portland and Sonoma, and will hope to replicate that form for himself.
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Speaking to CBS Sports, Allmendinger acknowledged how important it is for the team to win races by saying, “Days like that is, I think, what brings us together. It’s great when you win races, everybody’s happy. And it was fantastic for SVG to get the win just to get that energy through the shop.”
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The 42-year-old still has hopes of making it to the playoffs with half of the Xfinity Series season yet to be completed. He said, “And on our side of it, we definitely are pushing and we’re trying to get better. We’re not where we want to be. But what is great about the format that NASCAR sets up, all we need is to make the playoffs, and if you get hot in the playoffs you can still go win the championship. So, we still have time to fix this.”
Hopefully, his woes will be over soon. What do you think?