Kyle Larson Doesn’t See Eye to Eye With Tony Stewart’s Retiring Legend Ahead of Bristol Clash

The importance of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race this weekend cannot be stressed enough. Apart from the first two race winners, each playoff driver would attempt to capitalize on Bristol Motor Speedway to qualify for the next round. As the competition got more intense with each passing week, underlying tensions surfaced.

The short Bristol track has hosted eventful races in the past, and its unique surface led to dramatic clashes. Stewart-Haas Racing‘s star driver relied on the contentious element of the track in order to predict the race outcome. Darlington winner Kyle Larson, however, had a different opinion.

Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson would formulate Bristol track opinions after the Xfinity race

Bristol Motor Speedway was known for its short track speed and high lane preference before NASCAR implemented a change. In 2016, PJ1 TrackBite resin was applied on the bottom end to enhance that section’s grip. Despite this addition, racers continued to drive in the top lane on account of quick turns at the corner.

Retiring racer Kevin Harvick wished to make the most of his last playoff and laid a stake on PJ1, affecting the course of the race at Bristol. Hendrick Motorsports #5 driver felt the Xfinity race earlier would substantially alter the effect of the resin, even before the Cup Series race.

In the pre-race interview with Frontstretch, a reporter asked Kyle Larson his thoughts on Kevin Harvick’s comments. The #4 Ford driver felt the race this weekend hinged upon the quantity of PJ1 sprayed on the track and its eventual impact on the suitable top lane.

Accordingly, the Hendrick Motorsports driver responded, “Um I don’t know, I don’t know what their plan is but obviously you know, it really just comes down to whatever the Xfinity race does. You know if it eventually moves up and gets some grip through the middle and the top. And then I think we can give more opinion on whether it needs more Pj1 on the bottom groove.”

However, Kyle Larson’s qualifying lap indicated he should take the veteran’s experience more seriously.

Watch this story: Kevin Harvick Loses His Only Hope to Win a Race, NASCAR Faces Criticism From Tony Stewart’s Team Member

Long road ahead to Bristol for the #5 Chevrolet driver

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Kyle Larson rode high on the success of his first two playoff races. As a result, registered the fastest race lap during Bristol practice. With an average speed of 126.353 mph, the Hendrick Motorsports star raced to the top within the first 20 minutes of their practice session.

The #5 Chevrolet Camaro spun wildly out of control on Turn 4 of the racetrack. He managed to gather himself but couldn’t regain his former speed. In a surprising turn of events, the current playoff leader would start right at the bottom of the grid.

The HMS driver admitted the same in the interview and explained, “It’s messed up. I got too much of the run in the center and it got me loose. I wanted to get some of it but a little bit too tight on my speed lap. Thought that was because I missed you know the left side touching the paint.”

Read More: Hendrick Motorsports Team Member Publicly Admits “We Sc**wed You” as Kyle Larson’s Playoffs Run Goes South at Kansas

Fortunately, Kyle Larson booked his seat for the next round with his earlier win. So the outcome of this race wouldn’t affect Larson’s playoff chances. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to witness Larson navigate his way from the end of the line-up.