Brought to its knees by Mother Nature, the rain-shortened FireKeepers Casino 400 Cup Series race witnessed successful completion on Monday. Enthralling the NASCAR community once again, RFK Racing’s superstar Chris Buescher drove down Michigan’s Victory Lane, collecting his second consecutive win of the 2023 season. 

While Joe Gibbs Racing and RFK Racing drivers were the top score getters at Michigan’s 2-mile oval, Hendrick Motorsports trailed behind. Preventing HMS’s point-scoring reputation from falling on its face, Rick Hendrick’s most talented driver, Kyle Larson came forth as a savior. Having completed the 200-lap-long Michigan race, Larson then got diplomatic in a post-race interview.

Kyle Larson saves Rick Hendrick’s sinking ship

Bitter-sweet would aptly sum up Hendrick Motorsports’s 2023 season. While Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman remained shrouded in bad luck ever since the season’s start, their HMS teammate, William Byron raked in win after win, even securing the points lead for the better half of the season.

But Rick Hendrick could have never anticipated the disappointment that awaited his team at Michigan. Commencing 1 hour and 43 minutes past its scheduled time, the FireKeepers Casino 400 race on Sunday claimed four victims. 

Having completed only 34 of the slated 200 laps, Chase Elliott was the first to bow out of the race as the right rear tire on his #9 Chevy gave out. Following suit, William Byron’s #24 car scraped the outer wall, receiving race-ending damage. But that wasn’t the end. As the race moved into its final stage on Monday, Hendrick Motorsports faced another setback.

On lap 127, HMS’s #48 Alex Bowman was bumper on the left rear quarter panel of his Chevy, sending him spinning into Todd Gilliland’s #38 Ford. While Rick Hendrick’s three drivers were sidelined at the 2-mile oval, Kyle Larson saved HMS’s sinking ship at Michigan. Placing 5th and 6th in Stage 1 and Stage 2 respectively, Larson finished the FireKeepers Casino 400 race in the 5th spot, behind his JGR and RFK Racing counterparts.

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Emerging as Rick Hendrick’s savior, Larson then delivered a diplomatic interview.

Kyle Larson gets diplomatic at Michigan

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While Chris Buescher and the RFK Racing team celebrated at Michigan’s Victory Lane, Kyle Larson appeared on Pit Road where he lent a deeper insight into the Michigan event.

“(Martin) Truex is really good on entry, like he could carry a lot of speed and have good grip and carry a lot more throttle, so he could pass really easy. I feel like I had a little bit of that, but really the majority of my passes came from other people passing or getting to people’s inside, side drafting.”

The HMS star further added, “I would just pick them up and we could go and I would get by that guy. They were trying to pass, so just trying to find good friends out there really to just get going. I think it’s tough because the draft, you know, you’re really reliant on somebody behind you, whether they pick you or the other person.

“So I was able to work with Alex (Bowman) a lot, and then, you know, Bubba (Wallace) and I, that last long run. In the beginning we were able to work by probably six or seven guys doing that.”

Having saved HMS’s reputation from completely falling on its face, can Kyle Larson claim the regular season championship?

Read More: Martin Truex Jr. Leaves JGR Member Out To Dry After Failing To Conquer Michigan in 33rd Attempt