After a dominant victory at Bristol, Kyle Larson was hoping to build on his momentum at Kansas Speedway. The Hendrick Motorsports driver went into the 2024 Hollywood Casino 400 as the playoff leader and was an overwhelming favorite to secure his sixth win of the season. Why wouldn’t he be? Not only did he lead 92% of the laps in the final Round of 16 race, but he also won the AdventHealth 400 on the 1.5-mile tri-oval earlier this year.

However, his race couldn’t have been more disappointing. Larson was forced to settle for a 26th-place finish at Kansas after his No. 5 Chevy struggled to keep pace with rivals, a stark contrast to his unbeatable form just one weekend ago. Will he bounce back from his latest setback and get back to winning ways at Talladega and Charlotte Roval? Time will tell.

Kyle Larson identifies the reason for the below-par Kansas finish

It seems like whatever could go wrong, did go wrong for Kyle Larson. The California native scrubbed the wall at Kansas Speedway’s Turn 2 during Lap 19 after getting loose, resulting in a flat right rear tire. As a result, he was forced to take the pits and started at the tail end of the grid after his team assessed the damage, forcing him to lose valuable grid positions. In a race that featured several cautions, Larson struggled with speed, particularly at the restarts, but managed to soldier on for 267 laps to finish just outside the top 25. Despite the result, the Hendrick Motorsports driver is 18 points above the elimination line and isn’t at immediate risk of missing out on a Round of 8 spot.

Speaking to Frontstretch’s Stephen Stumpf in the post-race interview, Kyle Larson highlighted his struggles at Kansas Speedway by saying, “I mean, I don’t know. In disbelief. It’s just racing, you know. Just things happen, I guess, but just unfortunate.” Sharing the reasons behind his 26th-place result, Larson went on to say, “I just didn’t have any speed so restarts were just incredibly tough for me. I was okay once we got strung out just a little bit but restarts, I just had no power.”

Kyle Larson’s Kansas result was a stark contrast to his dominance at the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Night Race in Bristol. Despite winning the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas earlier this season, his lackluster playoff performance now puts pressure on him to deliver at the upcoming Talladega race, a track where he has historically struggled.

Currently, William Byron leads the standings, with Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, and Larson close behind. While Larson isn’t at immediate risk of playoff elimination, strong finishes at Talladega and the Charlotte Roval are crucial to keeping his title hopes alive.

Larson clarifies his short-track comment after fans’ backlash

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It’s no secret that NASCAR’s short-track package has left much to be desired, and the race at Bristol Motor Speedway was no different. Drivers found it hard to make passes, prompting many fans to criticize the quality of racing and the lack of tire falloff, unlike the race on the same track in spring earlier this year. The 500-lap event featured just eight lead changes, with Kyle Larson leading a staggering 462 laps and winning with a 7.1-second margin.

He had previously asked fans to “temper your expectations” with regards to short-track racing in a Next-Gen car, which prompted angry reactions from the fandom. Clarifying his comments, Larson told Bob Pockrass, “To me, it wasn’t really a debate. I think trying to give a perspective from a driver’s point of view from someone who’s been around now for over 10 years and been through different packages and results on the racetrack. Not every race is gonna be super exciting. I think that’s more of where I was coming from. Just stop being so negative.”

While it’s understandable that fans didn’t enjoy just how uneventful the race at Bristol Motor Speedway was, it’s easy to recognize why Kyle Larson felt that their reaction was unnecessary. The 32-year-old has been there and done that throughout his NASCAR career and wasn’t defending the quality of short-track racing by any means.

With six races remaining before the 2024 season ends, Larson will look to keep his disappointing finish at Kansas Speedway behind him and secure some good results in upcoming races, with the hope of competing for the title at Phoenix Raceway later this year.