Kyle Larson Gets Livid Over His Detrimental Mistake That Gave Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Driver a Much-Needed Victory

In a thrilling turn of events at Sonoma Raceway, Aric Almirola emerged as the unexpected winner of the Xfinity Series race. A late restart and a critical mistake by Kyle Larson allowed him to secure a historic win for RSS Racing and claim his first-ever road course victory.

RSS Racing has been operating in Xfinity and ARCA Menards Series for over a decade. However, the team tasted success for the first time on Saturday after they borrowed Almirola from Tony Stewart‘s Stewart-Haas Racing. Steering the #28 Ford to the checkered flag, Almirola marked his fourth career Xfinity win and his first in the series since 2017.

Aric Almirola didn’t want to run road courses in Xfinity 

Almirola’s success on the challenging Sonoma track came as a surprise, despite his impressive track record at the venue throughout his career. Grateful for the hard work and support of his race team and everyone at the SHR garage, he mentioned that when the opportunity came to race at Sonoma in RSS Racing’s Xfinity Series car, he jumped on it. Almirola acknowledged his team’s dedication in preparing a third car and overcoming the obstacles faced during a challenging Cup season.

Reflecting on his accomplishment, Almirola expressed his elation, saying, “Oh man, this is so special, it’s hard to explain. I know it’s an Xfinity win and not a Cup win, but after COTA, I told [my team], I really don’t think I should run any more road course races in the Xfinity car. It makes me look like a w*nker, and I lose self-confidence going into Sunday.”

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The victory was a much-needed boost for Almirola, who has faced a tough year in the Cup Series and stands 25th on the points table. As he celebrated with his kids, Almirola mentioned hat he was eagerly looking forward to stepping into the Victory Lane. He exclaimed, “Man, this is awesome! I can’t wait to get there.”

Kyle Larson explains why he lost grip at Turn 11

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While Aric Almirola celebrated his victory, Kyle Larson was left to grapple with disappointment after his dominant performance slipped away due to a critical error. Larson, who had been in control for the majority of the Xfinity weekend, acknowledged that he had let his ambition get the better of him.

“I just got too greedy,” Larson confessed. “You know, if you can get your rights [tires] below the rumble strips into the paint, there’s a lot of grip. I got it good a couple of times, but then, yeah, I was tucked up right behind him [Almirola] and clipped the tire, knocking the wheel out of my hand.”

Larson’s mistake resulted in misaligned steering and compromised his chances of securing a win. Struggling with a tight left and a loose right, he couldn’t mount a successful challenge to regain the lead. Despite his frustration, Larson commended Almirola’s performance and recognized the team’s well-deserved win.

“I hate it for [the team] and everybody; they deserve a win so bad with this #17 car,” Larson lamented. “Between all of us, we all found a way to lose. I’m really mad at myself right now, but I’m proud of the car they brought. Congrats to Aric too. He did a really good job out in front of me, hitting his marks.”

Larson’s dominance in practice and qualifying and his substantial lead during the race made his mistake all the more devastating. However, he acknowledged Almirola’s impressive control at the front and his ability to extend his lead when Larson was in pursuit.

With the Cup Series race at Sonoma right around the corner, fans can look forward to more thrilling races and remarkable performances from these talented drivers.

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