The much-anticipated Chicago Street Race unfolded with Mother Nature playing spoilsport. Showers fell on the only street race in the NASCAR Cup Series, making it a slippery mess for some drivers. People expected it to be another showdown between Kyle Larson and Shane van Gisbergen. Yet both drivers fell prey to the wet track. Larson outlasted his Kiwi rival, but a bouncy fortune lay ahead for the Hendrick Motorsports driver. The No. 5 Chevrolet met its end on lap 34, leaving Larson baffled.

Kyle Larson reflects on losing control

Kyle Larson was cautious a day earlier, after his P3 finish at the Chicago Xfinity race. He had reflected on the treacherous bumps of the road course acting as potential hiccups. But ultimately, the damp street conditions took out his car at the Grant Park 165 race. The 2-hour rain delay made for a particularly slippery Turn 6 on Columbus Drive that claimed the No. 5 Chevrolet’s wheels.

Running for second at a high speed, Kyle Larson grazed Ty Gibbs. Then the No. 5 shot straight into the bouncy tire barrier, colliding with the wall beyond with high impact. After a tow truck pulled the car out, the visible damage downplayed any further chances for Larson to get back on track. Post-race, he recalled the tough conditions: “It was slick…you know, really hard to accelerate more than anything…under braking it felt fine.”

Kyle Larson dejectedly reflected on his past hopes, saying, “I don’t know, I feel like everybody hit the barrier last year. And so far this week, our cars were fairly fine.” But then the No. 5 acted beyond his control. “Yeah but um, I could tell it was destroyed as soon as I hit it…As soon as I hit the brakes, I’m like, uh I’m locked up. I hit the brakes and I was not slowing down. So yeah, I just assumed I was locked up.”

Not just HMS No. 5, but the Turn 6 debacle shattered Shane van Gisbergen‘s fortunes too. On lap 25, Chase Briscoe lost control of the No. 14 Ford and ended up hitting SVG’s No. 16 Chevy. SVG then slammed hard into the right wall, bringing out a caution and ending the favorite Kiwi driver’s day.

Before Kyle Larson’s similar wreck, the No. 5 driver was determined to finish well, and SVG expected nothing less from him.

Larson was calm before the storm

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Although the damp conditions made for a slippery fiasco in Chicago, Kyle Larson was confident. He started from the pole, soon to have SVG and others overtake him. But after his Xfinity rival crashed out, Larson must have felt a weight off his shoulders. So the No. 5 driver let his guard down, admitting to the confidence he exuded right before his dismay in Turn 6. “I’m okay. I think all of us were getting a little more confident and confident in breaking. I just went to the brakes a little deeper in each lap.” 

Shane van Gisbergen also expressed high hopes for Larson and Ty Gibbs after Xfinity: “I’m sure him and Kyle, they’ll probably be the quickest guys tomorrow.” But then disaster struck, as Ty Gibbs and Kyle Larson contacted, and the latter took a blow. Larson reflected more on his misfortune and was glad his young rival did not incur damage. “I wasn’t really aiming for anything. I was just gonna go where it was gonna go. It was a big hit. I’m glad Ty didn’t get caught up in it. Just unfortunate.”

Yet the No. 5 driver has already bagged three wins and is first in the driver rankings. So this setback means very little for Kyle Larson, who is gearing up for the coveted championship playoffs.