Kyle Larson seems to have odd run-ins with the Goodyear tires at some point in time of the NASCAR season. The flat tire last year at a crucial playoff race in Homestead led to a big crash, which eventually crushed his championship hopes. A p13 finish in Miami followed by a P3 result at Martinsville wasn’t enough for the HMS star to book a spot in championship 4. And this hoodoo with the Goodyear tire has continued going into the new year.

The 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson arrived at COTA with a reputation that preceded him. With six wins last season and a track record of dominating different racing surfaces, he was more than just another driver. Starting seventh on the grid, Larson carried the weight of expectations, particularly after his impressive Xfinity Series victory at the track last year. But racing has a cruel way of humbling even its most celebrated stars.

Then came the moment that would rewrite the narrative. During the second stage of the race, a routine pit stop transformed into a NASCAR nightmare. Larson’s right front wheel – critical to the car’s stability and performance – came completely detached, rolling down the backstretch like a runaway missile. “I got a flat or… f—— right front came off,” Larson erupted over the radio, his frustration palpable as his race disintegrated before his eyes.

The aftermath was swift and merciless. Bob Pockrass’s tweet confirmed the impending professional execution: suspensions were expected for the team’s jackman and front tire changer. In a chess-like move of survival, Hendrick Motorsports prepared to deploy Eric Ludwig and Jafar Hall – typically assigned to Spire cars – to fill the critical crew positions.

NASCAR’s rulebook is unforgiving when it comes to such mechanical failures. Losing a wheel isn’t just a performance penalty, it’s a critical safety violation that can endanger drivers, crew members, and competitors. The statistics told a brutal story: Larson plummeted from a promising eighth position to 37th, two laps down, transforming a potential breakthrough into a total disaster.

Apart from Kyle Larson, another NASCAR driver might be in deep waters after the race in COTA. Unlike Larson, the driver in the discussion here might face a points penalty along with a hefty fine.

Austin Cindric might face NASCAR’s wrath

The Penske driver had been in contention to win both the races at Daytona and Atlanta. But, despite leading major chunks of the races he either ended up being wrecked or shoved. By the time he made it to COTA, his frustration reached new heights and he just wasn’t going to take any more beating. This was evident when he right-hooked Austin Dillon on the front stretch after the No. 10 car ran him wide out of Turn 20.

NASCAR opted to let this incident slide and review it after the race weekend. We have seen NASCAR suspend drivers for intentionally wrecking their competitors. We have Chase Elliott right rearing into Denny Hamlin at Charlotte in 2023, and then Austin Dillon last year at Richmond getting both Hamlin and Joey Logano and last lap chaos. But, NASCAR will tread carefully now that the playoff waiver is only restricted to medical and family reasons.

If anything we might see the sanctioning body hand out a points penalty to the Penske driver along with a fine. Another driver that needs to be wary about a potential penalty is Ross Chastain.