Kyle Larson is one of the favorites to win the title this year and after the Roval, he was leading the playoffs. However, Las Vegas did not start as smoothly as he wanted, as he had a huge disadvantage in stage 2 that cost him stage points. As stage 2 was concluded, Christopher Bell claimed his 11th stage victory of the season. Although playoff drivers William Byron and Joey Logano scored points in the second stage, Kyle Larson was not in the top 10.

What happened with Larson couldn’t have come at a worse time. In the midst of a tense race, Kyle Larson pulled onto pit road on Lap 125, hoping to gain an edge as he navigated through the green flag runs. With his crew prepared and adrenaline high, Larson came in expecting a routine service. However, as the team went to work, the stop quickly turned disastrous.

After the sloppy pit stop, Larson’s radio revealed the conversation between the driver and the crew chief, Cliff Daniels. “What happened?” asked Kyle Larson on the radio about the pit stop complication. Without a proper explanation to give his driver, Daniels simply replied, “We scr-wed up.”

Just a few laps later, Kyle Larson was forced to return to the pit box, a move that would soon prove to be costly. The unexpected second stop not only disrupted his rhythm but also dropped him further down the leaderboard.

Ultimately the crew fixed the issues, but by then, he had already lost his position on the track. Now it will be a difficult battle for Larson to fight back from being a lap behind the race leaders at Vegas.

Kyle Larson’s recovery at Las Vegas

Although the pitstop confusion led Larson to fall a lap behind, he did redeem himself further on in the race. He managed to climb up from the top 20 to finish 11th at the South Point 400, and that helped him maintain his place in the safe zone of the playoffs. However, Larson’s move to the lead lap didn’t come without another driver becoming the sacrifice.

In a twist of fate, Ty Gibbs unknowingly became Kyle Larson’s saving grace during the South Point 400. Gibbs, driving the No. 54 Toyota, made slight contact with the wall, which led to a caution flag flying. The caution came at the perfect time for Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 driver, who had been struggling to recover from a disastrous pit sequence earlier in the race.

Stuck a lap down after a series of errors during his pit stop, Larson needed a break to get back on the lead lap – and Gibbs’ misfortune provided just that. As the field slowed under caution, Larson took full advantage of the situation. Using the caution period to his benefit, he was able to get the coveted free pass and rejoin the lead lap cars.

It was a crucial moment in the race for Larson, who had battled against a barrage of issues throughout the day. Thanks to Gibbs’ brush with the wall, Larson was back in the fight, giving him a chance to salvage a respectable finish after what had seemed like a lost day.

Looking at how Larson has driven all year long, do you think that he will win his second championship this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below.