Being third in the playoff picture is no easy job, as everyone has their eyes on you. Especially if you are already a Cup Series champion and that’s the fate that Kyle Larson has to deal with. Heading into the Homestead race, Kyle Larson already has found himself in a mess as he wrecked out yet again due to a blown-out tire. Larson had a great start to the race, as he was second when the incident took place.

The 2021 Cup Series Champion lost control after his tire blew out and he found himself in the outside wall, which became the cause for a caution. Although the incident was not a huge wreck, it was a soft contact with the outer wall before he brought the car back to the apron, and the caution helped him get his car out of harm’s way. Now, even though it was not a major wreck, many fans started to call Kyle Larson out on his driving.

The tire went flat on Larson and that caused his underbody to take damage. Although his diffuser was fine, he had some skirt damage, which impacted the height of the car. Many NASCAR fans will take a sigh of relief as the DVP rule has been changed until the end of the season. After Talladega, NASCAR decided to leave it up to the teams to decide when their car was fit to drive or not, and although Larson could get his car back to the pit lane, he lost his position on the track.

Larson spoke to his crew chief on the radio and it was clear that he was not happy. The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver warned his crew chief Cliff Daniels, saying that he would vent about the incident as he stated, “These cars are f—— stupid.” Larson’s problem with the Next-Gen cars extends to how the underbody/diffuser of the car can get bent just a little, but it completely ruins the car’s handling.

After seeing the incident that took Kyle Larson out of contention, many fans started to comment on the driver’s skills. Larson is touted as the “greatest driver in the world” according to himself and many other figures in NASCAR, so seeing such an incident occur for two weekends in a row, has had fans questioning his capability.

Fans not impressed by Kyle Larson’s 2024 Playoff run at Homestead

Looking at his performance at Homestead, fans were not happy to see how he has been performing as of late. Some saw it as the beginning of a slide, jesting, “The Larson downfall has begun.” For a driver who’s often hailed as “the greatest driver in the world”—including by Larson himself and some big names in NASCAR—that comment carried a sting, a reminder of how high the expectations are for him. Larson carries the weight of expectations after the season he has had so far. With numerous wins and dominant finishes, he was a clear favorite for the Cup Series title.

One fan couldn’t help but laugh at the repeat of bad luck, saying, “Dude, the same thing happened twice in two weeks, lmfao, you can’t make this s— up.” Back-to-back issues have indeed made it seem like Larson is stuck in a rough pattern lately, almost scripted. The fan seems happy to see the 2021 champion face such difficulty so close to the finals as this incident might just cost him his spot in the top 4.

Others, though, poked at a deeper habit they think they’ve noticed: “Larson making an unforced error when a driver puts him under any sort of pressure? It must be a Sunday.” They’re hinting that maybe Larson crumbles a bit under the heat, that his high-speed brilliance has a tendency to hit a wall when things get intense on track. It’s not strange for fans to see this from the #5 Chevy of Kyle Larson. He had multiple incidents in the playoffs so far where a small mistake put him into the wall.

And, of course, there’s always the suspicion of favoritism. When the caution came out after Larson’s light brush with the wall, someone threw out the inevitable: “Bull—- caution to save golden boy Larson.” If you ask some fans, they’ll tell you that NASCAR might keep a closer eye on keeping big names like Larson in the game, even if it means a soft caution here and there.

Then there’s the cherry on top: “Average Looney Tunes Kyle Larson s—.” It’s a jab at his chaotic race day and his supposed unpredictability. It’s like just another day at the track for Larson, starring in his own slapstick saga of tire blowouts and wall scrapes. For fans, Larson’s Homestead incident was like watching the same storyline play out, with their reactions as punchy as his car was banged up.

With that said, do you think that Kyle Larson will make it into the top 4 after such an incident? Share your thoughts in the comments below.