Why Kyle Larson Wrecking Justin Haley Wasn’t Entirely the NASCAR Cup Champion’s Fault

One element common to almost all racecar drivers is the fact that they always race for the win. Of course, there’s an incredible amount of focus and composure that goes in the mix. But sometimes, if the latter is missing, things can get heated, regardless of whether the driver is an average one or someone like Cup Series champion Kyle Larson.

During the Clash at the Coliseum, the Hendrick driver angrily put fellow driver Justin Haley into the wall. At first glance, it looked Larson simply gave Haley a ‘payback’ for the contact he was making on the champion.

However, on a closer look, from a different angle, it’s pretty clear that the No.3 was bumped in the back by an aggressive William Byron, which led him to steer into the No.5, which then subsequently steered Haley into the wall.

A point to be noted here is that Kyle Larson wouldn’t have known of Byron’s attempt to pass Haley. And it is probably because of that the Cup champion lost his calm and did what he did.

Regardless, fans had a mixed reaction to this incident on Twitter.

Fans react to Kyle Larson pushing Justin Haley into the wall

Larson had predicted high tempers before the Clash

In an interview before the Clash, Kyle Larson had predicted there could be “tempers flaring” considering the short nature of the track.

“The racing is going to be crazy with how short the track is, the bumping and stuff — and I’m sure tempers flaring,” Larson said.

But Larson, who won 10 races last season, will undoubtedly be ready to defend his crown. And the first step in doing that is going to be the Daytona 500, a race he aims to win this year after coming awfully close in 2017. “I haven’t even been close to winning it since then,” the Hendrick driver said.

“Hopefully this is the year we can do it.”

Also Read: Kyle Larson Explains Why He’s Not Daunted By Next-Gen Cars: “I Don’t Know That I Have Any ‘Habits,’ Bad or Otherwise”