“All jammed up”: Kyle Larson reflects on eventful Talladega Cup race

Kyle Larson let his feelings be known after he finished the Jack Link's 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday in third place. Speaking about the race in the post-race interview, the Hendrick Motorsports driver stated that he had no space left to charge down and improve his position.

Larson, who seemed to be one of the favorites to win the race at the iconic track, came home behind Austin Cindric and Ryan Preece. However, NASCAR improved the #5 driver to second place after Preece's car failed in the post-race inspection.

"I don't think there's anything I could've done on the final lap," Larson said. "I was just second row inside and was gonna do everything I could to advance our lane and see if I could get to the outside, but we're all just pushing equally so it was jammed up."

Cindric of Team Penske claimed the victory at Talladega and became the first Penske driver to win a race this season. This was also Team Penske's first victory since the Championship 4 at the Phoenix Raceway.

Austin Cindric, Kyle Larson, William Byron, Joey Logano, and Noah Gragson wrapped up the Top 5, while Chase Elliott, Carson Hocevar, Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace, and Daniel Suarez completed the Top 10.

Ryan Preece faced a disqualification after his car failed the post-race inspection. He was demoted to 38th place, ahead of Ryan Blaney.

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Kyle Larson created a new NASCAR record at Talladega

Kyle Larson, the star driver of Hendrick Motorsports, created a new NASCAR record for the most stage wins by a driver. At Talladega, he won Stage 1 and broke Martin Truex Jr.'s record of 66 stage wins.

Apr 21, 2024; Talladega, Alabama, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (5) during the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Stages in NASCAR were introduced in 2017, and 2025 marked its ninth year. Currently, Larson holds the record for 67 stage wins. The HMS driver started his race from 25th place after an underwhelming qualifying on Saturday, but went on to win the first stage.

In the second stage, Larson lost two places to Bubba Wallace and Joey Logano and finished the stage in third. In the third stage, he ultimately came home behind Cindric and Preece after he failed to find a gap and go for it.

Kyle Larson is in second place in the Drivers' standings with 358 points, behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron. So far, the #5 driver has claimed two wins (at Homestead-Miami and Bristol), six Top 5s, and seven Top 10s. His average start position has been 13.8, and his average finish position has been 11.3.