Did 2-time Chili Bowl winner and NASCAR Champion Kyle Larson progress to Saturday’s A-main leg?

On Thursday night at the SageNet Center, Kyle Larson, NASCAR champion and 2-time Chili Bowl winner, faced a pivotal moment in this year's Chili Bowl Nationals competition.

The evening kicked off with a heat race where Larson had a few challenges, narrowly avoiding incidents, but ultimately crashed. Determined to secure a place in Saturday's A-Main race, Larson showed his resilience by winning the C-Main and finishing second in the B-Main.

Kyle Larson entered this race as a late entry on Tuesday. Before that, he took on a daring adventure by participating in a dirt late model event called the Wild West Shootout at Vado Raceway Park in New Mexico. Afterwards, he flew to Tulsa for the Chili Bowl.

As the A-qualifying feature progressed, Larson had a climb from 20th to 11th in a gripping display of skill, giving him hope for a third Chili Bowl championship. However, his aspirations came crashing down when he lost control of his car. It flipped several times, putting an end to his chances at the Chili Bowl title in 2024.

The damage to his car was huge and there was no way of repairing it, so Larson finished 24th with a DNF.

After winning back-to-back Chili Bowl titles in 2020 and 2021, this accident halted his hopes of reaching Saturday's A-Main race, and dreams of a third title. The crash made his car irreparable, also crushing the possibility of competing for the Golden Driller Trophy and the $20,000 first prize.

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Kyle Larson's car flips twice in the 2024 Chili Bowl Nationals

The beginning of Kyle Larson's racing season took a twist when he faced a rough start at the Chili Bowl Nationals. In a last-minute entry, Larson decided to compete in the dirt midgets race.

However, during the qualification on Thursday, he flipped twice. This was quite different from Larson's achievements at previous Chili Bowl Nationals.

Starting the qualification race in fifth place, Larson was involved in an incident with Joe Perry. This initial bad news sent him back through the group, and despite his efforts to regain control, he eventually withdrew. The challenges grew when Larson, known for his aggressive driving, sought to overcome obstacles.

However, the strategy did not go according to plan. In an attempt to move forward and compete, Larson’s aggressive approach unfortunately backfires. Continuing straight ahead, he clipped the outside wall, creating a large drainage. This led to Larson’s not qualifying for the main event on Saturday.