HMS' Kyle Larson reflects on frustrating Kansas finish after tire puncture - "I just had no speed"

Hendrick Motorsports star driver Kyle Larson had a frustrating afternoon at Kansas Speedway. Despite a good start at P11, the Californian racer finished 26th after facing a tire issue early in the race.

After winning at Bristol Motor Speedway, Larson entered the Hollywood Casino 400 as the championship leader. However, the race weekend proved to be a challenging experience for the Hendrick Motorsports driver. Unable to extract maximum performance from his #5 Chevrolet Camaro race car, the 32-year-old championship contendor qualified P11 behind his top title rivals William Byron (P6), Ryan Blaney (P7), Christopher Bell (P1), and Denny Hamlin (P8).

Despite a strong start in Stage 1, Larson's race was derailed by a tire blowout on lap 19. The incident caused him to lose control and hit the outside wall, damaging both the floor and rear diffuser of his #5 Hendrick Motorsports car.

Although Larson was able to pit for a tire change and minor repairs, the damage to the aerodynamic components of his Chevrolet significantly impacted his speed. This made it challenging for him to compete with his championship rivals throughout the race.

During a post-race interview with senior NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass, Larson spoke about the issues he faced.

"I don't even know the extent of everything, but it sounded like they were able to get the piece back that broke off when I apparently ran something over and got the flap. And then I thought we'd be okay at that point, but I just had no speed. And, I mean, I don't know, couldn't figure it out, but hopefully they'll figure it out," Larson said elaborating on the effects of the damage (0:00 onwards).

Here's a look at the video of the interaction posted on X by Pockrass:

Here's a video on YouTube about Larson's lap 19 incident:

The issues at Kansas Speedway resulted in a significant setback for Larson, dropping him three positions in the 2024 Cup Series driver's championship. He now sits fourth behind Byron, Blaney, and Bell.

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"It is what it is," - Hendrick Motorsport's Kyle Larson focused on Talladega race after the Kansas Speedway disappointment

Kyle Larson aimed to expand his lead in the 2024 Cup Series championship at Kansas Speedway following his victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. Unfortunately, an early tire issue dashed his hopes and left the Hendrick Motorsports driver disappointed.

Finishing 26th in the Hollywood Casino 400 race, the 32-year-old lost the lead of the championship.

“Just a long day… It is what it is, but we’ll regroup and move on to Talladega," Larson said during the post-race media interaction.

With just five races remaining ahead of the grand finale at Phoenix Raceway in November, the #5 driver is now focused on the upcoming YellaWood 500 race at Talladega Superspeedway on October 6th.