“Just woke up the sleeping giant” - Fans react as Kyle Larson wins $12,000 in High Limit race

The NASCAR fanbase has reacted to Kyle Larson's $12000 High Limit race triumph after the Hendrick Motorsports driver's disappointing previous weekend. The Californian's Double Duty attempt pivoted from high expectations to a broken dream after Mother Nature played the cards against him.

Kyle Larson became the fifth driver to attempt the Indy-Charlotte Double. He showcased his prowess at the Indy 500 qualifying, placing his #17 Arrow McLaren fifth on the grid. However, inclement weather conditions delayed the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing' by four hours.

Moreover, after the 200-lap dash kicked off, Larson succumbed to several problems. A pit-lane speeding penalty, spinning out during an early restart, and a miscalculated race strategy stooped his car to an 18th-place finish. The misery, however, wasn't over for the HMS driver.

After his IMS run, Kyle Larson flew to Charlotte and reached when the race was red-flagged due to heavy downpour. The #5 Chevy driver intended to replace Justin Allgaier, but unfavorable conditions prompted the officials to cancel the race. Thus, Larson's Double Duty effort didn't come to fruition, and his NASCAR playoff eligibility has become dependent on a waiver.

Nonetheless, the versatile driver emerged from a dismal weekend to bag the 30-lap Kubota High Limit Racing victory. Despite starting third and behind the frontrunner Rico Abreu, Larson started domination from Lap 9 and came home with his fifth High Limit Racing win and a $12000 paycheck.

After witnessing the 31-year-old's superiority on the Lawrenceburg Speedway, fans on social media opined on Larson's resurgence.

"I think mother nature and Nascar canceling the race last Sunday just woke up the sleeping giant," one fan commented.

"Yeah, after last week, he’s got something to prove. This summer might be a problem for everyone else," another fan wrote.

This fan shared an image depicting GOAT and Kyle Larson's sprint car #57 embedded on it.

One fan expressed their thrill at Larson's victory and wrote:

"Hell yeah baby, he needed this."

"He would rather drive Sprint cars,"one fan opined, praising Larson's Sprint car racing skills.

This fan was apparently too thrilled to express their excitement and shared a GIF instead:

"I just don't want to be a sitting duck at the bottom" - Kyle Larson outlines his victory after surviving multiple unfavorable odds

Kyle Larson kicked off his 30-lap run in third place, but on the first turn, the #57 driver overtook Kalib Henry for the second place. From there, the Californian chased Rico Abreu for the lead.

The #24 car maintained its domination for eight laps, but momentarily before entering the ninth lap, Larson swerved through the inside line and took the lead. He faced a challenge from Abreu, but the 31-year-old pulled off an outside slider while the #24 car couldn't make way because of traffic.

After surviving through multiple restarts, drifting rivals, and hindering lap traffic, Kyle Larson broke his 10-race winless streak. His last sprint car victory was at the East Bay Raceway Park in February. Shortly after wrapping up his victorious run, the 2021 Cup Series champion said (via Flo Racing):

"I just really didn't know what to do on the restarts, you know where to choose. I just don't want to be a sitting duck at the bottom and not getting along so I felt my best opportunity to build my momentum quick would be to take off at the top. Glad that all worked out."

The Hendrick Motorsports driver will be next seen on the World Wide Technology Raceway, fighting for contention on Sunday, at the 240-lap Enjoy Illinois 300.