Kyle Larson finally addresses his "shut the f*** up" remark to spotter Tyler Monn

Kyle Larson recently shared his thoughts on an incident involving his spotter during the USA Today 301 in New Hampshire. Tyler Monn, Larson's spotter, alerted him about Denny Hamlin's standard maneuvers, which led to an exchange on the team radio between the two.

Denny Hamlin began stage three in New Hampshire with a set of new tires, initially pulling him back into eighth place. However, the new rubber on his wheels helped him gain a few positions later. After a few failed attempts, Hamlin overtook Larson for P2. Tyler Monn expressed his thoughts on the radio after Hamlin completed his move. Monn said,

"He runs you like that every time. You know why? Because you let it happen."

Larson, clearly in disagreement, responded to this remark by saying:

"Shut the f*ck up."

Larson addressed the exchange between him and his spotter in an interview with Bob Pockrass ahead of the Grant Park 165 in Chicago.

“Tyler and I, we get along really well. We have, you know, a close enough relationship where we can talk to each other about it after and joke about it. So, we were laughing about New Hampshire, as I got into the car before we re-fired. We’re all good there,” Larson told Bob Pockrass

It is not uncommon for drivers and spotters to have honest conversations with each other over the radio. The input provided by spotters is crucial for a driver and directly impacts their performance in a race. Even though Larson did not seem too happy about Monn's comment, the pair have decided to move forward and work on bringing the #5 back to winning ways.

---

Kyle Larson vs. Denny Hamlin: a historical rivalry

Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin have been in the spotlight far too often for running into each other on the racetrack. Both Cup Series drivers have a history of aggressive racing that often leads to late-race clashes.

In March 2022 at Atlanta, contact from Hamlin caused Larson to spin out while they were racing in the top five. After being disqualified from the race, both drivers claimed that the incident had been an accident. In 2023, at Kansas Speedway, Larson and Hamlin were battling for the lead when Hamlin made contact with Larson in the final lap. This sent Larson into the wall, and handed Hamlin the victory.

A few months later, at Pocono, Hamlin was fighting for the lead with seven laps to go when he forced Larson up the track. Hamlin went on to win the race, and Larson expressed his frustration, stating he deserved to be raced with respect. After the incident in New Hampshire this year, both drivers were involved in another incident at the Ally 400 in Nashville, after which Larson again proclaimed that he wants "respect on the racetrack."

Kyle Larson leads the driver standings with 664 points, with Denny Hamlin not too far behind in P3. Both the drivers have three Cup Series wins ahead of the street race in Chicago this weekend.