Kyle Larson unravels how Ryan Blaney’s Miami blow changed Hendrick Motorsports’ fate

Kyle Larson won last Sunday’s (March 23) race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, marking his 30th career victory in the NASCAR Cup Series. Recently on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour Podcast, the 32-year-old Hendrick Motorsports ace revealed how Ryan Blaney’s engine failure on lap 207 helped him bag his first win of the season.

Blaney was running third when smoke started coming out of his No. 12 Team Penske Mustang. He was in no position to continue racing after that and thus, parked next to his designated pit box. In the end, the 2023 series champion had to settle for a P36 and his third straight DNF of 2025.

But it helped Kyle Larson in a way. NASCAR waved the yellow shortly after Blaney’s engine blew up, giving the Chevy Star the much-needed long run. Detailing the same, Larson told Kevin Harvick (1:19):

“So difficult to pass there in the Next Gen car. That third stage... I was just kind of just riding behind Bubba and was just kind of waiting for the green flag cycle to start. That didn't happen before Blaney blew up which was probably beneficial to me because it made that final run extra long.”

“I know that I need long runs at Homestead to really stand out,” Larson added.

Thanks to his win, Kyle Larson is now locked in the playoffs alongside teammate and two-time Daytona 500 winner William Byron. He sits second in the drivers' standings with 208 points to his name. Byron, on the other hand, tops the list with 244 points.

“Baddest dude on earth”- Kyle Larson’s HMS teammate sends a lighthearted message following recent Miami sweep

It was a strong day for Hendrick Motorsports at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Kyle Larson won two of the three races that he was tabbed to run over the weekend and Alex Bowman delivered his career-best finish at the 1.5-mile intermediate speedway.

Bowman could have even won the race, given how he was leading with just seven laps to go. But that mistake he made brushing the Turn 4 wall is what kept him from logging his ninth win overall in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Stating the same and lauding Larson for the win, Bowman posted on X:

“Dangit. Pressure from the baddest dude on earth and I made a mistake and gave it to him. Congrats @KyleLarsonRacin. We’ll re rack and go after it again next week.”

Alex Bowman is third in the drivers' standings currently, three points behind Kyle Larson. He is now ahead of his seventh race of the season. Named Cook Out 400, the 400-lap event is scheduled for Sunday, March 30. Fans can watch it live on Fox Sports 1 (3 pm ET) or listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.