“Pretty upset with myself”: Kyle Larson reflects on his race and the final lap contact with Austin Dillon at Watkins Glen

On a day that saw William Byron win the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen, Kyle Larson's race ended on a frustrating note as he grappled with disappointing results and a pivotal final lap contact with Austin Dillon.

Larson, piloting the #5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, entered the race weekend with high hopes, aiming to replicate the success he achieved last year when he clinched victories in both the Xfinity and Cup Series events.

However, the racing gods had a different plan for him this time around. Three out of four Hendrick Motorsports cars faced dismal finishes, and Larson was one of them. Crossing the finish line in 26th place, he could not challenge the leaders as he had hoped.

Reflecting on his performance, Larson expressed his frustration to Frontstretch, admitting,

"We just had another really good car here and the race is just playing out how it's playing out."

Kyle Larson's annoyance was visible as he acknowledged the self-inflicted mistake that dashed his chances.

"We were able to run those guys down and then yeah I sped on Pit Road and it killed our race from there. Pretty upset with myself once again.. another fast car," he said.

The final lap of the race was perhaps the most memorable and dramatic moment for Larson. Going deep into the last turn, Larson's #5 Chevrolet came into contact with Austin Dillon's #3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

Both cars spun out of control, tumbling down the pack after fighting for the 19th position. Recounting the incident, Larson explained:

"He was upset. I kind of dive-bombed him into the bus stop as I was coming through the pack, and he left me room cause we would've crashed then."

---

Kyle Larson weighs in on crash with Austin Dillon and the final race at Daytona

31-year-old Larson delved into the details of his crash with Dillon, saying:

"A handful of laps later, he got upset exiting the bus stop and I had a run and nudged him a little bit up off at the bottom. I guess that really ticked him off and he got in me in Turn 10 and I really honestly wasn't even trying to crash him, I was just trying to maintain leverage into the final corner."

With the playoffs looming and the final Cup Series race at Daytona on the horizon, Kyle Larson expressed his desire to rectify his mistakes.

"I don't know. I just gotta quit screwing up and making little mistakes that turn into big ones," he confessed.