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Denny Hamlin is a man who, in addition to being a team owner and driver, often comments on the NASCAR scene. One of the sport's biggest legends reflected on last weekend's race in Kansas, which wasn’t ideal for Kyle Larson, a driver expected to perform well. Fans had their eyes on Larson but were left disappointed after everything that happened.
Larson ended up in 26th place and is 18 points below the cut line, though that doesn’t guarantee success moving forward.
In the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin discussed Larson’s unfortunate moments during the race. As an experienced figure in NASCAR, Hamlin couldn’t understand how Larson had performed so poorly, especially since he expected to compete against him on the track. At one point, Hamlin saw Larson sitting on pit road, filled with questions and uncertainty about what was happening.
“I couldn’t understand, I didn’t see him all day. I thought that — he was starting P11 or something like that, and I was starting P8, so I thought, within the first few laps, I was going to see him at some point, we were going to battle, but I just never saw him. Then, I saw him sitting on pit road, and the entire team was working on it, and I’m like, ‘What happened to him? Did he get in that first lap wreck, or what?’ So I watched it, and it looked like he just blew a tire there. You can kind of see, not the smoke, but just kind of like the air coming out of the back of the car, and he hits the wall."- Denny Hamlin said, as quoted by On3.
Hamlin stressed that it seemed like Larson picked up some debris on the bottom of his race car. He mentioned that the diffuser, which provides downforce, can be heavily impacted if it’s damaged in any way. When he looked at Larson’s car, he noted that the damage was all on the underbody. He found it surprising to see how much speed that damage had cost Larson.
The experienced NASCAR driver and owner pointed out that the underbody of race cars is quite fragile, unlike the outer parts, which can handle some rough treatment without sustaining damage. He explained that if a car runs over something as minor as duct tape, it can lose a lot of speed. He emphasized that it doesn't take much for the underbody to be affected.
Kyle Larson had a flat on his right rear tire, which caused him to scrape the wall. He has impressed many this season and was leading even after this race, but luck wasn’t on his side this time. Currently, he is 15 points ahead of his competitor, Christopher Bell. However, Larson doesn’t want to dwell on disappointment or frustration from what happened; he is focusing on the upcoming challenges instead.
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Many well-known names in the NASCAR scene were surprised after the last race, not sure of the main reason behind Kyle Larson's poor performance. It was expected that the race would go differently, with indications that Larson would solidify his lead and attempt to win the NASCAR championship. NASCAR insiders Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi shared their thoughts on the situation, just as they have many times before.
Gluck pointed out that the drivers aren't thinking about "what if" scenarios since the issues were completely out of their control. He noted that the race was supposed to be a showdown between Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin, but at one point, both were running in 29th and 30th place due to various unrelated incidents.
Gluck explained that Larson ran over debris, which impacted his race despite dominating at Bristol and starting strong in the playoffs. After cutting a tire around lap 20 and hitting the wall, his day took a turn. Crew chief Cliff Daniels tried to help him gain track position, but Larson went from 12th to 30th place.
Gluck stresses that currently, Larson is +18 in points, but he hasn't had great luck at super speedways. A crash at Talladega could put him in a tough position for the Roval, highlighting how confusing the playoffs can be at times.
The 32-year-old driver needs to perform quite better this time if he wants to stay at the top. He’ll face a tough challenge with upcoming races that offer the possibility for any participant to win. Many will be watching Larson, hoping he can avoid any obstacles this time. In the world of NASCAR, situations like this are quite common.
Exciting times lie ahead, and it’s hard to predict what’s in store for us in the coming period.
English (US)