Kyle Larson wowed fans with a picture-perfect finish at Kansas Speedway yesterday. Larson defeated RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher by an unusually narrow margin of 0.001 seconds, drawing cheers from the fan stands. But the unique way in which Larson won and came close to getting close had fans just as excited.
Kyle Larson has had some issues with his Goodyear tires recently. The most obvious example was in Texas, when the right rear tire fell off on lap 115, midway through the race. Problems in the pit lane and a traffic accident meant Larson could only secure 21st place. But luck was on his side this time, and his misfortune turned into a golden opportunity.
Kyle Larson’s close gave jitters to NASCAR fans
Last September, Kyle Larson was not lucky on the tri-oval circuit. He got off to a strong start, taking the lead from Christopher Bell, but ran into problems on the second stage at Kansas Speedway. After his sixth caution, he began to stall and fell to 20th place. The cause was excessive stress from tires and traffic jams. This year there was also tire drama for his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team at his 1.5-mile track. Strategy changed on lap 199 when Larson’s team changed four tires. However, on lap 231, Kyle Larson felt his right front tire begin to wear. However, the day was saved by a late warning for Kyle Busch’s spin, allowing him to pit with his rivals and come out even stronger to take the lead.
So this repeated tire failure has left the NASCAR community in shock. FOX Reporter NASCAR
Jamie Little battered the No. 9 Goodyear tires and nearly cost Larson the victory. She tweeted, “Larson’s right front tire came off on the last stop before the green and white checkers!” @NASCARONFOX.
Fans appropriately expressed their shock in several comments. One fan commented, “This is scary.”
Kyle Larson’s tire failed, causing him to lose positions on the track. He quickly dropped from 3rd to 6th place. One fan joked that this tire photo says it all. “No wonder he was late right before the caution.” Another fan said the photo now makes sense, adding: “This makes a lot of sense. One fan said driver Kyle Busch I was surprised that I remembered it,” he said. Kyle Larson stepped up and got the win. “Wow. Larson owes Busch some M&Ms,” another fan commented about Busch’s broken tire. “If that’s Larson’s right front tire, imagine Kyle Busch’s right rear tire causing the spin.” As with this year, the fate of Kansas State’s Kyle Busch has been bleak so far.
Kansas may be a streak of bad luck for Busch
Considering Kyle Busch’s many dismal race results, he was looking forward to two tracks where he could jump onto the winners list. One was in Dover and the other in Kansas. “These two locations will be very good places for us to get back on the right track and find a solid base to land and start the summer,” he said. But fate had something else in store for him when Kyle Larson spun him on the final lap of the Kansas State race.
He has had such misfortune before. In 2023, he finished 35th in a race in Kansas in May, ending his championship hopes. Entering the 2016 season, Busch had four DNFs at Kansas Speedway and only four top-10 finishes. So this track is clearly tough for RCR’s No. 8 driver. But Darlington Raceway, where Busch won in 2008 and has since recorded five top-five finishes, may be better for him.
