Kyle Larson certainly didn’t anticipate being ejected so early in Stage 1 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 8. While trying to maneuver his No. 5 Chevy, the Hendrick Motorsports driver, who was in third place, collided hard with the outside wall.
Entering the Round of 16 opener at the 1.54-mile quad-oval, Larson was the top seed, boasting a 35-point lead over the elimination line. Unfortunately, the crash prevented him from finishing the 260-lap race, resulting in a disappointing P37 finish and marking his fifth DNF of the season. When reporters inquired if he had noticed any unusual behavior from his car, the 2021 Cup Series champion responded (via Frontstretch): “Not at all. Never. Not once. If anything, I was getting tighter and tighter. That just caught me way off guard. I was never once in that same corner loose and it just started stepping out and I over-corrected I guess.”
Despite the frightening incident, Larson emerged uninjured. After being evaluated and released from the infield care center, he expressed gratitude to his team and NASCAR for the safety measures in place, stating: “I feel fine, thankfully everything held up great in the car. Thanks to Hendrick Motorsport and NASCAR for the safety and all the safety I use.”
Larson is gearing up for next week’s race at Watkins Glen International, where he has celebrated victory twice in the past two years (2021 and 2022).
Chase Briscoe shared his thoughts on the incident with Kyle Larson. While running in 14th place, Briscoe found himself in a tough spot when Larson crashed right in front of him. Driving the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Briscoe had no option but to collide with Larson’s rear end. He ended the race just behind Larson, with both drivers earning a single point.
“I was focused on my outside as I approached Turn 1, and I was probably a bit slow to notice the No. 5 car going down,” Briscoe recounted during a post-race chat with reporters. “I didn’t expect anyone to spin out since they weren’t racing two-wide. When I saw the smoke, I tried to slow down, knowing he was sliding down the track. I kept trying to steer left to reduce my speed, but I just couldn’t get over in time.”
In a thrilling overtime finish, Team Penske’s Joey Logano maneuvered past his teammate Ryan Blaney and Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez to clinch the victory and secure a spot in the Round of 12. Meanwhile, both Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe are in a tight race to either win a race or accumulate enough points to advance. Currently, Larson is positioned 10th in the Cup Series standings with 2041 points, while Briscoe sits 16th with 2006 points. Larson holds a 15-point cushion above the Round of 12 cut-off, whereas Briscoe is on the edge, trailing 21 points behind the cutline.
