Kyle Larson didn’t have a great day at Martinsville Underwater, but he couldn’t tell his title rivals weren’t quick and was confident that his two teammates would win.
Larson finished ninth on Sunday. Denny Hamlin finished sixth, and Christopher Bell was 10th.
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Larson gave his lesson to both Joe Gibbs Racing drivers after the race the sky‘s Kelly Crandall.
“I could tell Denny wasn’t a normal Denny. I don’t know if the injury was affecting him or just being stuck in traffic was affecting him, but he didn’t look any better than me,” Larson said.
“And then the bell, I would say, I had a better track position than us, but not very good,” he added.
Larson also pointed to his Hendrick Motorsports teammates. William Byron led 362 laps and won, and Chase Elliott finished second. It was Byron’s first win of the season and a 1-2 finish for Hendrick.
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“And then I had two teammates controlling the race at the front, so I was confident that those two guys would win unless, you know, cautions or crazy stuff and stuff,” Larson said.
How the Stage 1 Strategy Backfired
Larson and Hamlin both remained stuck in the first lap of the green-fouled pit lane. The warning never came, and the driver did not show the marked stage 1. “It’s a pain, I know. The plan is stuck. We’re sorry it sucks,” crew chief Cliff Daniels told Larson on the radio. Hamlin started from the pole and led early before a plan dropped him outside the top 10.
Larson fell to his lap and 24 for the 2nd restart. in stage 2 or not score. He took the lead lap with the free pass when Bell and Hamlin started on lap 216.
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The collision occurred after Joey Logano made contact with Bell coming into Turn 1. Campanile slid into Hamlin, and Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota was left with damage to the left rear.
What is left to the grandchildren?
Bell moved into second in the standings, 67 points behind Larson. Hamlin dropped to third, 70 behind.
Larson said he will still feel the pressure this week despite the big gap. The most a driver can score in a race is 76 points, so Bell or Hamlin should win and need a lot of help.
Larson is chasing his third Cup title in 2021 and 2025. The NASCAR season ends Nov. 8 at Homestead-Miami Subway.
Larson ran everything from sprint cars to the Indianapolis 500. He matched Logan and Tony Stewart’s third Cup title, among others.