Kyle Larson was praised by his crew chief Cliff Daniels on the radio after he lapped a lot of the back markers. While Larson was trying to lap Austin Dillon, he took a sly dig at the Richard Childress Racing driver. Jeff Gluck, the veteran NASCAR reporter, shared the news on X.
Larson had a dominant weekend at the Bristol Motor Speedway. He finished second behind Chandler Smith in the Truck Series despite a pit road penalty. In the Xfinity Series, Larson led 276 laps out of 300 and secured a commanding victory, dedicating the win to Jon Edwards. He continued his streak in the Cup Series after securing the win in the Food City 500. He led for more than 400 laps in the 500-lap race. Larson won both the stages of the race during his second win of the Cup Series season.
Due to the short-track nature of the track, Larson was seen facing lapped traffic, but his abilities as a dirt racer considering the marbles on the track, helped him navigate through the field.
His crew chief, Cliff Daniels had words of praise for his racing prowess. As he was trying to navigate through Austin Dillon, Larson took a sly dig on the radio. Jeff Gluck reported the entire incident on X:
“Cliff Daniels tells Kyle Larson after watching him in lapped traffic: ‘Good job, man. Way to stay patient. Way to stay focused. Nice and smooth.’ Larson: ‘Just need Austin Dillon to get out of the way.'”
Kyle Larson’s career highlights include winning the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Championship where he won 10 races and led over 2500 laps. Before his win at Bristol, Larson had secured a single win this season (at Homestead-Miami) along with four top-five finishes and five top-ten finishes. He was ranked sixth in the standings and 244 points. Now he is ranked fourth in the Cup Series standings and has improved his average finish to 12.3.
Kyle Larson joins Denny Hamlin and William Byron in achieving rare NASCAR stat
Kyle Larson has joined Denny Hamlin and William Byron in a rare NASCAR feat, each leading over 200 laps in consecutive races, marking the first time since 2015 that three straight Cup races have seen a single driver dominate in such a way. This achievement highlights their exceptional racing talent and ability to command the track.
“Hamlin led 274 at Martinsville, Byron led 243 at Darlington. Larson has led 224+ today. It’s the first time since 2015 (New Hampshire, Dover, Charlotte) where 3 consecutive Cup races have seen one driver lead at least 200 laps,” Stephen Stumpf of Frontstretch wrote on X.
Beyond this achievement, Larson continues to honor Jon Edwards, a team member who passed away this week, with his victories and performances.
Edited by Tushar Bahl