Homestead-Miami Speedway was a microcosm of Kyle Larson‘s entire season. A fast car, shocking setbacks, unforced errors and remarkable comebacks — and in the end, it was all for naught.
A surprise cut tire put Larson in the wall and out of contention for the majority of Sunday’s race. Just as he was making a little headway, the spun car of Chris Buescher forced him to come to a complete stop on pit road. No one expected to see him near the front again, and yet, he did make his way back through the field. Closing in on Ryan Blaney for the race lead in the final 15 laps of the race, he tried to shoot the gap up the middle as they lapped Austin Dillon, only to spin out.
To his credit, Larson did save it and was still scored third on track, but a slow stop to fix the diffuser flap left him mired in the middle of the pack. He ended the day as the seventh worst playoff driver in 13th place. It just seemed destined to end poorly for him, and that’s kind of been the story of his year at some of these races.
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro
Photo by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images
Although, this season, no driver can even touch Larson in laps led and he has double the race wins of the closest competition, but there were so many ‘almost’ wins that didn’t materialize either. It seems like the same cycle again and again with the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Fast car, dominant showing, bad luck and/or unforced error, sometimes followed by an impressive comeback, but almost always too little too late.
It’s much like his attempt at ‘The Double’ where it was all going splendidly until he landed himself a speeding penalty during his final stop at the Indianapolis 500. Despite the disappointment, he still got on a plane and made haste for Charlotte, determined to be the first driver to complete this challenge in a decade. He arrived just in time for rain to prematurely end the Coke 600.
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro, Chris Buescher, RFK Racing, Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang, Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports, Grillo’s Pickles Ford Mustang, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Rheem Toyota Camry wreck
Photo by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images
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