Kyle Larson needed a victory on Saturday night to qualify for the Chase, but it was not in the cards.
Larson, 23, was competitive for much of Saturday’s race, starting 11th and running in the top 10 for the bulk of the race. But he never mounted a serious threat to the leaders and finished 12th.
“I was able to drive up to fifth at one point in time and kind of hold that for a while – which I thought was good,” Larson said. “But I just wasn’t very good throughout our run.”
Larson, who posted eight top fives in his first full Sprint Cup campaign a year ago, has only one top five this year. He was bitten by crashes at both Daytona races, Talladega and, most recently at Bristol, where his 41st-place showing all but sealed his fate. “I think everybody on our team thought the 42 would definitely be in the Chase (at the) start of the season – the way we ended last year,” he said. “But it wasn’t the case this season. We’ve struggle pretty much all year long with being consistent.”
Kasey Kahne finished 18th and actually sits ahead of Larson in the point standings in 17th, but the Hendrick Motorsports driver was never a threat to win his first race of the season.
“I think the main thing for me is just figuring out how to get a car to turn again,” said Kahne, who couldn’t crack the top 10 on Saturday. “I’ve struggled all year to have front turn and if I don’t have that, I can’t race.”
Source: Seth Livingstone / NASCAR Wire Service
