WATKINS GLEN – Kyle Larson’s chances of making the Chase for the Sprint Cup took a huge blow on the last corner of the last lap in Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen.
Larson spun off the bumper of A.J. Allmendinger in Turn 7 while battling for then fifth, sending Larson’s No. 42 Target Chevrolet spinning towards the entrance of pit road, costing the Elk Grove, California native crucial points towards making the Chase for the Sprint Cup
With a heavily damaged race car, Larson immediately radioed to his team that he was fine, but his finish not so much.
After delivering top-six finishes in the last two races at Indianapolis and Pocono, Larson finished 29th Sunday with the spin coming to the checkered flag costing him roughly 25 points as Allmendinger charged on to finish fourth after Martin Truex Jr. got spun from second from Brad Keselowski just shy of the start-finish line.
“We were about a 10th place car and we were going to get a top five day out of it,” said Larson.
“We were running sixth coming to (Turn) 7; the No. 47 was behind me. He is always aggressive. I figured he would be smart. Obviously, the No. 78 (second place) was spinning in front of us. That is a free spot for both of us and just dumped me. He had already ran me down to the front stretch wall once with about 15 to go or so. Pretty dumb move right there too, but I was the smarter one racing for points, lifted, could have wrecked him, but didn’t. I don’t know. I don’t know.”
Even after the race, Larson hinted at some sort of potential retaliation before seasons end.
“He wrecked me earlier in the year at Vegas,” Larson added. “He has ran me hard, but we always race pretty well, but today was flat out stupid. I love his crew chief (Randall Burnett) to death; he was our engineer last year. It just sucks they are going to have to start building some more race cars because he has got a few coming.”
Allmendinger though wasn’t pleased with himself knowing his actions likely left the Chip Ganassi Racing driver not only angry, but in a must win situation with four races left before the Chase begins at Chicagoland Speedway next month.
“I turned him. Not on purpose,” said Allmendinger. “The No. 78 (Martin Truex Jr.) started to spin and Kyle and I were racing for fifth there. He defended on the inside, which he should have. And I tried to cut under him off of the last corner and the No. 78 was coming back across the race track. I was under him. He turned. And I just clipped him. I’m just not very happy with myself on that. I don’t want to do that, especially for fourth place. And he did a great job. It’s on me.
“I never meant to do it. It’s not going to help the case. I know he’s going to be pissed off and he should be pissed off. I’d be.”
Even though Larson finds himself 15th in points, on the Chase cutoff line (with Chris Buescher outside the top-30) Trevor Bayne, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Blaney all hunt looking to capitalize on any misfortune Larson finds over the next month.
For Larson and crew chief Chad Johnson, there is one element they have working on their side: speed.
And with the tracks of Bristol, Michigan, Darlington and Richmond on-deck before Chicagoland next month, speed will be important, but luck could be the deterring factor on whether the 23-year-old earns his first Chase berth.
But with the tracks of Bristol, Michigan, Darlington and Richmond on-deck before The Chase begins, speed likely won’t be a deterring factor whether or not the 23-year-old luck will likely override speed and that’s something Larson has been lacking in 2016.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
