Kyle Larson scrapes a third-place finish after nearly scraping the wall
After a heated battle with Martin Truex Jr on the final lap Kyle Larson managed to finish in third place in the Toyota Owners 400.
Kyle Larson started the Toyota Owners 400 from pole position but could only manage a third place at the end of the race.
But a third place is much better than what he was expecting after being hit by Bubba Wallace towards the end of the race and going off the track.
The 31-year-old saved his car from ending up in the wall and only lost a couple of places before pitting and regaining ground for the restart:
“Well, I was a little bit lose and I got finished off there,” stated Larson after the race finished at Richmond Raceway.
“Thankfully it all just kind of worked out, I only lost a spot to Bubba and Byron.
“My pit crew did a really good job to get us off pit road and gain us those spots to restart fourth and gain one more.
“I will take a third after what could have been a lot worse there on the front stretch.”
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champions dramatic end to the race did not finish there. On the final lap, Larson ended up in a scrap which got heated between himself and Truex Jr.
“I think he was just mad. He was mad that the #11 used him up on the restart, that is where it probably started from.
“He door slammed me down the backstretch, so I got back in there in three and four.
“I think he is more mad at Denny [Hamlin] but I was the closest one to take his anger out on.
“I hope he does not have any hard feelings towards me because I do not have any towards him.”
The third-place finish has also seen Larson catapult himself into second place in the standings after the seventh race of the season.
