Ross Chastain is entirely to blame for the lead-lap wreck involving Kyle Larson at Darlington

It was the third incident this season where Kyle Larson suffered significant car damage due to Ross Chastain.

Ross Chastain is entirely to blame for the lead-lap wreck involving Kyle Larson at Darlington

Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain (Credit: Sportscasting)

Kyle Larson has yet again become a victim of circumstances as his promising run at Darlington ended after a lead lap crash involving Ross Chastain. The incident gifted Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron the lead. The youngster scored a win by keeping veteran Kevin Harvick at bay. Larson finished P20 and Chastain at P29.

Larson and Ross Chastain were fighting for the lead in the restart, with the No:5 Chevy running on the outside. The Trackhouse Racing driver tried to squeeze and hinder the momentum of his opponent. But everything backfired as  Chastain’s car got tighter and tighter as he tried to close the space. He then turned to the outside wall across Larson’s nose.

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In his post-race interview with Fox, after he was released from the infield care center, Chastain acknowledged that it was his mistake and paid the price for it. It was a disappointing result for both drivers as both cars had the pace and position to fight it out till the end than going hard on each other that early in the restart. Larson refused to give a statement on the incident.

“Full commitment into (Turn) 1, and I got really tight and drove up and turned myself. I wanted to squeeze him. I wanted to push him up. We had been trading back and forth all day, and I wanted to push him up for sure but definitely didn’t want to turn myself into the wall,” Ross Chastain said.

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Kyle Larson’s crew chief was fuming on the team radio

Kyle Larson and Cliff Daniels
Kyle Larson and Cliff Daniels

Larson has been a competitor for wins throughout the season, and after the iconic last-lap duel against Kansas the week before, the No:5 team was hoping for redemption. Larson winning the Xfinity race on Saturday gave them more hope. But the 29 laps they led got wasted thanks to Chastain, who also wasted his 93-lap lead run.

Larson’s crew chief Cliff Daniels after the incident was fuming and had few opinions to share about last season’s championship runner-up. “Why did he just run us right into the fence? How does that make any sense? Makes that three races now he’s taken us out of. Chevrolet, good job. Good job. That’s three races that No:1 car has taken us out of,”.

As Daniels pointed out, it’s the third race Larson has been the victim of a crash inflicted by Chastain. The first incident was in Talladega when an incident involving Noah Gragson and Chastain significantly damaged the No:5. In Dover; it was Chastain and Brennan Poole.

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