Bob Pockrass looks back on 'so infuriating' Bristol race dominated by Kyle Larson
Bob Pockrass has called the Kyle Larson win at Bristol an “infuriating” experience for the fans of NASCAR. He suggested the use of tire tests for the race at Bristol because of the constant tire wear issue during the weekend.
Kyle Larson delivered a dominant performance at the 2025 Food City 500 at the Last Great Colosseum, leading for 411 laps out of the 500. He started in the third position and took the lead over the pole sitter, Alex Bowman, on the 40th lap.
There was a brief period where Ryan Blaney led the race due to pit strategy, but Larson transversed through the lapped traffic. He secured his 31st career win and his second win of the 2025 season. He won both the stages, showcasing complete dominance. He was followed by Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs onto the podium.
This was a dominant weekend for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, having won the Xfinity Series race by leading for 276 laps out of the 300 and a second-place finish in the Craftsman Truck Series.
Bob Pockrass, the veteran NASCAR journalist, dropped his reaction to the race dominated by the California native. He speculated why tire wear was such a big issue for the drivers. He suggested a tire test at the track so that Goodyear could find a better tire for the concrete track.
Pockrass called the track “infuriating” if it was viewed by a non-Kyle Larson supporter:
"Bristol Motor Speedway, you are so confusing. You are so infuriating in a way. And look, if you're not a Kyle Larson fan, you're like, what is going on? It is such an interesting, in some ways, situation there at Bristol where nobody seems to be able to get a bead on how the tire is going to react."
The veteran journalist added:
"Is it the cold? Is it the PJ1? Is it formerly the resin? Is it the concrete? But why is there such a struggle to be able to figure out how the tire is going to react? NASCAR and the teams want the tire to wear so that you have to take care of your tires."
He concluded by saying:
" I certainly think that they probably need a tire test there. They don't have one scheduled, but if I'm Goodyear and NASCAR and the teams, I'm talking about having one and trying to find a better tire for that track. Bristol is an iconic track. It's one that NASCAR needs to be a great race, and there's still some work to do."
Kyle Larson has competed in nine races this season, having secured two wins already. He has had five top-five finishes. The Bristol victory helped him move up in the Cup Standings from sixth to fourth with a total of 304 points. His average finishing position is at 13.75. He is currently behind William Byron, Denny Hamlin, and Christopher Bell.
Hendrick Motorsports sent a powerful 4-word message after Kyle Larson's Bristol triumph
Hendrick Motorsports conveyed a four-word message, "Never forget this one," after Kyle Larson's dominant victory at the Food City 500 in Bristol. This message, posted on X (formerly Twitter) alongside a carousel of images, served as a tribute to Jon Edwards, the team's former Communications Head, who passed away after a sudden illness. The win carried significant emotional weight for the team, as they deeply missed Edwards' presence during the weekend.
"Never forget this one."
Kyle Larson dedicated the win to Jon Edwards, expressing that the victory was "definitely for Jon" and acknowledging the team's loss and the significant impact Edwards had on them.