Denny Hamlin looks back on “more versatile” Kyle Larson’s Bristol win
Kyle Larson thwarted Denny Hamlin's three-peat attempt at Bristol Motor Speedway, as the #5 Hendrick Motorsports driver took a dominant victory. Hamlin fell one spot short of winning three consecutive races and had no answer to Larson's blistering pace and his "versatility."
Starting third on the grid, Larson took the lead early in Stage 1, after drivers realized tire management wasn’t a concern. Replicating his fall victory at Bristol, where he led 462 laps to win the race, he led 411 laps last Sunday to win the Food City 500 dominantly.
Hamlin was the closest competitor to Kyle Larson but had no answer to the #5 Chevy driver’s versatility in traffic. Lapping all drivers up to ninth, Larson navigated the traffic with ease, picking and choosing his lines. Hamlin, on the other hand, relied on the top lane to make lap time but struggled to work through traffic.
Reflecting on his second-place finish to Larson, the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver said [via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio]:
"The traffic, you know, I think Larson was just a little bit more versatile than what I was and could navigate the traffic a little bit better. I felt like the bulk of my speed was made on the top, that was kind of the preferred lane during the race. Wasn't quite good enough and needed a little bit more speed, that's just kind of all we had."
Larson nearly wrecked himself in the final 10 laps when he momentarily lost control of the car while lapping a car. Hamlin conceded he didn’t see it as an opportunity to snatch the lead. He needed the #5 Chevy to get completely boxed in traffic to have a real shot at overtaking him.
"Not really, I had my moments, where I kind of got out of it as well. But I felt like he was in control of the pace, and just was more versatile. I was gonna need him to get boxed in, in some kind of way to make a run at him. I got close but just not close enough."
Both Larson and Hamlin have two victories this season, but the #11 JGR driver is second in the standings, 12 points ahead of Larson, who's fourth.
Kyle Larson returns the favor to Denny Hamlin with a sarcastic jibe
A week before the race at Bristol, Kyle Larson endured a disastrous outing at Darlington Raceway, as he wrecked his car on Lap 4. He returned to the track after lengthy repairs but ended up handing the victory to Denny Hamlin by causing a late-race caution.
In the post-race interview, Hamlin took a subtle dig at Larson, as he said on FS1:
"There’s two people I really love right now. My pit crew and Kyle Larson. Had a little assist there, so thank you!"
Larson got back at his rival after his win on Sunday, thwarting Hamlin's three-peat attempt. He said post-race on FS1:
"Glad to stop his three-peat. We’d hate to see him win, I’m sure you guys do too [to the crowd]. But it’s good to be back in the victory lane."
The NASCAR frenemies have finished 1-2 seven times, with Kyle Larson finally getting the better of Denny Hamlin at Bristol last weekend. Their rivalry appears to be reignited, with both drivers emerging as early favorites for the championship.