"These f***ing cars are stupid": Kyle Larson blasts NASCAR's NextGen car following merciless Homestead-Miami affair
Kyle Larson slammed NASCAR's NextGen car after encountering a big blow to his race-winning odds. The Hendrick Motorsports driver tried to fend off Tyler Reddick, but his right rear got flat, sending the #5 Chevy into the wall. Notably, the damage could've been worse if Larson had been a few inches further off the outside wall.
The HMS driver entered the Straight Talk Wireless 400 race comfortably above the playoff elimination line, but multiple setbacks on the 1.5-mile asphalt threatened his championship bid. Though he stood as the second-fastest driver in the qualifying, it didn't benefit him in his 267-lap battle.
While blocking Tyler Reddick's hard challenge, Larson moved up the track on Lap 47. However, his right rear went flat, and the #5 Chevy door slammed the outside wall. Moreover, as the 2021 Cup Series champion steered to the pit lane, the flat tire's rubber got loose, leading to the rear diffuser grazing the asphalt.
It cost valuable seconds, and Kyle Larson was displeased by that. As a result, while still in the race, the HMS driver critiqued the NextGen car, dropping castigating words for his #5 Chevy. He said (via Jordan Bianchi on X).
"These f***ing cars are stupid. How can you get a flat tire and be done ... or you get a flat tire and wear out a little bit of your diffuser and your race is killed. Stupid."
The NextGen or Gen 7 cars came into the picture in 2022, with more emphasis on the aerodynamic profile. This results in a lower ride height, which translates to the rear diffuser touching the ground during a flat tire situation.
Multiple setbacks at Homestead-Miami Speedway destroyed Kyle Larson's promising finishing bid
Following the Stage 1 blow that reduced Kyle Larson to a 25th-place finish, the #5 Chevy driver faced another setback during Stage 2 pitstop, as Chris Buescher spun on the former's pit box, forcing the HMS driver to wait for the box to get cleared. Nonetheless, he regained momentum in the second stage, outperforming rivals for a 15th-place finish.
He consistently gained track positions, inching close to his seventh Cup Series win this season but to no avail. With 12 laps until the checkered flag dropped, Larson was behind Ryan Blaney and Austin Dillion.
As the defending Cup Series champion steered slightly toward the inside, Larson capitalized on the space created and pinned his Chevy between the two rivals. However, while exiting the turn in a three-wide fashion, the HMS ace spun from second place, prompting a yellow.
Moreover, fixing the rear diffuser during the under-caution pitstop cost Kyle Larson five spots. As a result, the Californian wrapped his Homestead-Miami run in 13th place and is below the cutline with a 7-point deficit.