In his third-career start at Texas Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson proved that nothing could hold him back during Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race. He and his Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM) team ran consistent lap times in the No. 42 Cartwheel by Target Chevrolet during the weekend’s two practices and posted the 11th-fastest speed in each session. In a bizarre twist to the weekend, however, the No. 42 car, along with several other powerhouse contenders, did not make it through NASCAR’s technical inspection in time to qualify for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, forcing Larson to start at the back of the field in the 37th position. Not even that could stop the 21-year-old, though, and within the first 35 laps, Larson had wheeled the Cartwheel Chevy into the top five. Throughout the 200-lap night race, track conditions drastically changed and Larson began to battle a loose racecar towards the halfway mark. Crew chief Scott Zipadelli remained consistent with his calls and elected to forego any adjustments until the fourth and final pit stop of the night, making a slight air-pressure adjustment. Larson maneuvered his way through tight traffic after the final restart and gained multiple track positions in the final 23-lap run. As the checkered flag waved, Larson and his TSM car crossed the finish line in third place, continuing their top-five streak this season.
Highlights – Larson posted his second top-10 finish in three races at Texas Motor Speedway.
Kyle Larson on Racing at Texas Motor Speedway:
“We had a good run here. I guess it’s a good night when you’re disappointed with a third-place finish. My Turner Scott Motorsports team got our Cartwheel Chevy in good shape during practice and we tried to make it out to qualify in time, but right as I got in the car, the first segment ended. I knew we would be able to get our car up front fast though. We were really good the first part of the race, but then I started to get loose as the track started cooling off. Overall, I’m really proud of this team and their hard work. We’ve continued to run consistently and be in contention to win each weekend. I wish we could’ve gotten back-to-back wins, but I’m really happy for Chase [Elliott]. I knew he’d get a win sometime this season and for him to get it this soon says a lot about him.”
TSM PR
