Strategy at the Brickyard Leaves Larson with an Eighth-Place Finish - Speedway Digest

In his second-career NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson and his Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM) team battled track position and fuel strategy, which ultimately left them with an eighth-place finish at the Brickyard. With a new chassis and a new paint scheme, Larson laid down the 10th and 11th-fastest times during the weekend’s two practice sessions. The following day, Larson battled a tight racecar during qualifying and placed the No. 42 Nashville Outlaws Chevrolet in the 14th position for the start of the Lilly Diabetes 250. Shortly after the green flag waved, Larson told crew chief Scott Zipadelli that his car was still tight, but with good speed in traffic, the No. 42 car had worked its way into the top 10. The first caution flag waved on lap 17 and NASCAR officials chose to utilize it as the competition caution, which was supposed to take place on lap 20. Larson came to pit road for four new tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment to help his takeoff. With differing pit strategies, other competitors made green-flag pit stops following the caution, which took Larson to the third position. On lap 47, Zipadelli made the call for a green-flag stop, giving Larson four tires and fuel before rejoining the field in the top 10. Shortly after, the field saw its second caution and Zipadelli told Larson to remain on track in hopes of gaining more track position. The call paid off, and by lap 64, the No. 42 Nashville Outlaws car was battling within the top three. Fuel strategy began to heat up when some of the lead cars began to pit on lap 66, and Zipadelli called Larson back to pit road for two right-side tires and fuel. Just as Larson rejoined the field in the 15th position, the yellow flag waved with less than 30 laps to go, leaving Zipadelli and the TSM team in a tough situation to gain back track position. Throughout the final laps, Larson was able to charge his way into the top 10; but at a place where track position and strategy are everything, Larson and his Nashville Outlaws team came up short, crossing the line of bricks in eighth position.

Claiming their 16th top-10 finish of the season, the No. 42 TSM team remains third in the NNS Owner Point Standings.

Kyle Larson on Racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: