Frustrating Night Still Ends in Top-10 Finish for Larson

In his third-career NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) start at Kentucky Speedway, Kyle Larson brought home a top-10 finish in his No. 42 Cartwheel Chevrolet after battling handling issues throughout the 200-lap race. Larson’s night got started in the right way, as the California native advanced to the final round of knockout qualifying, ultimately, starting the race in the 11th position. When the race began, Larson stated over the radio that the No. 42 Chevy was tight off the exit of the corners. Larson remained in 11th until the first caution of the race flew on lap 43. Under the caution, crew chief Scott Zipadelli elected to bring Larson to the attention of his Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM) crew, servicing his Chevrolet with four tires and fuel, while also making some air-pressure and track-bar adjustments. As the race resumed, Larson took advantage of the adjustments, moving up into the top 10, where the 21-year-old remained until the second caution on lap 83. Zipadelli brought Larson down the pit road again, adjusting the Cartwheel Chevy in the same fashion as the previous pit stop. Larson exited pit road in 11th as the race resumed on lap 89. The 2013 NNS Rookie of the Year remained inside the top 15, until the third caution of the night was displayed on lap 103, and Larson visited pit road once more. However, some competitors remained on the racetrack, ultimately putting Larson in the 19th position when the race resumed on lap 107. Larson wasted little time working his way back through the field, making his way back to the top 10 by lap 110. The California native was able to pick off a few more positions in the next 20 laps making his way to eighth by lap 138, when green-flag pit stops began to take place. Larson remained on track until lap 147, when the 21-year-old hit pit road for his green-flag service. During the pit-stop, Zipadelli elected for two right-side tires, as the crew chief looked to gain valuable track position in the race’s closing laps. This strategy was thwarted, however, as the caution flag was displayed on lap 157 for debris in Turn 3. Under this caution, Larson once again visited pit road, this time taking left-side tires.. The race resumed on lap 162, but by lap 167, Larson faced another hurdle as the 21-year-old slightly brushed the wall, causing minor damage to his Cartwheel Chevy. A caution on lap 170 allowed the crew to make repairs to his machine without losing a lap fixing the damage. After restarting the race in 18th, Larson was back into the top 10 by lap 181. The final caution of the race was displayed on lap 193, resetting the field for a late-race dash. Larson began the final restart in ninth, where he would ultimately finish the race. The top-10 finish marked Larson’s 12th top 10 in 13 NNS starts this season.

 

Kyle Larson on his top-10 finish:

“This weekend was somewhat frustrating in our No. 42 Cartwheel Chevrolet. Unfortunately, we were battling some handling issues throughout the weekend and into the night that hurt our chances to challenge for the win. All in all, I’m really proud of my Turner Scott Motorsports crew for the hard work they put in all weekend long and I’m looking forward to Daytona International Speedway next weekend.”

 

TSM PR