How will Kyle Larson respond after 'Double' doldrums?
For the second year in a row, the fizzle of motorsports icon Kyle Larson's Indianapolis 500/Coca-Cola 600 attempt fell flat by Sunday night. Will it impact his season-long Cup Series endeavors?
With a second straight deflating attempt at the famed Memorial Day Weekend "Double" in the books, a large focus of the fallout has been on whether or not Kyle Larson should attempt the grueling feat again in the future.
But what about his day job?
For the better part of the past month, Larson has been jetting back and forth (and beyond, when dirt duty calls) from the Carolinas to Indiana in prep for another shot at racing immortality. While weather was a major factor in his struggles last year – it held him out of the 600 entirely – the 2021 Cup Series champion wrecked out of each race this past Sunday and, well, it's just gotta be hard to swallow that amount of disappointment after that much sheer effort and planning.
The beauty of NASCAR, though, is that until November, there's always another race on the horizon. But how much will this past weekend weigh on him, and for how long?
For starters, there are the tangible effects.
Larson entered the Coca-Cola 600 as the regular season points leader, holding a 35-point advantage over Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron. However, after his 37th-place finish and Byron's legendary 65-point day, that lead was completely erased. He now trails Byron by 29 points heading into Sunday at Nashville. The DNF at Charlotte not only cost him points but also momentum, as he was expected to contend for the win after starting second and leading early. There was plenty of wind in his sails entering the weekend, but he may now need to break out the oars and start rowing.
Are fresh midseason contenders emerging to shake things up?
Though we saw some heavyweights battling it out for the win in the closing moments of this past Sunday's marathon crown jewel, there were a handful of notable names that also enjoyed strong nights, some of whom seem to be trending up in general.
For much of the spring, the NASCAR Cup Series playoff picture seemed to be solidifying around the usual suspects: Byron, Larson, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, etc. But look at that running order from Sunday – Chase Briscoe, A.J. Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski, Michael McDowell, Ryan Preece and Noah Gragson … all in the top 10, and all drivers who, if they can keep this momentum, have the potential to upend the playoff field in the coming weeks.
Briscoe's third-place run was the kind of performance Joe Gibbs Racing envisioned when they signed him, and it's his second top-five finish in the past two points races. His season to this point had been solid but unspectacular, with flashes of speed but little to show for it, and Charlotte changed that narrative.
JGR's intermediate program has been especially sharp this year. If Briscoe is able to convert that speed into a win, it would not only lock him into the playoffs but also signal that he's ready to contend down the summer stretch and make a deep playoff run.
With Allmendinger landing fourth – and honestly being a factor the whole race – it was a reminder of his veteran savvy and talent. While No. 16 is best known for his road-course prowess, he and Kaulig Racing have steadily improved on ovals this year. That said, the next month brings Sonoma and the Chicago Street Race, two spots where Allmendinger is a legitimate threat, if not among the favorites, to win. Carrying this momentum through Nashville and Michigan could be tantamount to him shaking up the playoff grid on those specialty tracks. A win at either would almost certainly knock a current playoff favorite out of contention.
Jimmie Johnson on Kyle Larson's 'Double' attempts: 'I hope that he sticks with it'
NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson comments on Kyle Larson's second attempt at the Memorial Day Weekend 'Double' and supports his fellow Cup Series champion's future bids at racing the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day.
----This news comes from https://www.nascar.com/news and is NOT for commercial purposes
