[autotag]Kamui Kobayashi[/autotag] debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Indianapolis Road Course last season and came home with a 33rd-place finish. In 2024, Kobayashi returned to NASCAR with 23XI Racing and improved that by four positions for a 29th-place finish at Circuit of the Americas. However, it wasn’t without some drama.
Kobayashi was spun out by [autotag]Ricky Stenhouse Jr.[/autotag], the second time this has happened in his two starts. Following the event, the Japanese driver spoke to Fronstretch about the incident with Stenhouse.
Stenhouse just flat out dumped Kobayashi.@AlwaysRaceDay pic.twitter.com/B6w9pnyrk7
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) March 24, 2024
“No, I have nothing to say,” Kobayashi said. “I mean, if they have an explanation, I think they have an explanation because I didn’t do anything wrong. I mean, [Ricky Stenhouse Jr.] just hit me…It’s a big shame. Someone just damaged my race in the mid-stage.”
It was a disappointing finish for Kobayashi, who hasn’t shown much competitive speed in his two NASCAR starts. Yet the Cup Series is rugged, and making select starts is difficult for any driver. It’s unclear whether Kobayashi will return for another race in 2024, but he is obviously frustrated that Stenhouse spinning him out ruined his race.
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