[autotag]Kyle Larson[/autotag] entered Bristol Motor Speedway looking to bounce back after a rough weekend at Phoenix Raceway. It looked like Larson would finish outside the top 10 spots after the final caution due to a penalty, but he cycled up the field during green-flag pit stops. The driver of the No. 5 car eventually finished in fifth place.
Following the event, Larson talked about the tire wear and racing at Bristol. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion wasn’t shy about his thoughts and whether he would want to race like that again.
“It was weird and interesting,” Larson said. “I thought some rubber was going to be laid down, but after the second run, we realized that wasn’t going to be the case. I hope I never have to run a race like that again. It wasn’t fun to ride around like that. You never really knew how to manage your stuff.”
He holds off a hard-charging Tyler Reddick late at Vegas! Repost to congratulate Kyle Larson on his NASCAR Cup Series WIN. pic.twitter.com/AKpgdQnZfx
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 4, 2024
“Then there at the end, we were all dying and whatnot, and everybody’s afraid to pit because you just didn’t want to get caught on pit road with somebody spinning out and then you’re laps down.”
Larson clearly prefers to never race with that type of tire wear again, and it is hard to blame him. The tire wear was too intense, and while it should be present, it needs to be maintained to a certain degree. The Cup Series race at Bristol exceeded that limit. It was entertaining to watch, but it’s not something that should continue into the playoff race.
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