Kyle Larson Shocked By Pocono Penalty – ‘Didn’t Push It.’
Kyle Larson’s recent performance at the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway was marred by unanticipated problems, culminating in a 13th-place finish, partly influenced by a contentious pit road speeding penalty.
Larson now trails Chase Elliott by three points after 21 races. The Pocono pit road penalty, in particular, dealt a serious blow to Larson’s campaign. Larson regarded the punishment as an unexpected surprise, coming at a key point in the championship with only five races remaining. He stated, as reported by Essentially Sports:
“I’m not sure yet. I’ll have to talk to, I guess the team. I think it sounds like, yeah, section 7 is different maybe than it was in the past. Bit of a bummer, just cause, I didn’t push it. I didn’t push it over our max. Like I never thought I would be speeding.”
Larson revealed the impact of the penalty on his race strategy and potential outcome, adding:
“So when they came on the radio and said that we would be speeding, I was surprised. So yeah, just unfortunate you don’t know how the race plays out. You’re going to restart the leader there, clean air is very important here. I don’t know if I would have won but obviously, I would have finished better than 13th. Unfortunate but it is what it is.”
With the playoffs rapidly approaching, each race and every point become pivotal. The penalties issued, especially in Section 7, have sparked discussions and speculations within the NASCAR community about potential issues with speed measurement, possibly hinting at broader technical recalibrations that might be needed.
As Larson looks to rebound, he also keeps a keen eye on his competitors, including the quietly rising Tyler Reddick.
“[Reddick] has surprised me where he’s at currently because I feel like he’s just been quiet, which is odd for Tyler Reddick. I was surprised [because] before Chicago, I looked and was like, ‘Man, he’s actually within range.’ I’ve just been so focused the last four or five weeks on the No. 9 [Chase Elliott] and the No. 11 [Denny Hamlin], and then it was like, ‘Wow, he could easily steal this thing.'”
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