Kyle Larson says there was nothing he may have achieved otherwise to stop Bubba Wallace from profitable Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Collection race at Indianapolis.
The Brickyard 400 culminated in a straight battle between Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and Wallace’s No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota, with the pair dueling for the win within the closing laps.
Wallace led with 4 laps to go earlier than a late rain bathe pushed the race into time beyond regulation. That gave Larson two photographs at snatching the victory, first on the preliminary restart and once more after a multi-car crash triggered a second warning.
The 2021 Cup Collection champion got here shut on each events however couldn’t discover a well beyond, as Wallace held agency to win by simply 0.222s.
Talking afterwards, the 32-year-old Larson mentioned the best way Wallace positioned the automobile left him with no viable choice to make a transfer.
“There’s nothing you are able to do right here to cross, so, no, I don’t actually suppose there was something I may do otherwise,” he defined.
“I used to be second gear on the primary restart, and actually, that one labored out just a little bit higher, however he nearly obtained away from me down the frontstretch.
“After which on the second restart, he introduced the tempo down just a little bit slower, so I wanted to be first gear. It was type of the identical factor with me final yr – he had the popular lane on the within, and it’s actually laborious to beat that.”
He added: “The primary one performed out just a little bit higher. Form of the identical factor with me final yr. Leaders obtained the within. It’s actually laborious for me to beat that. Form of simply hoping for success once more with gas and whatnot.”
Regardless of the defeat, Larson mentioned he was happy with the general efficiency, because the outcome introduced him inside 11 factors of second-placed William Byron within the standings.
“Regardless, happy with my staff immediately,” he mentioned. “We simply executed. I don’t suppose we handed many vehicles on monitor, however our picker did an excellent job and our staff did an excellent job with technique. Completely happy to get an excellent outcome like that.
“Want it may have been one spot higher, however congrats to Bubba. That’s so cool. It is a huge race, and he’s an excellent dude.”
Though a three-time race winner in 2025, Larson has additionally narrowly missed out on race victories numerous occasions this season.
Requested if near-misses ever get to him, he mentioned: “Probably not. Clearly I’d like to be one spot higher. I might like to be kissing the bricks for a second yr in a row. It’s been a tough stretch for us right here recently. To get two high fives in a row is one thing I’m proud about.”
