Kyle Larson says there was nothing he might have performed in another way to stop Bubba Wallace from successful Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Sequence race at Indianapolis.
The Brickyard 400 culminated in a straight combat 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 Sequence 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 stated 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 assume there was something I might do in another way,” he defined.
“I used to be second gear on the primary restart, and truthfully, that one labored out somewhat bit higher, however he nearly bought away from me down the frontstretch.
“After which on the second restart, he introduced the tempo down somewhat bit slower, so I wanted to be first gear. It was form of the identical factor with me final yr – he had the popular lane on the within, and it’s actually arduous to beat that.”
He added: “The primary one performed out somewhat bit higher. Sort of the identical factor with me final yr. Leaders bought the within. It’s actually arduous for me to beat that. Sort of simply hoping for success once more with gas and whatnot.”
Regardless of the defeat, Larson stated he was happy with the general efficiency, because the end result introduced him inside 11 factors of second-placed William Byron within the standings.
“Regardless, happy with my workforce as we speak,” he stated. “We simply executed. I don’t assume we handed many vehicles on observe, however our picker did job and our workforce did job with technique. Glad to get end result like that.
“Want it might have been one spot higher, however congrats to Bubba. That’s so cool. It is a massive race, and he’s dude.”
Though a three-time race winner in 2025, Larson has additionally narrowly missed out on race victories quite a few occasions this season.
Requested if near-misses ever get to him, he stated: “Probably not. Clearly I’d like to be one spot higher. I’d like to be kissing the bricks for a second yr in a row. It’s been a tough stretch for us right here currently. To get two prime fives in a row is one thing I’m proud about.”
