NASCAR: Kyle Larson demands answers, penalties after ‘B.S.’ spin

Kyle Larson demanded answers and penalties after his chance for a solid finish in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway were hampered with what he believed was an intentional spin.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson was running in fourth place in the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, the second of three races in the round of 8 of the four-round, 10-race 2019 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, when he made his way into the pits on lap 238 of 334.

Five laps later, Richard Petty Motorsports’ Bubba Wallace had a tire going down. As he was slowing to get onto the apron, his #43 Chevrolet weaved back onto the track and then back down onto the apron in turn two of the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Texas Motor Speedway oval in Fort Worth, Texas before he eventually spun out.

Here’s a video of what happened.

This brought out the caution flag that ultimately changed the complexion of Larson’s race, and possibly his championship chances unless he wins the round of 8 finale at ISM Raceway this Sunday, November 10.

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Larson was now mired in 21st place, one lap off the lead lap, after spending much of the race at the front of the pack and battling right around the Championship 4 cut line.

Instead, he finished in 12th place after restarting in 19th and ranks ahead of only Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott in the playoff picture with one race remaining in the round of 8. Larson sits 23 points behind the Championship 4 cut line and 25 points behind the highest possible points position to lock himself into the Championship 4.

This caution flag period also ruined the race of several other drivers, all of whom had spent much of the race at the front of the pack, including teammate Kurt Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Erik Jones, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron. They finished in ninth, 10th, 11th and 17th place, respectively.

This left Larson clearly upset after the race, and he was not afraid to show it, referencing several times that Wallace’s spin was intentional and that NASCAR needs to crack down on these kinds of incidents when they are this “blatant” and “obvious”, even though he admitted that all drivers do it.

Here is what Larson had to say about Wallace’s spin after the race concluded, according to NBC Sports.

"“It’s B.S. I’ve done it. We’ve all done it in those positions, but until NASCAR steps in, and whether it’s a fine or a penalty with points or something, people are still going to do it. It just sucks.”“That was very obvious (Wallace) was spinning on purpose. He turned right and left to spin out. So when it’s blatant and that obvious, I think it’s pretty easy for them to notice it and make a call on it. I think Helen Keller could have seen that.“We’re all guilty of doing it. But until NASCAR does something else about it, or does anything or something, we’re going to continue to do it.”"

Will Kyle Larson lock himself into the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 anyway? The round of 8 finale, the Bluegreen Vacations 500, is set to be broadcast live on NBC from ISM Raceway in Avondale, Arizona beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 10.