Kyle Larson says there was nothing he may have achieved in a different way to forestall Bubba Wallace from profitable Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Collection 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 Collection champion got here shut on each events however couldn’t discover a well past, 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 move, so, no, I don’t actually suppose there was something I may do in a different way,” he defined.
“I used to be second gear on the primary restart, and actually, that one labored out a little bit bit higher, however he nearly bought away from me down the frontstretch.
“After which on the second restart, he introduced the tempo down a little bit 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 arduous to beat that.”
He added: “The primary one performed out a little bit bit higher. Type of the identical factor with me final yr. Leaders bought the within. It’s actually arduous for me to beat that. Type of simply hoping for luck once more with gasoline and whatnot.”
Regardless of the defeat, Larson stated he was happy with the general efficiency, because the consequence introduced him inside 11 factors of second-placed William Byron within the standings.
“Regardless, happy with my staff at present,” he stated. “We simply executed. I don’t suppose we handed many vehicles on observe, however our picker did an excellent job and our staff did an excellent job with technique. Glad to get an excellent consequence like that.
“Want it may have been one spot higher, however congrats to Bubba. That’s so cool. This can be a large race, and he’s an excellent dude.”
Though a three-time race winner in 2025, Larson has additionally narrowly missed out on race victories plenty of occasions this season.
Requested if near-misses ever get to him, he stated: “Not likely. 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 high fives in a row is one thing I’m proud about.”
