Kyle Larson explains thoughts about Indy 500 double affecting his chances at regular season title after losing by one point
Kyle Larson missed out on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season title by one point to Tyler Reddick, but the No. 5 team gave it their all at Darlington on Sunday.
When you come up one point short though, it’s going to leave you searching for answers throughout the last couple of months. One of the opportunities to gain points Larson missed out on was the Coca-Cola 600, as the wheelman raced in the Indianapolis 500 that afternoon, and was unable to make it to Charlotte in time to race due to Mother Nature.
After the Southern 500 on Sunday, FOX’s Bob Pockrass asked Larson that hard question, regarding whether he regretted racing in the Indianapolis 500 now that he knows it basically cost him the regular season title.
“I mean, it’s not just that one,” Larson told Pockrass. “I could’ve finished at Michigan, or finished at Iowa, or finished at Chicago, and not even had it been close today. So no, I don’t really look at Indy as being the reason why.
“That’s just part of my season. I wouldn’t give up running the Indy 500 for you know, five bonus points.”
Evidently, Larson is more focused on the races he had trouble with when he was actually driving the car, instead of one that he never got to get behind the wheel for. That’s understandable, but it won’t make it sting any less for the Hendrick Motorsports star.
A regular season title would’ve been nice, and it’s a notch in Tyler Reddick’s belt, but Kyle Larson is certainly focused on the bigger picture, and winning his second Cup Series title over the next couple of months.
Denny Hamlin reacts to winning NASCAR regular season title as owner
In other news, Denny Hamlin did not win the Southern 500 on Sunday night but did leave Darlington Raceway as a champion.
Hamlin is a co-owner of 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan, and the team won the regular-season title since Tyler Reddick ended the regular season as the points leader. On X, Hamlin shared a photo of him with Jordan, Reddick and the trophy.
While Hamlin had some jokes regarding the title, it underscores exactly what the wheelman is building at 23XI Racing as an owner, and how he’s looking to take the team to new heights in the future.
“It means a lot, it really does. I mean, I’m very proud of what we’ve built over there [at 23XI Racing] and building it from scratch has not been easy, a lot of things take time,” Hamlin explained on the Actions Detrimental podcast, regarding the team’s success. “Although we may have, there’s probably things on the list right now where, ‘Okay, here’s what I want my competition department to work on next,’ That project might take a year, two to actually finish.
“We’re just now building our pit crew facility, that’s going to take another three months. It will be done right on time, right when the season’s over. So, like, just things take time.”
