Kyle Larson battles handling issues at Nashville NASCAR race as he fought through one of his toughest drives on Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway, ultimately managing a top-10 finish after a series of near-misses, sarcastic radio exchanges, and relentless car struggles. Facing major setbacks in qualifying and during the race itself, Larson and his Hendrick Motorsports team wrestled with an unpredictable Chevrolet while chaos unfolded around them, leaving Larson to rely on determination and quick thinking just to cross the line in eighth place.
Early Struggles Mark Larson’s Start at Nashville Superspeedway
The night began on a challenging note for Kyle Larson when he posted his worst non-penalized qualifying result since 2021, starting 28th after practice sessions filled with issues related to a lack of rear grip. His frustration grew as soon as the race began, and the tension was clear in his radio updates to crew chief Cliff Daniels, where the focus keyword—Kyle Larson battles handling issues at Nashville NASCAR race—came up again and again throughout the night.
During an early caution, Larson told his crew chief, Cliff Daniels:
“I just feel really unbalanced. Loose in. Tight center. Loose off. I just don’t feel comfortable at all.”
—Kyle Larson, Driver. Daniels responded,
“Understood. We’re going to do quite a bit here when we pit.”
—Cliff Daniels, Crew Chief.
The feeling echoed the difficult practice session. Larson explained,
“As soon as I lift off the throttle … no rear grip,”
and further warned,
“That run, I started off tight initial throttle, and then as soon as I get to wide open, the same feeling I have on entry, I have on exit. If I push anything, I can crash as soon as I lift or I can crash on exit.”
Despite the team’s adjustments, the discomfort never fully lifted. In an emotional post-race comment, Larson summarized the experience:
“We had a lot of craziness happen.”
—Kyle Larson, Driver. Still, composure was his priority, recalling,
“Just had some good restarts, and I was able to kind of get track position. … Happy with the fight, but we need to be better here.”
—Kyle Larson, Driver.
Sarcasm, Setbacks, and Split-Second Decisions
As the laps ticked by, Larson’s mounting stress erupted in sarcasm following a particularly hectic sequence. After a pit stop triggered by dodging teammate Alex Bowman and Noah Gragson on Lap 114, he radioed in:
“What a race. Well, so far we’ve got one positive: We stayed on the lead lap and we have an opening in [to the pit box now]. Yay,”
—Kyle Larson, Driver. Crew chief Daniels quickly responded in kind, “Stacking pennies.” —Cliff Daniels, Crew Chief.
This wit only underlined the chaos. On Lap 5, contact from Zane Smith sent Larson’s Chevrolet sideways, demoting him to 36th in the running order. Post-race, Larson recounted,
“I got a good first couple laps,”
and continued,
“And then, I can’t remember who I was behind, but I think I was unsure of like which lane to go, and I kind of checked up, and I think [Smith] was right inside me.”
—Kyle Larson, Driver.
The trouble didn’t end there. Later, he came close to spinning out on his own in Turn 3 and narrowly missed being collected in Bowman’s accident. Describing the moment, Larson said,
“I was crashing myself, but thankfully got it well down enough.”
—Kyle Larson, Driver.
Managing Late-Race Pressure for a Top-10 Finish
Larson’s drive for recovery was marked by patience on restarts and strong defensive maneuvers, especially important in a race notorious for limited passing opportunities. Reflecting on this, he said,
“It was just really hard to pass, so people couldn’t pass me, and I couldn’t pass in front of me.”
—Kyle Larson, Driver.
Although the top result wasn’t within reach, Larson managed to salvage eighth place despite his handling woes. The performance saw him slip in the championship standings, now trailing Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron by 48 points. Acknowledging the tenacity of his crew, Larson said,
“It’s really good to have a team that stays in it. … A pit crew that stays in it, crew chief, driver, all of that.”
—Kyle Larson, Driver.
Coming off consecutive DNFs at the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, just making it to the checkered flag at Nashville was a minor triumph. Still, for Larson, chasing another regular-season championship will require overcoming lingering performance issues with the car and returning to the form that made him a title favorite earlier in the year.
The Nashville race proved the depth of grit within the Hendrick Motorsports camp, as the organization and its drivers, including Alex Bowman and William Byron, continue to navigate the challenges and unpredictability that define a demanding NASCAR season. As the series moves forward, the lessons from Nashville will be critical for Larson, crew chief Cliff Daniels, and the entire team in their push for a comeback in the races ahead.
