Defending Fontana winner Kyle Larson was one of the favorites to win this year’s race, but early engine trouble put him behind the wall.
Larson slowed on Lap 13 at the Pala Casino 400, and went to the pit. Larson said on the radio he felt the car was blowing up and after some work, he went back out on the track. Unfortunately, Larson couldn’t get back up to speed and put the car behind the wall.
Defending Fontana winner Kyle Larson runs into engine trouble early in the race. #PalaCasino400 #NASCAR75 pic.twitter.com/yguf3cVQLr
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) February 26, 2023
NASCAR on Fox pit reporter Jamie Little reported on the broadcast that Larson had an electrical issue that can be fixed. While that will keep Larson in the race, and he can gain some positions on others who encounter trouble later on, he won’t be a factor to win. Larson returned to the race 17 laps down.
Kyle Larson's engine: https://t.co/W4TRdvao8T
— nascarcasm (@nascarcasm) February 26, 2023
Kyle Larson is always the Hendrick Motorsports driver with engine issues. Traditions carry over to 2023.
— Austin Konenski (@AustinKonenski) February 26, 2023
Tough luck for Larson#NASCAR
— Jaret Lundberg (@IceTitan80) February 26, 2023
Kyle Larson’s 2023 season off to a horrible start. #NASCAR75
— Darian Gilliam (@BlackFlagMatter) February 26, 2023
This is the final race on the two-mile version of Auto Club Speedway. The track will undergo a multi-year reconfiguration into a short track, while the rest of the land was sold for over half a billion dollars.
Ironically, many criticized Fontana over the years for having less than exciting racing, but the Next Gen car has revitalized the racing right when it’s changing. Not the best timing, but oh well.
