Last week, Kyle Larson was getting shoved around by Bubba Wallace. This week, he shoved himself into victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Larson came away with the victory on Sunday after Martin Truex Jr. spun off his bumper on pit road during the race’s final caution.
Truex was leading the race when, as a means of avoiding Tyler Reddick’s car, Larson unintentionally bumped him. That caused Truex to slow down going into his pit and Larson got back out on the course before him, taking the lead. He would hold into that lead for 22 laps and win the race.
Martin Truex Jr. SPINS entering pit road!
He had help from Kyle Larson. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/enJPinUvxs
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 23, 2022
Larson explained what happened afterward.
“I was just going behind him and he had a hard left and was hard on the brakes at the same time and I ran right into the back of him. …If it was my fault, I’m sorry. I don’t think it was,” Larson said.
Truex added that the location of the sun played a role in the incident as well.
“I did see my box late for sure,” Truex said. “So when I slowed before I turned out of the way [Larson] there. So obviously partly on me, I didn’t expect to get turned around. I’m glad nobody got hurt there.”
While Larson was already eliminated from the NASCAR driver playoffs, he still has an opportunity to come out on top in the owners’ points. If Larson wins the winner-take-all championship race at Phoenix in a few weeks, he’ll win the owner’s title for his team, while splitting with the winner of the driver playoffs.
The owner’s championship is the one that matters for bonus money in the NASCAR Cup Series. It doesn’t matter where the driver finishes.
This is why Kyle Larson winning is very, very important for the teams.
— Austin Konenski (@AustinKonenski) October 23, 2022
https://twitter.com/MonsterMile/status/1584302825550786566
KYLE LARSON BAY BAY!!! https://t.co/rU4nvNRiYc
— Lucas Punkari (@lpunkari) October 23, 2022
Congratulations today to couple of guys I know. @KyleLarsonRacin P1 and @RossChastain P2 at @HomesteadMiami @nascar #ilikewinners @CGRTeams
— Chip Ganassi (@GanassiChip) October 23, 2022
