The NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener race at Atlanta as expected was full of dramatic moments that involved championship contenders. The most concerning incident of the day featured 2021 Cup champion Kyle Larson. He wrecked out in just the very end forts stage collecting a fellow post-season contender with him.
Coming into the corner, the No:5 Hendrick Motorsports car suddenly snapped and crashed hard onto the wall. It is believed that the incident was caused by a right rear tire issue or something else. Kyle Larson’s car caught on fire after the heavy hit on the wall and as it went up and down the track collected Chase Briscoe of Stewart Haas Racing.
HUGE WRECK FOR KYLE LARSON AND CHASE BRISCOE!
Both #NASCARPlayoffs contenders are out before the end of Stage 1. pic.twitter.com/UJsGpF097O
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 8, 2024
The incident forced both drivers to DNF and now has huge consequences for it. Kyle Larson came into the race with the most playoff points than anyone in the playoff grid and after the R-16 opener, he is just 12 points off the cut-off at P10. With two more wild card races left in the round, there is a big possibility that Larson will lose almost all of his playoff points advantage unless he wins a race.
On the other hand, things went from bad to worse for Chase Briscoe, who secured a playoff seat by winning the regular season finale at Bristol. He is 21 points off the cut-off line and has found himself in a an almost must-win situation. If he has to make to on points to the R-12, his fellow buffer drivers have to mess up big time.
Kyle Larson shares his opinion on the wreck
The HMS driver admitted that it was a huge hit, but fortunately the roll cages and other safety measures kept him safe. He admitted that just like most he isn’t sure what exactly happened to the car and how he ended up in the wall.
I’m OK. Thankfully everything held up well inside the car. That was a huge hit. I’m not really sure what caused it. I was actually sort of tight and loaded in the corner. And then I was pretty far around the corner and it just stepped out. I don’t know…it all just happened really fast.Kyle Larson said via NBC.
The nightmarish incident has put Larson in the backfoot on the first round of the playoffs and he now has to step-up his game to in the coming events. He can still make it without a win, but have to maximize results at Watkins Glen and at Bristol, two races that will be dictated by tire saving.
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