The rain was coming. Everyone knew it. But the storm didn’t come soon enough for Kyle Larson, who fell three laps short of winning Sunday’s NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway.
Kyle Larson’s gamble to win falls just short
Kyle Larson tried to use the rain to his advantage, but Mother Nature wasn’t cooperating.
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When car debris necessitated a caution on Lap 126, Larson’s crew chief Chris Heroy tried to steal a win by keeping Larson on the track instead of pitting even though the No. 42 car was running low on fuel.
“Yeah, we could see weather coming there off of (Turn) 4 and just praying that it would get here in time for me to stay out and be in the lead when the rain did hit,” Larson said.
If he had won, Larson would’ve virtually guaranteed himself a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Except when the rain held off and the Quicken Loans 400 restarted, Heroy had little choice but to bring Larson to pit road.
That handed the lead to Kurt Busch. And minutes later when the sky opened up, unleashing a deluge that prompted officials to call the race 62 laps from the schedule finish, Busch was declared the winner. Larson finished 17th.
Because Larson, who’s winless in 54 career starts, entered Michigan ranked 19th in the standings, Heroy’s strategy play carried minimal downside. Had Larson pitted with the majority of the field during the Lap 126 caution, he likely would’ve finished somewhere around 10th.
“I applaud my guys for trying,” Larson said. “We are pretty deep in points so we have to take risks like that to make the Chase. I’m happy with the call; just wish the rain would have come three laps sooner.”
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