Prior to the race, Section 7 on pit road was a concern. Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs, and Daniel Suárez have all been punished by NASCAR. Prior to the penalty, Larson, Elliott, and Gibbs were all in contention for the win. Kyle Larson and the rest are now moving to the back of the field. This is a gift for Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, and William Byron. Without those drivers, particularly the 5, 9, and 54, the path to victory became easier. Of course, Larson has experience driving from the back to the front. He might surprise everyone and pull it off after all. The last stage of the race is where you leave everything on the track.
33 cars sped on pit road in Section 7 prior to the race today. Teams knew that it was a sensitive area. Late in the race, these four drivers just got a little too comfortable. This could be a tough penalty for all four drivers if they aren’t able to get back to the front half of the field.
Kyle Larson was in the mix today. He still has a chance to get back towards the front. This track is big and wide and allows for passing if you have a fast car. That is, until you get to the leaders. Then passing comes at a premium, but is still doable.
There have already been multiple cautions after this incident. If this race continues to be messy, Larson, Elliott, Gibbs, and even Suárez, might have a chance to get to the front again.
Tyler Reddick has stunned Kyle Larson with his recent performance and current points ranking. Larson appeared to have only Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin to worry about at the start of the season. Then something changed. Chase Elliott has recently been following in the footsteps of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates. Of course, the Hamlin rivalry is always present, even during the points war.
