CONCORD: N.C. — Kyle Larson will go to a backup car for Sunday’s elimination race at the Charlotte Roval (2 p.m. ET on NBC) after hitting the wall during practice.
Larson hit the outside wall in Turn 8. He went to the garage where the team began to examine the damage. The No. 5 team made the decision to go to a backup car. Larson will start the elimination race from the rear of the field.
“I just got loose entering (Turn 8) and just overcorrected,” Larson said after the crash. “Got the right front into the wall. It just gets kind of bouncy over there, and it just stepped out on me.”
Larson is 15 points above the cutline heading into Sunday’s race. Brad Keselowski holds the final transfer spot to the Round of 8 by two points. The first two drivers below the cutline, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace, will both start the race inside of the top 10.
The crash has Larson focused on the win instead of scoring stage points.
“I don’t think you can score stage points from 40th,” Larson said. “So I mean, the silver lining is maybe that you can short the stages and get your track position that way to be up front at the end of the race. Because when you go for stage points, you’re restarting like 26th or worse, every time.”
Larson is no stranger to overcoming issues at the Charlotte Roval. His No. 5 had electrical issues early in the 2021 elimination race, which led to extra pit stops to change the battery and the alternator belt. Larson was able to take the lead from Denny Hamlin late and win the race. He moved on to the Round of 8.
Ty Dillon had his own issues during the Saturday session as he also hit the wall. The team worked on repairs in the garage before loading the No. 77 on a flatbed truck and taking it to the shop. Dillon will also start the race from the rear of the field.
#NASCAR … Kyle Larson and Jeff Gordon look on as the No. 5 team assesses the damage to the car from practice. pic.twitter.com/E85RwzFBon
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) October 7, 2023