Kyle Larson had a strong car in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Dirt and even won Stage 1 after dominating the first 75 laps of the event. However, Larson’s day quickly went downhill after getting stuck in traffic.
The driver of the No. 5 car accidentally put Ryan Preece into the wall coming off Turn 4 and later spun out on his own causing a caution. Over one hour later, Preece got loose and hit Larson which ended his day.
Larson, one of the best dirt drivers in the world, ended up finishing in 35th place despite his talent in dirt racing. After his incident, the 2021 Cup Series champion talked about the situation and had a few choice words for Preece.
Related: Kyle Larson takes a bold stance on NASCAR racing at dirt tracks beyond 2023
Kyle Larson discusses his accident with Ryan Preece at Bristol Dirt
Larson had some bold opinions over the course of Bristol Dirt weekend. One of those included the idea that NASCAR should move back to two concrete dates at Bristol Motor Speedway instead of one date.
There are several drivers who feel the same way, including Bubba Wallace who called it a “gimmick.” Larson sang the same tune as he has said the NASCAR Cup Series should not be dirt racing at all.
If one of the best dirt drivers in America is saying the Cup Series shouldn’t race on dirt tracks, maybe it is a sign for NASCAR. Whether that is the right opinion or not, the 30-year-old driver had other notable words from the weekend.
After Larson crashed out of the Cup Series race, he talked about his incident with Preece and bluntly expressed his thoughts at the end of the conversation.
“(Ryan Preece) had a pretty short temper, obviously. He tried to crash me, I think, after that and was swerving at me under yellow…It wasn’t my fault why he ended up spun out and in the back. I thought he would chill out. Obviously, he didn’t and ran me into the fence and ended our day. It is what it is…I figured we could just be grown ups and get the (expletive) over it but I guess not.”
Kyle Larson on the incident with Ryan Preece at Bristol Dirt
Larson was not pleased with Preece for the final incident that ended his day. In fact, Preece’s team owner Tony Stewart said on the FOX Sports broadcast that he hoped the No. 41 car’s contact with the No. 5 car was not retaliation.
It seems safe to say Stewart will not be happy with his driver if that were the case. The 2023 season has been rough for Preece as he sits 27th in the point standings with a 25.8 average finishing position.
For now, Larson and Preece will likely leave this in the past as they move onto Martinsville Speedway this weekend. It would not be shocking to see them make life harder for each other but not ruin either of their days.