LONG POND, Pa. – For the second consecutive week, Kyle Larson is headed to a backup car for Sunday’s Cup race after a wreck in practice.
Just more than 10 minutes into the opening session Saturday morning at Pocono Raceway, Larson crashed off the tunnel turn at the 2.5-mile track.
Larson lost control of his No. 42 Chevrolet off Turn 2 and skidded into the outside wall, hitting with the right rear. He then veered into the inside wall for a heavy impact with the right front.
“I’m fine; just disappointed in myself,” Larson told NBCSN’s Kelli Stavast. “It’s two weeks in a row I’ve put my team in a bad spot. I hate that I did that. Just got really loose and overcorrected.
“Just mad at myself, especially after doing it two weeks in a row. Just got to stop being stupid.”
Larson’s team has rolled out its backup car with 40 minutes left in practice.
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver crashed in practice a week ago at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and finished 33rd after two crashes in the final 80 laps. Larson is 31 points above the playoff cutline with six races remaining in the regular season.
“Lately, it’s just been a lot of mistakes on my part,” Larson said after practice. “Earlier in the year, it was just bad luck or whatever you want to call it. But lately, it’s just been my fault. Too aggressive probably at the wrong times.
At New Hampshire, Larson’s first wreck occurred when he attempted an optimistic pass below Alex Bowman into Turn 1 on a restart. He lamented the move Saturday.
“I had a really good car; I wish I would have been more patient,” he said. “Obviously, he threw the block, but that’s part of restarts there. I was just trying to stay to his inside so he couldn’t get to the very bottom, but my angle was bad. Yeah, just mad at myself after that because I gave up a lot of points.”
How has the team handled it?
“I think we’re all behind each other,” he said. “Suprisingly, their attitude seems fine toward me. So yeah, I’d be mad. But they seem OK.”
"I just gotta stop being stupid."
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 27, 2019
Kyle Larson was disappointed after putting his team in a tough spot for the second week in a row with a crash in practice at @PoconoRaceway. pic.twitter.com/2kM86rTHGl