The last week has been like the old Wide World of Sports slogan for Kyle Larson: namely, the thrill of victory followed by the agony of defeat.
After his triumphant win in the Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Oklahoma last Saturday, it has been nothing but agony for the NASCAR Cup star since he flew across the Pacific Ocean to compete in several sprint car races in Australia.
Larson’s first race on Wednesday in the King’s Challenge at Borderline Speedway was rained out.
That agony continued for Larson Friday in the first of the three nights of the Grand Annual Sprint Car Classic in Warrnambool, Australia, the biggest race of the year down under.
First, he wrecked heavily, including flipping, in a heat race (he was uninjured). After making repairs, he went back out on-track in another heat race, only to suffer a blown engine that knocked him out of contention to race in that evening’s feature event.
In Night 2 of the Classic on Saturday, Larson did not compete, leaving him to serve as a cheerleader for fellow American and teammate Carson Macedo, who finished 14th out of 20 drivers in the 30-lap main event.
Not being able to compete was a disappointment for Larson, who was one of the top-billed drivers taking part in the overall three-day Classic.
Used up all my luck in the Expo Center last week I think... still having fun in AUS
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) January 24, 2020
Larson will have one last chance to make Sunday’s featured championship event -- but he’ll need a lot of luck and good fortune on his side. There will be several heat races that will whittle the top 48 drivers from each qualifying event to determine the top 16 in points who will compete in the A Main championship event.
There are 80 other drivers -- including Larson -- still left to compete in the B, C and D Mains who will also try to race their way into the A Main.
Larson currently sits tied for 77th place in the combined point standings in the 107-car field. Meanwhile, sitting 19th in the combined points, Macedo is the highest-ranked American driver heading into Sunday’s finale.
🏁 at @SungoldStadium —@carson_macedo finishes 14th. #48GASC pic.twitter.com/mAvmXDN1sV
— Shop Kyle Larson (@ShopKyleLarson) January 25, 2020