“I would love to be kissing the bricks” ag...

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Within the Brickyard 400, solely three drivers have ever on back-to-back Cup races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kyle Larson hoped to change into the fourth on Sunday, ending a tough summer season stretch for the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

At one level, it regarded like he may as he was slashing away at Bubba Wallace’s benefit within the closing laps of a race, and lots of thought a late-race warning for rain was going to be useful to Larson.

He lined as much as the surface of Wallace for 2 time beyond regulation restarts, however he was by no means capable of maintain it there as Wallace cleared him earlier than reaching the backstretch each time. After that, Larson might solely keep in his draft and hope the No. 23 ran out of gas. But Wallace managed to save enough, capturing the checkered flag in an emotional victory.

“Nothing you are able to do”

Watch: Bubba at The Brickyard: Wallace claims Indy thriller, playoff spot

“There’s nothing you are able to do right here (at Indianapolis Motor Speedway) to move, so no, I don’t actually assume there was something I might do in another way,” stated Larson after his runner-up end. “I used to be in second gear on the primary restart, and truthfully, that one labored out slightly bit higher, however he virtually received away from me down the entrance stretch. After which on the second restart, he introduced the tempo down slightly bit slower, so I wanted to be in first gear. It was sort of the identical factor with me final 12 months – he had the popular lane on the within and it’s actually laborious to beat that.”

Regardless of the loss, Larson praised his workforce for placing collectively an incredible race from start-to-finish, saying: “I am happy with my workforce right this moment. We simply executed. I do not assume we handed many vehicles on monitor, however our pit crew did an incredible job and our workforce did a great job with technique.”

This result’s Larson’s finest since profitable at Kansas in Could, and it is also his second consecutive high 5 end, because the No. 5 workforce lastly turns issues round. “I might like to be kissing the bricks for the second 12 months in a row, nevertheless it’s been a tough stretch for us currently so to get two high fives in a row is one thing I am proud about.”

He additionally provided his congratulations to Wallace, who snapped a 100-race winless streak with Sunday’s dramatic victory within the Brickyard 400.