RELATED: Full race results | Series standings | Detailed breakdown
DOVER, Del. – For the second straight week in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, a Kyle came away “really disappointed” following a runner-up finish in a race he could have won.
“But I’m not going to show any anger, like the other Kyle,” said Kyle Larson on Sunday evening at Dover International Speedway, referring to Kyle Busch’s post-Charlotte brief press conference. “It’s just disappointing. I run second all the time. All the time. A lot of them, I’m leading coming down to three to go like today. Then we get a last restart and I just have to get better at restarts on old tires and do a better job not spinning them.”
The runner-up finish was his fifth of the season, in 13 races.
Larson led a race-high 241 laps and appeared set to cruise to his second win of 2017 before a late caution set up a battle on the restart with eventual race-winner Jimmie Johnson. Larson, on old tires, spun the rubber on his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Another caution flew moments later – after Johnson had passed the overtime line – handing the Hendrick Motorsports driver his 83rd career win to tie him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough on the all-time wins list.
RELATED: See Larson’s 2017 stats
That’s how it has tended to go for Larson in his young career, and that also is how it’s gone for Johnson en route to a Hall of Fame resume, himself.
“There’s a golden horseshoe somewhere,” Larson lamented on pit road, alluding to Johnson’s perceived luck. “Jimmie did a good job. A lot better job than I did. I spun my tires pretty bad. I tried taking off not using a lot of throttle and still spun my tires pretty bad.
“I thought we were the best car today; me and the 78 (of third-place finisher and points leader Martin Truex Jr.). Definitely, obviously, didn’t need that last caution there. … I wasn’t too worried, thought maybe the outside lane would take off good, just didn’t do a great job.”
As the saying goes, “I’d rather be lucky than good.” Johnson has a touch of both, and Larson — just nine points behind Truex in the standings — has the latter covered.
He’s hoping some of that No. 48 good fortune eventually makes its way to the 42.
“I’d like it to,” Larson grinned. “I don’t know, I haven’t had much luck in my NASCAR career. It’s been a little bit better this year. Gosh, he’s the luckiest human being on this planet. But, he’s also extremely good and can execute like nobody else. That’s why he’s got 80-something wins now and seven championships. I’d say at least half of those wins aren’t from him dominating a race, they’re just from him doing a better job than the leader at the end and getting it done.”
The 24-year-old should have a good shot at running up front again next weekend at Pocono Raceway, where he has a pristine 8.8 average finish in six career races.
But how long will this defeat stick with him?
“I’m pretty good at forgetting things and I’ve got pretty good short-term memory. We’ll get over it,” Larson said.
