Kyle Larson says he's 'pissed' after Denny Hamlin pushed him into wall
Kyle Larson is rightfully upset with Denny Hamlin following a controversial ending to the Highpoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday. On the second to last restart of the race, Hamlin’s car made contact with Larson’s, pushing him up against the wall as they battled for the lead.
The moment was similar to a run in that Hamlin had with Ross Chastain a year ago. Speaking after the race, a heated Larson didn’t hold back his thoughts on the situation.
“It is what it is,” he said. “Yeah, we’re friends. Yes, this makes things sh*tty and awkward, but whatever. He’s always right. All the buddies know Denny’s always right. So I’m sure he was right there as well. It is what it is. I’m not gonna let it tarnish a friendship, but I am pissed and I feel like I should be pissed.”
To add insult to injury, Hamlin went on to win the race while Larson placed 20th. It was the 50th overall win for Hamlin in his career and his seventh at Pocono, making him the all-time wins leader at the track.
Larson went on to say that he “never had to apologize” to Hamlin for the way he raced. However, he was clearly upset with him for the initial encounter, running into him again later in the race. Asked whether he would change his racing style in the future against Hamlin, he gave an interesting response.
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“I think at this point, I have to,” he said. “Like I said, I’ve never had to apologize to him about anything I’ve done on the race track. I can count four or five times where he’s had to reach out of me and be like, ‘aw, man, I’m sorry I put you in a bad spot there’ or whatever. So eventually, as he says, you’ve gotta start racing people a certain way to get the respect back.
“…Again, I haven’t done that to Denny. I don’t think I deserved to be run into before I ever got to the wall. So it is what it is. I’m gonna go race the Sprint car on Tuesday night. I’m gonna forget about it here in a few hours. That’s the best medicine for a tough result.”
As tough as the moment was, Larson will look to put it behind him as he prepares for the Cook Out 400 in Richmond next week. Start time for that race is set for 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.
“Unfortunate, but I’ve been cost a lot of good finishes by him throughout my career,” Larson said. “I know he says I race a certain way, but I don’t think I’ve ever had to apologize to him about anything. Not that I’m sure he’s gonna say sorry after this, but it is what it is. Just move on.”