Denny Hamlin was also involved in the third stage crash of Kyle Larson. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion entered the first race at Iowa Speedway, Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol, with the goal of securing his first win. The driver of the No:5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy had a strong start to the weekend, securing the pole position and winning stage two. However, his chances of winning the race were dashed when he was caught up in an incident during the third stage involving and .
During a three-way battle in traffic, the No:99 Trackhouse Racing Chevy made contact with Kyle Larson, causing the No:5 car to spin. In the process, Larson also made contact with the No:11 Toyota of Hamlin, sending him into the wall. Larson’s car suffered significant damage and had to pit for repairs.
Although Larson’s crew was able to get the car back on track, they fell two laps behind and were unable to recover. Larson finished in 34th place, ahead of Kyle Busch and AJ Allmendinger who did not finish the race. Without the incident, Larson could have ended the day as the winner.
During the race, Larson and Hamlin had contact with each other, which led to Larson expressing his frustration on the team radio. Cliff Daniels, Larson’s crew chief, advised him to let it go and focus on the fact that he had the fastest car.
The disappointing finish at New Hampshire cost Larson his point advantage over Hamlin in the championship standings. It will be interesting to see how Larson bounces back from this setback in the upcoming races.
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