HMS' Kyle Larson burning for redemption, seeking Roval success after battling past obstacles

Kyle Larson is looking for redemption at the Charlotte Roval, hoping to avoid past mistakes and piece together a clean weekend. He acknowledged that the Roval hasn't been his strongest track in the next-gen era, admitting he hasn't felt fully comfortable at the track.

After securing a top-five result at Talladega Superspeedway, the #5 Hendrick Motorsports driver is 52 points above the cutline. This strong position ensures Larson's advancement to the Round of 8. The team can now shift their focus from stage points to race wins, aiming to flip the stages and contend for victory this weekend.

Larson tested the recent track layout reconfigurations at the Charlotte Roval on the simulator to familiarize himself with the changes. Despite not feeling entirely comfortable at the track, he is looking forward to a relatively stress-free race weekend, thanks to his solid 52-point cushion above the cutline.

In a recent appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the 32-year-old HMS driver said:

"I've haven't felt very comfortable in general at the Roval the last couple of years, since we brought in the next-gen cars." he said and added about his sim work, "Wanted to just work through some things. It's good to get in there."

"I do look forward this weekend, I hope to have a clean weekend, one where I don't crash. I feel like I've crashed at the Roval a lot in my career, and I've just always had some sort of stress on that weekend, so hoping to have a stress-free weekend." he added on his crashes at the track.

In the inaugural edition of the Roval race, Larson crashed out in a late-race restart after a dominant outing. He dragged his beaten-up #42 Chevy to barely advance into the next round. In 2021, he faced an early setback due to battery issues but rallied to win the race.

In 2022, he was eliminated from the playoffs as the reigning champion, as he crashed into the wall and broke the right rear toe link. In the 2023 practice session, he wrecked his car but managed to advance into the Round of 8 with a 13th-place result in the race.

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Kyle Larson excited about recent modifications to Roval layout

The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway has undergone changes in the infield section, introducing a new tighter hairpin turn at Turn 7 and a tighter apex in the final chicane leading to the front stretch. Many NASCAR drivers have voiced concerns about the tight section creating chaos.

Kyle Larson feels the new layout will create more overtaking opportunities. He acknowledged that it would add a layer of chaos to the track but reckons it will make the race more exciting for viewers.

"I actually feel like maybe I'm in the minority, but I kind of like the new section. I think it's going to add a passing zone. I think it's going to sure add some chaos, which is exciting for fans. So yeah, and it's still going to be a difficult racetrack, too," he said in the aforementioned interview.

The Bank of America Roval 400 is scheduled for this Sunday, October 13, at 2:00 PM ET. Catch Kyle Larson live in action on NBC, PRN, and SiriusXM.