“I figured we could just be grown-ups and get the f**k over it”: Kyle Larson on contact with Ryan Preece at Bristol Dirt Race

Last Sunday's Food City Dirt Race saw NASCAR Cup Series drivers Kyle Larson and Ryan Preece get to know each other pretty well on track. The Hendrick Motorsports and Stewart-Haas Racing drivers came to blows multiple times at Bristol Motor Speedway, with their second run-in on the track ending Larson's day.

The issue between the two drivers was instigated on lap 79 of the 250-lap-long race, where Kyle Larson seemingly pinched Ryan Preece into the wall. Coming off one of 'The Last Great Coliseum's' turns, Larson was seen taking Preece's line away, with his #5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1's rear right corner making contact with Preece's #41 Ford Mustang.

Ryan Preece made his feelings clear to Larson about the latter's racing etiquette under a caution flag period by making a gesture of displeasure while driving alongside his car.

However, that was not the end of the story as the duo came together once again, beating and banging off Turn 4 all the way through the front stretch. This eventually caused Larson to spin and hit the turn 1 wall, ending his day.

Kyle Larson spoke about the incident with Preece during the event in a post-race interview and said:

"A little bit surprised because it had been so long. it wasn't my fault why he was back there. I think something happened to him off of (Turn) 2 earlier and he ran into the back of somebody and spun out. Like I said, it had been probably an hour and a half if I had to guess since then so I figured we could be grown-ups and get the f**k over it but I guess not."

Ryan Preece's take on incidents with Kyle Larson at Bristol Motor Speedway

Stewart-Haas Racing driver Ryan Preece made it absolutely clear to the media after he got out of his #41 Ford Mustang that he would not be accepting any blame for wrecking Kyle Larson at Bristol, unlike some other drivers have recently. The 32-year-old elaborated on the on-track incidents and said:

“I was trying to run the top. It was real slick. Got loose and both ended up in the fence. I’m the guy that runs the bottom. I know (Larson) was making speed up top. I tried to move up there and we were just too loose. I still agree that a lot of people are going to stand their ground, but by no means was that intentional. I was just trying to get all that I could.”

NASCAR goes live from Martinsville Speedway next Sunday (April 16) for the NOCO 400, completing the 2023 Cup Series short track swing.