“I was surprised how good he was”: Kyle Larson was ‘happy’ to watch Denny Hamlin pit at Darlington

Kyle Larson emerged victorious at the Darlington Raceway, but it was not just the checkered flag that had everyone talking. Amid the first NASCAR Cup Series playoff race of the season, Larson revealed a deeper appreciation for his fellow driver.

The race began with Denny Hamlin leading the pack and effortlessly securing the first two stages. It looked like he was well on his way to a win.

However, during a late segment, Hamlin's unforeseen extra green flag pit stop shook the balance of power, taking away the momentum from his #11.

Larson, who had been hot on Hamlin's heels throughout much of the race, found himself in an unexpected situation. Instead of relishing the opportunity to duel it out with his rival, Larson admitted that he was actually pleased to see Hamlin head to the pits.

Larson reflected on Hamlin's performance during the race in an interview with NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass.

"He was really, really strong," Larson noted. "I was surprised how good he was throughout the whole run in the lead."

"He's honestly the best there is here at Darlington. I spent three-quarters of the time that he was on the lead behind him, if not the whole time, and man he could just get so close to the wall without touching it every time. I thought for sure if he wanted to, he'd slap it, and he'd barely miss it," he continued.

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Kyle Larson reveals whether he wanted to have a "duel" with Denny Hamlin

Speculations of bad blood between the two drivers have been rife this season, especially following the incident at Pocono Raceway, where Denny Hamlin caused Kyle Larson to crash.

Larson was asked if he hoped to have a go at it with Hamlin when he got the opportunity. However, he responded:

"No not at all. He was a great car, so when I see him coming down the pit road I was happy because it was gonna give the rest of us a shot to win."

Ultimately, Denny Hamlin found himself caught up in a late-race multi-car wreck that further derailed his outing at the Darlington Raceway. Hamlin crossed the finish line in 25th place, a far cry from the dominant performance he had displayed earlier in the evening.

Reacting to Hamlin's pit stop and subsequent struggles, Kyle Larson said:

"It was fun to watch him from behind. But at the same time, when he kind of fell out, whatever their issue was, it takes a little bit of pressure off you, and it really kind of opens the door for a few of us."

Larson won the Cup Series race, while 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick secured a runners-up spot ahead of Chris Buescher. William Byron and Ross Chastain rounded out the top 5.