"It was definitely better once the sun went down" - Kyle Larson praises his team for improvements to his car at Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway

The 2021 Cup Series Champion, Kyle Larson, began the second half of the season on a good note after finishing 4th at the recently concluded Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday night. The #5 driver was defending his 2021 win here but managed a top-5 finish despite hitting the track as the favorite driver.

Larson was the one leading the odds board and went on to give the oddmasters hope after he secured P3 on Saturday’s qualifying race. For a driver of Larson’s caliber starting at P3, it is one of the perfect positions to take the lead at any time. This wasn’t the case at Nashville Superspeedway, however, as his car seemed slower than expected.

Taking the green on P3, instead of stretching forward, he began stretching behind from P3 to P6 at the end of Stage 1. After struggling for a while, his crew was able to solve the issue, and he was back to his normal speed. In a media interview after the race, Larson was asked how his crew team managed to get the car back to its normal speed.

While responding to questions, the Elk Grove native couldn’t hide his happiness and satisfaction with his crew team as he showered them with praise for the impactful change. In his statement, he said:

“It was definitely better once the sun went down. I don’t know whatever changes they made to it, so proud of my guys for working hard and persevering.”

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Kyle Larson penalized at Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Kyle Larson could have posted a better finish if not a win. He was, however, penalized in stage two for speeding on pit road, bringing him one lap down. Despite the fallback, he was able to go from top-20 to sitting in the top-10 and eventually netting a top-5 finish.

The reigning champion was set to defend his win, but lost it to his teammate Chase Elliot. The good thing is that the victory remains at Hendrick Motorsports, the leading team with the most wins this season.

The P4 finish for the #5 Hendrick.com Chevrolet Camaro driver was a relief after the two-tough previous races where he posted 12th and 15th, respectively. Larson’s top-10 tallies have risen to nine this season, including one win.