“Wish I could go back”: Kyle Larson reflects on the restart that lost him the lead of Texas race against Michael McDowell

In a video clip shared by Fox NASCAR on X, Kyle Larson gave a candid response when asked about the crucial restart that cost him the lead in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. The short video had Larson explaining how that single restart turned the race against him and allowed Michael McDowell to pull ahead.

The interview was uploaded by Fox NASCAR on X. In the video, Larson is seen responding to a reporter who pointed out that while he had controlled most of the race, he lost momentum during one restart. Kyle Larson agreed, saying,

“Yeah, yeah it was. I just, you don't want to give up the lead at a mile-and-a-half (track), it’s hard to get it back.” (0:08 onwards)

He explained that he had gone early on the previous restart and intended to do the same again. But this time, Michael McDowell timed it perfectly, launching at the same moment—or even slightly ahead—with Tyler Reddick pushing from behind.

“Wish I could go back and do that all over again,” Larson said.

The race at Texas Motor Speedway had seven cautions during the final stage. Despite that, Larson, driving the No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, dominated large portions of the race, including a win in Stage 2—his fifth straight race at Texas with a stage win.

As sourced via Hendrick Motorsports, Kyle Larson led the most laps on Sunday and looked set for a win until the lap-244 restart. Michael McDowell, with Tyler Reddick’s help, jumped ahead. Following this, it became nearly impossible for Larson to regain the lead due to how important track position was all day. Ultimately, he finished fourth but still scored 50 points, leading all drivers for the second week in a row.

---

Kyle Larson reflects on racing against the younger generation after Xfinity win at Texas

Kyle Larson raced at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 3, to compete in the Xfinity Series race, Andy's Frozen Custard 300. This time, he took the checkered flag, winning his first Xfinity race at Texas in a decade. Starting from the 20th position, Larson surged forward to finish second in Stage 1 before leading 32 laps and sealing the victory.

In a post-race interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90, Kyle Larson discussed what it felt like to be back in an Xfinity car, especially the new-generation configuration that he hadn’t raced with before on this track. He noted that the field was mostly filled with younger drivers and discussed how fun it was to compete against them.

“It's just the, I mean, Allgaier was probably the only person in the field today that were in the field back then when I ran, maybe Jeremy Clements and Ryan C., but yeah, it's just a young generation. So, yeah, it's fun; it's fun to get out there and race and mix it up with them,” he said. [0:44 onwards]

Larson crossed the finish line 1.265 seconds ahead of Taylor Gray, followed by Riley Herbst, Austin Hill, and Sam Mayer. This was his second win in the Xfinity Series this season, after his win at Bristol last month.