Getty Kyle Larson drives at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Verizon 200 Cup Series race July 31 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway came to an early end for Kyle Larson after he slammed into Ty Dillon at well over 100 mph. Now Hendrick Motorsports has shared more information about the crash.
In the aftermath of the crash, many wondered whether a mechanical failure had led to the violent collision. Was the cause a stuck throttle or lost brakes? Hendrick Motorsports told Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass that the brakes did not fail. “Kyle got into the braking zone too deep and got out of shape,” Pockrass tweeted on August 2.
Commentators on NBC’s broadcast also discussed the possibility of lost brakes. Though they also said that there was audio from Larson about how he had a pedal after coming to a stop in the grass.
“Yesterday was about the hardest I’ve been hit by anything,” Dillon tweeted on August 1. “Grateful to God that I’m okay and these cars are safe enough to take a shot like that.”
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‘NASCAR RaceHub’ Discussed the Hendrick Motorsports Explanation
Mechanical failure or a mistake? @LarryMac28 and @Bobby_Labonte share their thoughts on Kyle Larson and Ty Dillon’s huge crash at Indy.
The conversations about the crash continued on Fox Sports’ “NASCAR RaceHub.” Host Adam Alexander spoke to Larry McReynolds and Bobby Labonte on August 2 about the incident, the length of the straightaway heading toward Turn 1 and the speed that the cars can reach before entering the braking zone.
“When I saw this, I went, ‘What in the world just happened?’ Because in my experience, there’s only two things that can actually cause that,” McReynolds said. “And that’s losing the brakes or a stuck throttle.”
McReynolds said that he went to bed with the belief, based on the information that he had at the time, that there had been a brake failure. However, he noted that Hendrick Motorsports had shut down the notion that there was a mechanical issue.
Larson Dealt With Multiple Issues at IMS
GettyKyle Larson had multiple setbacks at IMS.
The crash involving Dillon was the final incident for Larson, who turned 30 on the same day. He fell multiple laps down after some early setbacks, which included an unscheduled trip down pit road.
The first took place on Lap 24. Larson reported that he had a flat tire after contact with Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola. He headed down pit road for repairs and fresh tires, and he ultimately made it back out onto the track three laps down.
The issues continued during the final stage. Larson spun on Lap 46, which forced him to head back down pit road for fresh tires and fuel. He then collided with Dillon on Lap 62 and ended his day in the infield care center.
With the latest information provided by the Cup Series team, there will now only be further questions until media members meet with Larson the weekend of August 5-7 at Michigan International Speedway. He should be able to provide more details about the incident during his availability at the 2-mile track.
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