Kyle Larson on AJ Allmendinger: 'I figured he would be smart'
The big loser in Sunday's Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International was Kyle Larson, who saw a great run wasted in the final seconds of the 90-lap road race.
Larson had his Chip Ganassi-owned Chevrolet solidly in the top five as headed through the final corner of the 2.45-mile road course, but as he cleared the corner, he got spun onto the entrance of pit road by AJ Allmendinger.
Instead of finish fourth, Larson finished 29th, losing 25 critically important points in his effort to secure a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
With four races until the field is set for the Chase, Larson is the 16th and final seed in the field for NASCAR's playoff round. Had Larson not gotten spun out, he would be a mere 5 points out of 15th; now, he's 30 points out.
More importantly, perhaps, if Chris Buescher can get into the top 30 in points -- and he's now only three points away right now -- he would knock Larson out of a Chase spot.
No wonder Larson was incensed after the race.
"We were about a 10th-place car and we were going to get a top-five day out of it," Larson said. "We were running sixth coming to (Turn) 7; the No. 47 (Allmendinger) was behind me. He is always aggressive. I figured he would be smart.
"Obviously, the No. 78 (Martin Truex Jr.) was spinning in front of us. That is a free spot for both of us and he (Allmendinger) just dumped me," said Larson. "He had already ran me down to the front stretch wall once with about 15 to go or so. Pretty dumb move right there, too, but I was the smarter one racing for points, lifted, could have wrecked him, but didn't."
Larson made it clear that paybacks are in order.
"It just sucks they are going to have to start building some more race cars because he has got a few coming," he said.
For his part, Allmendinger was more than contrite, but by then, the damage was done.
"I was under him. He turned," said Allmendinger of Larson. "And I just clipped him. I'm just not very happy with myself on that. I don't want to do that, especially for fourth place. And he did a great job. It's on me. I never meant to do it. It's not going to help the case. I know he's going to be pissed off and he should be pissed off. I'd be."
