Current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series point leader didn’t make it through NASCAR inspection in time to qualify for Coca-Cola 600.
Kyle Larson did not make a qualifying attempt at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The team was unable to get through NASCAR inspection in time to turn a lap.
Related: NASCAR Inspection Penalties – The Process is Broken
Chevy Racing conducted an interview with Kyle Larson, post-qualifying.
YOU DIDN’T GET THE CHANCE TO QUALIFY. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW?
“We’ll start last instead of from the pole. I guess I’m upset at myself for getting into the wall in practice there because it put us behind on getting to the tech line. We still failed a couple of times. The machine wouldn’t work there, late, and it cost us a minute or minute and a half, and we actually passed. But we didn’t have enough time to get out there. Had the machine worked, maybe we would have made it out there for that round. I don’t know. I won’t speak too much on it because I don’t know much about how that whole tech process works. I know all the teams hate it. The teams point at NASCAR. NASCAR points at the teams. It’s confusing to me.”
HOW HARD IS IT GOING TO BE COMING FROM THE BACK?
“I hope the VHT up top is nice. I don’t know, it’s going to be, I don’t know, Charlotte is a hard place to pass at, but you’ve got 600 miles to do it. I typically don’t qualify well here anyway, so I come from the back here a lot. So, I’m not too worried about it. I’ve won races from 24th in a sprint car in 30 laps. 600 miles should be okay.”
WHAT WAS THE ISSUE?
“I think rear tow or something. I’m not sure. There that final time it looked like the machine I guess wasn’t working. I don’t know if somebody stepped over one of the lasers or triggered a reset or whatever, but we sat on there for about a minute or so and waited for it to restart and then we passed and just didn’t have enough time. Maybe if the machine would have worked when we first got over it that final time maybe we would have had enough time to get out there and make a lap.”
IS IT JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS THESE DAYS YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A COUPLE OF TIMES DURING THE YEAR WHERE THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO HAPPEN?
“Yeah, it happened to us at Texas and we rebounded from that and finished second. Like I said, I’m not too worried about it. I know the teams are frustrated with the tech process. I know nothing about how it all works. I don’t really have much to say about it other than I know my crew chief hates it.”
Related: Rear Skew Causing Inspection Issues
Kyle Larson will start 39th of 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway tomorrow.
— Team Chevy Racing —
