The first NASCAR Cup Series playoff race of the season didn't end well for former driver Kyle Larson, who finished last in 37th place after a fiery crash.
Larson's No. 5 car went off the track while racing around a corner at Atlanta Motor Speedway, took a sharp right turn and crashed into the wall. As Larson came down the banking, he was unable to avoid the plume of smoke Larson spewed at oncoming drivers, causing Chase Briscoe to make contact with him.
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During a NASCAR Cup Series auto race on Sunday, September 8, 2024, in Hampton, Georgia, Chase Briscoe in the #14 was involved in an accident with Kyle Larson in the #5 near Turn 2. (AP Photo/Greg McWilliams)
Both players walked away unharmed and were examined by medical professionals at the Infield Care Center.
“Thankfully, everything in the car was OK,” Larson said. NBC Sports“It was a big impact. I'm not sure what caused it. I was actually pretty tight in the corner. I came pretty far out of the corner and just stepped out. I don't know. It all happened really fast.”
Briscoe said he wasn't able to slow down fast enough to pass Larson.
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“I knew he was coming down the track so I just tried to move left to slow me down. But I didn't get left quickly enough and at the last moment he started to slide down the track so I tried to move back to the right to avoid him and I got KO'd. It was a big hit. One of the biggest hits I've taken in a long time,” he added.
Larson entered the Atlanta race as the top driver, while Briscoe had slipped into the playoffs with a win at Darlington.
Kyle Larson speaks to media members during NASCAR Playoffs Media Day at the Charlotte Convention Center on September 4, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)
Joey Logano won in Atlanta along with Daniel Suarez, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and Alex Bowman. Logano is now in great position to advance to the Round of 12.
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Larson is in 10th place, 15 points above the cut line. Briscoe is currently in 16th place, 21 points below the cut line.
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