“Game Over” Preece Ends Kyle Larson’s Night at Bristol

What’s Happening?

In typical Bristol fashion, the tempers boiled over Sunday night as Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy spun and hit the wall…after a little help from none other than Stewart-Haas Racing driver, Ryan Preece in the No. 41.

You Need To Know:

• Kyle Larson, a dirt track ace who has mixed emotions on this event in Bristol, Tennessee, was up towards the front for most of the night, racing very aggressively, performing questionable slide jobs on his competitors. One of those competitors just so happened to be Ryan Preece. Kyle Larson squeezed Preece coming out of turn-4 which caused him to make contact with the outside wall. Preece then went for a spin of his own, causing a caution.
• With Preece falling back in the field, it would appear at first that the matter was closed. That was until Larson went for a spin himself and the two found themselves deep in the pack together. Under caution, Preece showed his displeasure with Larson, giving him a…certain one-fingered gesture. Feeling that his anger was not well acknowledged by Larson, Preece took it into his own hands, getting into Larson and putting him into the outside wall.
• The fans seem to be mostly in Larson’s corner on this one. With Preece’s radio admission, many fans seem little distinction between this and the Denny Hamlin deal.

The incident seemed to give Larson significant enough damage that he retired from the race. Preece was able to continue. Perhaps some of the spiciest radio chatter during this whole fiasco came from Ryan Preece, who referenced Denny Hamlin’s fine when he admitted to intentionally taking out Chastain. Maybe that’s “hack” driving???

The Main Characters

Ryan Preece was sure to let Kyle Larson know that he did not appreciate being raced that way.

Kyle Larson spoke to FOX Sports after the incident. The interview was rather mild in nature.

In The Stands

sportsguy70 on Twitter calls for Preece to get the same penalty as Denny Hamlin. Yes, but…this one was in the heat of the battle.

Preston Bennett makes the claim that Preece should be worshiped!

Darrell Andes Jr. on Twitter claimed that Larson actually crashed himself, countering many of the fans attacks on the young Preece.

In response to the Daily Downforce’s tweet, Jennifer G says that yes, the contact was payback, yes, it was intentional, and yes, NASCAR just might get him for it.

On Your Screen

Darian Gilliam of Black Flags Matter dubs this move exactly what it is, PAYBACK!

Out of the Groove’s Eric Estepp points out that Ryan Preece is not innocent on the aggressive driving front.

Yes, Eric, Preece most certainly did do something.

“Oh no he didn’t!”

Darian Gilliam accurately states that Preece and Larson definitely have BEEF!

From The Press Box

Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass reports the play-by-play of the incident.

Dave Moody points out that Preece did exactly what he said he was setting out to do…

Jeff Gluck begs the question on how was what Preece did any different than what Hamlin did? Because, Jeff, it was “in the heat of the moment”.

Yup, The SuperSquad, Preece most certainly did “get ’em”.

Both Jim Utter and Bob Pockrass report that Kyle Larson has retired from the race.

Ryan Preece says “I got loose”, according to Jordan Bianchi. Very tongue-in-cheek, Ryan.

Why couldn’t this have happened? It would have been EPIC!

BrakeHard also claims that there is little, if any, difference between the Preece/Larson deal and the Hamlin/Chastain deal.

Matt Weaver reports this excellent interview with Larson where he sheds a little more light on the whole situation with the No. 41.

Last weeks winner at Richmond was taken out at Bristol by the guy who called everyone a “bunch of hacks” after the COTA fiasco. Ironic, isn’t it?