Kyle Larson’s Midwest racing run took a viral turn Monday night at Southern Iowa Speedway, where a late-race move that helped him win the Front Row Challenge left another Sprint Car racer, Ryan Timms, furious enough to deliver a brutal post-race interview.
Larson entered the 30-lap event looking to continue a productive stretch in sprint-car racing. After starting 11th, he worked his way through the field, reaching the top five by Lap 9 and moving into fourth two laps later.
A subsequent restart gave him the opportunity to challenge for second, and he eventually settled in behind Timms, who had controlled the race from the front.
The decisive moment came late in the race when Larson closed big time on Timms. As the leader entered Turn 3, Larson attacked from the inside and attempted a slide job for the position.
The move did not completely clear Timms, and the two cars made contact as they exited the corner. Timms’ nose wing was damaged, and his car lost momentum, allowing Larson to take control while Corey Day moved past Timms for second.
The incident became the central talking point after the race. Timms explained that he knew Larson was closing and initially intended to drive around the attempted move.
According to Timms, “I went into three there. I knew I was screwing up, and figured (Larson) might be gaining on me. I did what I did every lap. I saw him coming up, and initially, I was going to drive around it. Then I saw he wasn’t giving me any room.”
“I lifted, slammed the brakes, and tried to turn it. He still ran right over me. He is a piece of sh*t. I’ll remember it. We need to just forget about it and move on. We’ve got Wednesday coming up, so that’s the main focus now.”
Meanwhile, the two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion acknowledged that the move was probably not his cleanest, but he viewed the opportunity as one he had to take. “He [Timms] was getting nervous in one and two and started making mistakes,” said Larson.
“It allowed me some runs. It was strung out, and you’ve got to get going. I’m sure that wasn’t the cleanest move… The McCarls have been doing this forever, and it’s such a fun event. That’s why these stands are packed every year…the foot race, it’s all fun… The car was extremely good, and I took advantage of a moment I felt I had to.”
The move ultimately gave Larson another Front Row Challenge win, giving him his sixth career win in the event and his third consecutive win there. He collected $21,000 for the win, while Day finished second, and the damaged Timms recovered enough to take third.
Larson had already won the Capitani Classic at Knoxville Raceway on Sunday, his second win in that event, after overcoming a disappointing NASCAR Cup Series outing at Iowa Speedway earlier that day.
The Front Row Challenge, therefore, gave him another chance to pull the results he has been craving for, although this time the victory came with considerably more controversy.
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