Kyle Larson has been lighting up the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series. It isn’t just about the 3 wins, 11 top-5 finishes, or sitting fifth in the standings after Watkins Glen. We are also talking about his ability to salvage points, earning the Xfinity-sponsored fastest lap at 73.203 seconds, following a brake issue early in the race.
Drivers pushing limits isn’t new; think Bill Elliott’s amazing run in the 1985 Winston 500, where he made up more than a 5-mile deficit, without the benefit of a caution period, to capture the impossible triumph. But Larson’s case has people talking. Well, because there seems to be a reason. However, what really transpired after the game?
NASCAR’s ‘random’ inspection targets Kyle Larson post-race
The shocker at Watkins Glen wasn’t just Kyle Larson‘s brake meltdown. It was NASCAR pulling his car for a “random” post-race inspection after he snagged the fastest lap point. As Hauler Talk hosts discussed, Larson turned the quickest circuit after garage repairs, mirroring a Mexico City incident earlier in 2025 where he did the same post-repairs.
The host explained, “Oddly enough, this happened again with the same car, and the same car got the fastest lap. So we’re not going to inspect every fastest lap point winner… but we felt that, this might be a good opportunity — same situation. Almost exactly, they were in the garage for far or less time that they were in Mexico City.” This stemmed from suspicions of potential “funny business” during unsupervised fixes, though officials watched the garage work.
NASCAR singled out Larson because his recovery raised eyebrows, especially after Mexico, where critics like Steve Wart voiced unease about teams gaming damage policies for speed boosts. However, this time, Larson’s car went through the Optical Scanning Station, Underbody Scanning Station, and weights as one of the “randoms” alongside top-five finishers. It passed cleanly, avoiding disqualification and securing his point.
This echoes a 2017 penalty Larson faced for an improper rear brake cooling assembly, costing 35 points and suspending his crew chief, highlighting NASCAR‘s vigilance on brake tweaks. So the host made it clear, that if anyone had their doubts about Larson’s pace, they checked for unfair play, and he passed just fine.
“Just to make sure everything was cool, we did tag them as the random, and everything was fine,” one of the hosts added. He even assured that the team had radioed managing director Brad Moran during repairs, reporting “everything was fine,” yet, the inspection went through just to be sure.
With playoffs looming, Larson’s Watkins Glen woes aren’t isolated. Kevin Harvick’s recent take adds another layer of worry.
Harvick sounds alarm on Larson’s slump
Kevin Harvick isn’t mincing words about Kyle Larson’s rough patch heading into the 2025 playoffs. On his show, Harvick said, “Now, the No. 5 didn’t have the finishes that they want, but they had the speed. I haven’t seen the speed out of the No. 5 that I’ve seen out of the No. 24.” This compares Larson’s No. 5 to teammate William Byron’s stronger No. 24, underscoring a dip since Larson’s Double attempt in May, where he crashed out of the Indy 500.
Harvick pinpointed the slide’s start. “I think when you look back at it, it’s still the issues started at Indy. I mean, you can definitely point back to where the slump started. They obviously haven’t gotten out of it yet.” Larson’s stats back this; he has only three top-five finishes since the Coca-Cola 600, plus five finishes of 28th or worse, including Watkins Glen’s last-place result. Despite three season wins locking him in, this inconsistency threatens deeper playoff runs, especially at tracks like Richmond, where he’s won twice before.
Still, Harvick sees hope in Hendrick’s culture. “Hendrick Motorsports has a great way of navigating the downs to be able to keep their people engaged and motivated, just from good business practices more than anything, and management and good leadership.” He noted the team’s persistence, saying, “No matter how many times that No. 5 car has been in a garage, you see those guys under the hood, digging, trying to fix the car to get back out on the racetrack.” As Richmond approaches, this could spark a turnaround, but Harvick’s concern highlights the pressure on Larson to rediscover that edge.
The post Kyle Larson ‘Randomly’ Singled Out by NASCAR After Watkins Glen Shocker appeared first on EssentiallySports.
