Before one full stage could go down in the books of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, the postseason picture took a drastic turn at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday (Sept. 8).
Kyle Larson, who entered as the top seed of the 16-car playoff, was running third with just four laps left when his car got loose and abruptly turned right into a violent hit with the outside wall.
As the battered No. 5 slid down the track, Chase Briscoe was unable to avoid it and slammed into Larson, destroying the front of his car and the back of Larson’s. Briscoe, who won his way into the playoffs in the regular-season finale at Darlington Raceway a week ago, had no buffer to the cut line.
“I’m okay, thankfully everything held up well inside the car,” Larson told NBC Sports. That was a huge hit. Not really sure what caused it. I was actually sort of tight, loaded in the corner. I was pretty far in the corner and it just stepped out. It just all happened really fast.”
Larson had earned 40-playoff points throughout the regular season by virtue of wins, stage wins and finishing second in the regular-season standings. While that cushion should keep him above the cut line, it leaves no room for error in the other two races in the Round of 16.
Fortunately, Briscoe was also able to walk away unscathed from the violent hit.
“I’m glad my ankles didn’t get messed up,” Briscoe said regarding the hit. “The brake pedal and everything went through the floorboard, so I’m thankful that I’m alright, for sure.”
“… I was watching my outside getting into [turn] 1, because someone kept trying to get to my outside. I was probably a little late just seeing the [No.] 5 car wrecking. I didn’t really expect anyone to wreck because they were two-wide, and then I saw the smoke and tried slowing down. I knew he was coming down the racetrack.
“I kept trying to feed the thing left to slow it down, and I couldn’t get left quick enough. He kind of started sliding back down the track at the very last minute, and I tried to turn back right to avoid him and just KO’ed him. Yeah, big hit, one of the biggest hits I’ve had in a long time. Glad I’m alright, just got to go win.”
Briscoe’s misfortunes at Atlanta continue, a track he has never finished better than 15th at. Likewise, Larson now has five finishes of 30th or worse in the six races at Atlanta since the 2022 repave.
Larson will have prime opportunities to bounce back, as he is a former winner at both Watkins Glen International and Bristol Motor Speedway.
Briscoe, on the other hand, has one top 10 in three starts at The Glen, and he has never earned a top 10 at Bristol.
One thing is for sure: in a season where things were already unpredictable, this accident could foreshadow a whole new level.
About the author
Luken Glover joined the Frontstretch team in 2020 as a contributor, furthering a love for racing that traces back to his earliest memories. Glover inherited his passion for racing from his grandfather, who used to help former NASCAR team owner Junie Donlavey in his Richmond, Va. garage. A 2023 graduate from the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is the author of "The Underdog House," contributes to commentary pieces, and does occasional at-track reporting. Additionally, Glover enjoys working in ministry, coaching basketball, playing sports, and karting.
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