Larson has been plagued by bad luck recently, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway offered no reprieve for the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.
Starting from tenth, he gained the advantage on several competitors with an early pit stop and was five laps away from claiming Stage 1 victory at the Brickyard 400 when catastrophe unfolded.
Heading into Turn 3, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet suddenly spun and slammed the outside barrier. Larson reported to the team that he suspected a left-rear tire failure.
Crew chief Cliff Daniels expressed visible shock and disbelief and was subsequently seen consulting with Goodyear officials.
This marks yet another frustrating winless stretch for Larson, extending back before his 2025 Indy 500/Coke 600 Double. He remains without a victory in 2026 and will finish 39th, scoring only one point.
“We just had a tire let go,” Larson stated outside the infield care center. “I wouldn’t say pushing contributed to it. I was only going three tenths faster, conserving fuel. It was just a case of bad luck. I’m proud of the team. We qualified tenth and successfully executed our strategy to gain track position and reach the lead. There’s still plenty of racing left, but we felt we were positioning ourselves well and planning to compete for the win. It’s disappointing, but we’ll be back at it in Iowa.”
Larson entered the event sixth in the championship standings, but is set to lose multiple positions given the closeness of the battle behind him. Every spot is crucial for playoff seeding following Daytona, which is just over a month away.
With this Brickyard 400 outcome, Larson will have finished 34th or worse in three of his last four starts.
Shortly after his own exit, Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott also crashed out of the race after making contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., sending the No. 9 Chevrolet behind the wall as well.
