NASCAR star Kyle Larson flipped upside down in a dramatic crash during his latest racing adventure away from the Cup Series.
Larson, who just wrapped up his second NASCAR Cup championship this season, wasn’t ready to take a break from racing. Instead, he jumped into something completely different – USAC Midget Racing at the “Hangtown 100” event in Northern California.
The 33-year-old driver was leading with just five laps to go in the 100-lap race.
Then everything went sideways. Or more accurately, upside down.
Second-place Daison Pursley tried to squeeze past on the inside, clipped Larson’s car, and sent him flying off the track. Larson’s car flipped over in the chaos.
Thankfully, Larson walked away from the crash without injury. He even had enough energy to sarcastically clap and give Pursley a thumbs up afterward. Pursley went on to win the race.
“We had a good car, good race going, and Daison just must have built a run on the cushion behind me,” Larson told USAC Racing later, sounding much calmer than during his post-crash gestures.
“He surprised me on entry to one, and then you hit the grease, I kind of had nowhere to go. It’s just a bummer, but I get it, just because my entry was closed off, so he was going to have to pull the trigger right there.”
“Oh well, I guess? I wish it wouldn’t happen, and I’m sure he wishes it wouldn’t happen too,” Larson concluded.
Larson has made headlines throughout 2024 for his versatility behind the wheel. He even stirred up controversy by claiming he’s a better all-around driver than Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen.
Unlike many NASCAR drivers who stick to stock cars, Larson regularly competes across multiple racing disciplines. He even made his rookie appearance at this year’s prestigious Indy 500.
With the NASCAR season now complete, fans can expect to see Larson continue testing his skills in different racing formats – hopefully with fewer flips.
