By Aaron Bearden, Motorsports Editor
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Kyle Larson’s Michigan International Speedway domination came to a dramatic conclusion in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400.
Larson was battling inside of the top 10 on Lap 85 when he lost control of his No. 42 Chevrolet at the exit of Turn 4. The Chip Ganassi Racing shoe then spun into the infield, tearing up a chunk of grass that was wet from the pre-race rain showers.
Caution! @KyleLarsonRacin spins out of Turn 4; was running 8th before the incident. #FireKeepersCasino400 pic.twitter.com/FEen4odM5y
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 10, 2018
The Californian continued on afterward, but his machine was damaged and slow. He ultimately limped his car home in 28th, ahead of only Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – who crashed shortly before the end of the race – on the lead lap when rain forced an end of the race on Lap 133.
“Pissed away what I felt like was the fastest car today,” he tweeted afterward. “Stupid mistake on my end. Bummer.”
Larson’s result was the second worst of his career at Michigan, following a 43rd-place result in 2014. It also served as the end of a streak of dominance on the two-mile oval.
After earning his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win in the second 2016 race at Michigan, Larson followed with a sweep of the track’s two races in 2017. As a result he entered 2018 with a three-race win streak in the Irish Hills.
The 25-year-old’s hopes to keep the streak alive were slim entering the day after a 26th-place qualifying performance. But Larson was able to rise through the field with relative ease, finishing second in Stage 1 and contending inside of the top five through the early section of Stage 2.
Ford’s combined efforts from Stewart-Haas Racing, Team Penske and Wood Brothers Racing proved difficult to overcome, but Larson seemed as capable as any to find a way.
Instead he left Michigan continuing a different streak – a 25-race winless streak that dates back to Richmond International Raceway in September 2017. Larson currently sits ninth in the championship standings, 136 points clear of the playoff bubble.