LOUDON, N.H. — Kyle Larson has been as impressive as any driver in NASCAR this season, but his hopes for a championship took a big hit this week.
Larson’s No. 42 team was assessed an L1 penalty, costing him 35 driver points as well as the lead in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings. Meanwhile, crew chief Chad Johnston received a three-race suspension.
It got even worse when Larson’s pole-winning qualifying time was disallowed — all of which gave Martin Truex Jr., who assumed the lead and a leg-up in the battle for the regular-season title, a lot to smile about.
NESN Fuel’s Mike Cole and Ben Watanabe went on location at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to talk about Larson’s penalty, Aric Almirola’s return, Matt Kenseth’s future and more on “The Track Bar.”
Watch this week’s full episode above.
Thumbnail photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images