Kyle Larson Denied Place in NASCAR’s History Books After Heartbreaking Truck Series Loss

Kyle Larson has been denied a spot in NASCAR’s history books for now after falling short of his attempt to win all three races in a race weekend, finishing second in the Craftsman Truck Series race in Bristol.

Larson has been aiming to achieve the triple sweep, which only one driver has achieved in the sport’s history. Kyle Busch secured a race win in the O’Reilly Camping World Truck Series 200, the Food City Nationwide Series 250, and the Irwin Tools Sprint Cup 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on the same race weekend in 2010.

Unfortunately for Larson, his first attempt at the feat was foiled after losing the Xfinity race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Yesterday, the Hendrick Motorsports driver raced hard but missed out on a win by a tiny margin of less than one second.

Larson started the Truck race from P11 after rain canceled the practice and qualifying rounds. He made a great recovery in Stage 1 by moving up to sixth place but fell down to 12th in Stage 2. Fortunately, a yellow flag helped him restart the race on the second row.

He then chased race leader Chandler Smith, who eventually won the race by a narrow margin of 0.934 seconds. This could have been Larson’s last chance at the triple sweep this year since he isn’t scheduled to race in another Truck Series race just yet.

Larson and his team faced a major setback this week, given the passing of Jon Edwards, the director of racing communications. Hendrick Motorsports described him as a friend whose contribution to the team and NASCAR “cannot be overstated.” Newsweek Sports reported:

“It is with profound sadness that we confirm the passing of Jon Edwards, our longtime friend, teammate and director of racing communications.

“Jon was a consummate professional whose remarkable gift for building strong and lasting relationships made him a respected figure in our sport. His impact on Hendrick Motorsports, the NASCAR community and countless individuals cannot be overstated. Above all, Jon was a kind and thoughtful person who carried a genuine passion for our industry, our organization, and his many teammates and friends.

“Our thoughts are with Jon’s family and all who are grieving this tremendous loss. He will be deeply missed.”

Larson added:

“A sad day for everyone close to Jon. I will always be grateful for the memories we made and the laughs we shared along the way. He made a lasting impact on my life, and I will miss him deeply. My thoughts and prayers are with Jon’s family and loved ones.”