The 2023 All-Star race at North Wilkesboro saw Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson claim the $1 million cheque after a 145-lap leading dominant victory. Nicknamed Yung Money for his prowess in various racing formats, Larson has also enjoyed a successful Sprint Car career. With 28 career wins at the World of Outlaws Feature, Yung Money even won the 37th $175,000 to-win Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway.
Last year, NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart announced the first ever $1 million to-win Eldora Million Sprint Car race. In hopes of bagging another million-dollar cheque for the 2023 season, Kyle Larson jumped behind the wheel of his trusty #57 Silva Motorsports steed. Little did anyone know, Larson’s Eldora Million win hopes would soon be crushed after a vicious crash leaving his #57 and four other cars unsalvageable.
Kyle Larson Wrecks Out of the Eldora Million
Having announced the first-of-its-kind million-dollar Sprint Car race, Eldora Speedway owner Tony Stewart put forth the ‘Every Lap Matters’ format of point collection. The Eldora Million saw a turnout of 80 best Sprint Car drivers, including 39th Kings Royal champion Brent Marks and NASCAR icon Kasey Kahne. A total of 24 drivers made it into the final main stage of the two-day Eldora Million event.
The final event of the Eldora Million consisted of 50 laps, with a race break after lap 20. With Logan Schuchart in the lead, race break caution flew out post lap 20. As the race restarted post-break, Aaron Reutzel driving the #8 winged car spun out and slid backward towards the outer wall in Turn 2. Following the spin-out, Reutzel’s #8 machine came in the direct line of Kyle Larson‘s #57 car which was sliding around on the outside line.
With no place to bail out, the Silva Motorsports #57 t-boned Aaron Reutzel’s #8 causing both the cars to flip over. The high-speed flip then claimed two more victims, #5 Spencer Bayston and #18 Giovanni Scelzi. Unable to avoid the pile-up, Lachlan McHugh, who was driving the #25 winged car, crashed into the already mangled #57, ripping out its fuel cell. McHugh himself went flipping over multiple times before coming to a halt near the inside lines’ catch fence.
Red flags were brought out, and the safety crew quickly rushed over to the scene, pulling drivers out of their mangled machines. Luckily, all the drivers were unhurt. The crash left the five winged sprint cars unsalvageable, effectively crushing Kyle Larson’s hope of a consecutive 2023 million-dollar win. Logan Schuchart then went on to bag the $1 million cheque after impressively defending his lead from Carson Macedo.
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This isn’t the first time in 2023 that Kyle Larson has failed to claim a Sprint Car race title at the Eldora Speedway.
Kyle Larson Bows Out of the Kings Royal
During the 39th Kings Royal Sprint Car race at Eldora Speedway, Kyle Larson was on an overtaking spree. Fighting for the lead, Larson’s #57 stalled out, allowing Brent Marks to ease ahead, bagging the win.
Finishing in the 5th spot, a disheartened Kyle Larson spoke to FloRacing post-race. “There for a moment, you know, I thought we were gonna have a really good shot to win. I didn’t realize Brent Marks was like checked out. I was making ground on cars with a few laps and it like stalled out and I should have got up,” Larson said.
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As he walked away unscathed from the nasty crash at the Eldora Million, let’s hope Kyle Larson’s future Sprint Car endeavors bear fruitful outcomes.
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