Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
North Wilkesboro, NC – Justin Allgaier reached its main goal to drive Kyle Larson’s car in practice and qualify in North Wildeboro on Friday.
He didn’t put a scratch on the car.
His other goal was to help the team prepare the car for Larson to drive Sunday’s All-Star race.
“I felt like a long-term pace, we were very good,” Allgaier, the ruling XFinity Series champion, told NBC Sports. “When I look at lap 30 or 40 (on a run), our pace was right where we needed it.”
Various challenges, including a new Nascar rule, make the performance of running in those signature races much more difficult on the same day.
Allgaier drove for Larson, who was in Indianapolis on Friday when he was prepared to drive in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 the same day later this month. Larson was not injured in practice on Friday.
Larson will not be at Northern Wilkesboro on Saturday. He will be in Indianapolis to qualify his car for the Indy 500. Hendrick Motorsports said this week that Larson’s team would not take place in the heat race in Saturday night in North Wildeboro. The team does not need to run because Larson will start at the back of the All-Star race due to the driver’s change.
Michael McDowell’s pit staff wins $ 100,000 bonus for the fastest four tire stop.
So how does another driver prepare a car for Larson, the Cup Points leader? Drive the car like one and let the team adjust for Larson’s features? Try to drive the car like Larson normally does?
“I think you should find the limit, find the tire limit and let them know where the tire limits are and then make adjustments they feel would fit with Kyle’s driving style or not,” says Allgaier, who drove Larson’s car in the previous year’s Coca-Cola 600 when Larson was delayed by the rain in the Indy 500. “I think Kyle was noticed.
After dominant performances over the past two years, the exhibition event will have a new format and length.
‘… I think, to me we have exposed some areas in practice. I don’t know if I would call them weaknesses, but things that made our adjustments, and that made a significant change in balance. It gives them ammunition to go if the race begins to understand when we change it, make this adjustment, it will turn into the car.
“Kyle adapts so well to everything that is thrown at him. I would say that they (the car) want to free up a bit for Kyle, especially traffic driving. ‘
Larson will start at the back of the 23-car field since he missed the qualifying. He also missed last year (Kevin Harvick the car) to be in Indianapolis and started at the back of the All-Star field. Larson finished fourth in last year’s All-Star race. He is a three-time winner of the event, including a win in North Wildeboro in 2023.
