Kyle Larson stunned the racing world after pulling off a rare double that looked almost impossible. The Hendrick Motorsports driver finished sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on Saturday night before traveling more than 1,100 miles to Iowa for the Knoxville Nationals.
Kenny Wallace then blasted critics who had questioned Larson’s decision to enter the Knoxville event during a busy NASCAR weekend. Rain delays created a chance for Larson to make the trip, and a carefully prepared plan helped him reach Knoxville in time. Larson then won the Knoxville Nationals for the fourth time, taking the $200,000 prize after leading all 50 laps of the A-Main.
Kyle Larson Answers NASCAR Critics
Kyle Larson had faced criticism after entering the Knoxville Nationals preliminaries earlier in the week. Some questioned why he would commit to an event he appeared likely to miss because of his NASCAR duties.
Advertisement
Kenny Wallace responded strongly during his “Coffee with Kenny” segment.
“So, you might have b—– and moaned about the scheduling, the rescheduling, and this and that, but it didn’t matter cuz it f—— rained. All of you were wrong all the way around. You were wrong about everything. You deserve this a– chewing if you’ve made it this far.”
Rain became the key factor. The weather delayed the Knoxville Nationals schedule and gave Larson a chance to travel after the NASCAR race.
Kyle Larson Races From Richmond to Knoxville
Larson finished the 400-lap NASCAR race at Richmond around 10:16 p.m. local time before heading to the airport. A chartered flight took him to Pella, Iowa, while a police escort rushed him to Knoxville Raceway.
Advertisement
Crew chief Cliff Daniels said the team prepared for the possibility that Larson could make it.
“He had done a really good job of this week kind of resigning himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to be able to start the A-Main,” Daniels told reporters. “I was like, ‘Man, we can have stuff ready for you. We can go get this.'”
Daniels said Hendrick Motorsports president Jeff Andrews helped create the plan, while Larson’s public relations representative Colby Gorniewicz stayed in contact with people in Knoxville.
Larson arrived before the B-Main, missed hot laps and started from the pole in Paul Silva’s No. 57 sprint car.
Knoxville Nationals Win Gives Kyle Larson Fourth Title
Once the green flag dropped, Kyle Larson controlled the Knoxville Nationals A-Main. He led all 50 laps and secured his fourth Knoxville Nationals championship.
Advertisement
“It’s just wild how I’m here tonight. A fourth Knoxville Nationals in a fashion like this is unbelievable … it feels like a little bit of a dream right now.”
The result also came after rain disrupted Larson’s previous major double attempts in 2024 and 2025, when he tried to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.
This time, the rain allowed the NASCAR star to complete a remarkable journey from Richmond to Knoxville and finish the night as a four-time Knoxville Nationals winner.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post NASCAR: Kenny Wallace Blasts Critics After Kyle Larson’s Stunning Weekend Gamble Pays Off appeared first on HEAVY.
