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Kyle Larson vs. Ryan Blaney: The 'Mistake' That Will Cost Larson in the NASCAR Playoffs

Originally posted on Total Apex Sports | By Fahad Hamid | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 9:26 AM ET

Another week, another NASCAR playoff race, and another episode of “who’s mad at Kyle Larson now?” This time, the unfortunate soul on the receiving end of Larson’s aggressive driving style was none other than reigning champion Ryan Blaney. The incident at Gateway has set the stage for what’s sure to be a tense elimination race at Bristol, and let’s just say Blaney isn’t sending Larson a Christmas card this year.

The drama unfolded as Stage 2 was winding down. After some fantastic, hard side-by-side racing, Blaney had just managed to pull ahead of Larson. In what can only be described as a moment of pure, unadulterated optimism, Larson decided to send his No. 5 Chevy into Turn 3 with the subtlety of a freight train. He went in way too deep, washed up the track like a tourist on a waterslide, and clipped the left rear of Blaney’s car, sending the No. 12 for a spin.

Miraculously, Blaney’s car wasn’t turned into a pile of scrap metal, and he managed to salvage a P4 finish. But don’t let that fool you. He was fuming, and a heated conversation on pit road ensued.

Larson’s “Oops, My Bad” Tour Begins

After their little chat, Kyle Larson went on what has become his customary post-incident apology tour. Speaking to the media, he played the “I messed up” card with the practiced ease of a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Just told him I messed up. I wasn’t meaning to obviously go in there and hit him,” Larson explained. He tried to justify the move by saying he was attempting to replicate a maneuver from the previous lap. “I was just trying to do that again, and was a little further back into 3 than I was the lap before. Just misjudged… all on me, but wasn’t intentional at all.”

Sure, Kyle. It wasn’t intentional. You just “misjudged” how much racetrack you needed and accidentally spun out a fellow playoff competitor. It’s a classic case of “actions have consequences,” even if those actions are wrapped in a bow of plausible deniability. He can say it was a mistake until he’s blue in the face, but the damage is done—both to Blaney’s car and to any goodwill Larson had stored up.

Blaney’s Memory is Longer Than a Martinsville Straightaway

Ryan Blaney, for his part, wasn’t exactly buying the whole “it was just a mistake” narrative. When asked about the confrontation, he was clearly still simmering.

“Um, I just wanted to know what I did to deserve it,” Blaney said, his frustration palpable. “He just said he made a mistake, and you know, yeah that’s fine, make mistakes, but at the end of the day, I still got turned.”

Blaney then delivered the line that should send a shiver down Larson’s spine: “That’s just one I gotta remember.”

He didn’t outright threaten retaliation, but the message was crystal clear. The next time Larson finds himself trying to pass the No. 12 car, he might find the track has suddenly gotten a lot narrower. In the playoffs, you need all the friends you can get, and Larson just turned a powerful ally into a rival with a long memory. This is the part of the season where payback isn’t just possible; it’s practically expected.

And just to add a little sprinkle of cosmic justice, karma came knocking for Larson later in the race. On a restart, Bubba Wallace—Blaney’s best friend—had a mechanical issue and stalled, completely messing up Larson’s strategy. You just can’t write this stuff.

For now, Larson is heading to Bristol basically locked into the Round of 12, feeling good about his car. But he’s also heading there with a target on his back. He burned a bridge with Blaney, and in the high-stakes pressure cooker of the NASCAR playoffs, that’s a mistake that could cost him a championship.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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