Preece, in the #41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, and Larson, behind the wheel of the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, were both caught up in the accident during the first overtime attempt. Ross Chastain attempted to run the center but ended up colliding with Noah Gragson. Gragson was sent spinning to the outside of the track, while Larson spun to the inside apron before ultimately careening back onto the track and into the path of Preece.
The impact was severe, with Preece‘s Ford taking a heavy hit to the right side. It was a scary moment for both drivers and their teams, as the entire racing community held its breath to see how they would fare. Thankfully, both Preece and Larson emerged from the crash relatively unscathed, though Preece did require medical attention and was evaluated and released from the infield care center.
In the wake of the incident, Denny Hamlin opened up about his concerns for Larson’s safety. In a recent episode on his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin revealed that he had tried to convince Larson to avoid risky behavior in the past. Hamlin noted that while he understands Larson’s passion for racing, he believes that there are more important things in life, such as being there for one’s family.
MORE NEWS: Maybe a cigarette for angry Kyle Larson “Apology From Ross Chastain” – Viral Kyle Larson Image With a Cryptic Twist Leaves NASCAR Fandom in a Frenzy
He said, “I don’t know, I’m just—Of course, the first thing I did was text Ricky and Kyle and asked do you have to be doing this? I know it makes you happy and you love it but you know what would also make you happy? Providing for your family for generations like that and I only say that as a friend, right?”
“The more you do something risky and you’ve gotten away with it for such a long time that eventually the odds catch up and Kyle, you know when I watch him dirt race he is a very aggressive guy,” Hamlin explained.
He further added, “I talked about how a lot of times he slides up and then kinda just expects, he puts you in a position where you need to check up or else you’re gonna make contact. He makes a lot of bold moves that if someone doesn’t calculate it just right it could cause him to tumble.”
