In a heated exchange, Kyle Larson takes responsibility for the accident with Kyle Busch at the Gateway.

Kyle Larson puts Gateway drama behind him. Former champions Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson were involved in a collision last weekend at the Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway. RCR’s No. 8 Chevy sustained significant damage and failed to finish the race, while the No. 5 Chevy only managed a 10th-place finish. Busch voiced his criticism of Larson following the incident.

Larson, who was largely at fault for the collision, spoke about the incident before this weekend’s race at the Sonoma Road Course. The HMS driver expressed his opinion in strong terms, stating that if he had not hit Busch from behind, the accident would not have happened.

Larson mentioned that he had not spoken to Busch about the accident and acknowledged that he may have frustrated Busch, but he did not intend for it to become a fight over who would retire first. He described the situation bluntly.

He also acknowledged that it was probably his fault that the accident happened and that he upset the experienced driver with his maneuver. Larson believes he has already put the incident behind him and assumes Busch has done so as well.

One of the main points of discussion before this race was that Larson had received an exemption from NASCAR for his failure to finish the Coke 600. But unlike many in the NASCAR community who were worried about whether the Chevy driver would receive the exemption, Larson was not worried.

The 2021 Cup champion appears to be in good spirits after being cleared for Sonoma and has already put the clash with Busch behind him. It will be interesting to see how Busch and Larson will interact when they face each other in the remaining races.