“They had it in the seat when I got there,” Larson told Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports. “I walked up and went into look at the cockpit for the first time and the watermelon was in there. So, that was super clever and a great icebreaker… Kinda started the day off good and had us chuckling.”
It appears McLaren was playing a rib on Larson following the events at this past Monday’s Würth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway. Ross Chastain, the eighth-generation watermelon farmer known for his aggressive racing style, was at the center of another incident on the race track at Dover. During Lap 83, Chastain got into the back of Brennan Poole’s No. 15 Ford Mustang. Poole spun out, taking out Kyle Larson in the process.
Kyle Larson moving on from incident with Ross Chastain at Dover
Larson expressed his displeasure with Chastain on his team’s radio, calling him a “f—— idiot.” While Chastain declined to comment on Larson, he apologized to Poole.
“I talked to Brennan and Rick, and we had some good long conversations,” Chastain said. “… Still feel bad. I know people get tired of hearing me say it, but I truly do regret that I did that and that I got in that position in the first place. I know people, again, they’re tired of hearing it. But a long relationship and friendship with Rick as a casual competitor helped that and I talked to him and took some advice from him. And I talked to Brennan as well. So, I feel good about where we’re at.”
Larson, meanwhile, told Pockrass he’s already moved on from the incident with Chastain at Dover.
Kyle Larson plans to get a feel for Indy 500 this year
While Larson still has a full year to prepare for the race, he does intend on getting to Indianapolis Motor Speedway later this month to test out the track. He admits that he won’t have much time, but wants to get at least one full day of work in.
“I really don’t have a lot of time to be there a lot,” Larson said. “But I do want to get at least a full day of practice there just to sit in on a debrief and see how the communication works and what type of stuff they describe… Really just get a sense for what goes on behind the wheel, in the paddock and all that.
“I just want to get a sense for how did they steer differently than a stock car. What was the weight of the wheel like. What were the G forces like.”
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