Cliff Daniels, crew chief for Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team, ignited debate after a post-race presser by comparing Larson’s Bristol dominance to a 2004 Rusty Wallace race. The remarks came after Larson led 411 of 500 laps in a tire-wear-defying rout, drawing criticism for a lack of on-track drama.
While Larson celebrated his second NASCAR Cup Series win of 2025, fans countered Daniels’ historical analogy, questioning its accuracy while lamenting a race where Larson’s superiority left little passing or rivalry. The clash underscores NASCAR’s ongoing struggle to balance pure competition with entertainment demands.
Fans Criticize Cliff Daniels’ Take on Kyle Larson’s Bristol Dominance
“From a racing purist standpoint, today’s race was a heck of a race,” Daniels insisted in the post-race press conference at Bristol. He then said that he watched a 2004 Bristol race earlier that week, in which Rusty Wallace led almost every lap and only lost with a bad stop at the end.
“When the top two cars are within a second apart, navigating through traffic and every single lane that was available and bouncing off of (lapped) cars, I know we want cautions and yellows for excitement,” he said.
“Denny was coming. He put pressure on us. We had to take chances. Man, that just presents such a good race from our seat,” Daniels added, highlighting Larson’s battle with Denny Hamlin.
But fans quickly fact-checked his 2004 Bristol race reference. Rusty Wallace led 100 laps in Bristol’s 2004 spring race, far short of Larson’s 411, and never dominated as described.
“Maybe Cliff got his years mixed up, but Rusty led 100 laps in the spring and 79 in the fall of 2004,” one user wrote.
Others dismissed the comparison entirely. “The actual race Cliff Daniels did describe did not actually exist in 2004. Unless he was in an alternative universe,” a fan argued.
“Wallace lost in relation to the restart, and Kurt Busch won the race. Daniels said Dale Jr. won that race. NASCAR can be confusing with two races a year same track.”
Bristol’s Tire Paradox and the ‘Racing Purist’ Defense
The backlash extended beyond history. Fans criticized a race devoid of Bristol’s trademark aggression.
“When nobody can pass because the chance for human error is lowered, it makes the racing boring,” one tweeted.
“I don’t care for cautions but the lead changes is an issue. The fact that Denny, who probably was faster in that second to last run, couldn’t pass Kyle is what everyone is talking about.”
The crew chief’s stance clashed with fan thirst for volatility. Bristol’s concrete surface, treated with traction compound, initially promised tire wear chaos. Instead, minimal degradation allowed Larson to stretch leads untouched.
As debates raged, Larson’s emotional dedication to late PR chief Jon Edwards offered a poignant counterpoint. “This one’s definitely for Jon,” he said post-race. His 31st Cup Series win tied Martin Truex Jr.’s stage-win record, which is a silver lining in a polarized weekend.