Kyle Larson experienced a painful and frustrating night at Placerville Speedway during the Hangtown 100, especially from his front-row starting position. After flipping out of the race with five laps remaining due to contact, the Hendrick Motorsports driver responded with a sarcastic double thumbs-up toward Daison Pursley, whose move ended Larson’s race.
The USAC National Midget feature had been firmly in Larson’s control until the late-race incident sent him tumbling. The two-time champion walked away in disbelief as his hopes of a perfect finish to the year slipped away. Entering the Hangtown 100 fresh off his second NASCAR Cup Series title earned earlier this month, Larson had returned to his home region to celebrate. Saturday’s feature looked like it was shaping up to be an ideal conclusion to an incredible year.
Larson led the majority of the 100-lap race, skillfully fending off pressure from pursuing drivers Daison Pursley and Steven Snyder Jr. However, the night took a turn in Turn 1 when Pursley carried a strong run off Turn 4 but misjudged his entry. His car slipped on the uneven banking, sliding up the track and collecting Larson’s No. 1 midget. The contact sent Larson’s car into the barriers and flipping over.
As the crowd reacted, Larson climbed out of his overturned car, walked toward the infield, and offered a slow, exaggerated clap along with a double thumbs-up as Pursley drove by under caution. This reaction is familiar to fans, as the 2025 Cup Series champion has used it before when frustration hits on the dirt track.
The race carried on without Larson. Despite damage to his right rear shock, Pursley managed to keep control through the final laps and held off Snyder for the checkered flag victory.
### Kyle Larson Reflects on His Home Tracks and Pushes for Hangtown 100’s Growth
Larson entered the weekend amid a celebratory stretch back in Northern California. Elk Grove honored him with a parade through Old Town, and Sonoma Raceway joined the festivities. Fans lined the streets as the city declared November 14 “Kyle Miyata Larson Day.” Family, friends, and longtime supporters gathered to share photos and stories from Larson’s early years racing outlaw karts.
Throughout his visit, Larson stayed close to his roots, spending time at the short tracks that helped shape his career. He spoke fondly about tracks in Placerville, Chico, Tulare, Marysville, Watsonville, and Petaluma as key milestones in his early development.
Although Friday’s portion of the Hangtown 100 was rained out, Saturday gave Larson a chance to return to the quarter-mile bullring that raised him. Reflecting on the event, he said, “I want to see it be a part of the schedule and hopefully grow along the way. It’s such a cool race track and such a cool event. A 100-lap midget race. It’s got a great purse. It’s one of the—if not the highest-paying midget races of this season.”
The Hendrick Motorsports driver emphasized that the Hangtown 100 deserved a dependable spot on the racing calendar where fans and competitors could count on it year after year. “It deserves to be on the schedule. It deserves to be an event that competitors and fans want to go to. I was able to compete in it this year, so I wanted to be a part of it to help regain that momentum it had probably lost the last couple of years and especially lost last year with completely raining out.”
Looking ahead, Kyle Larson will continue his traditional winter racing schedule in sprint cars and midgets before shifting his focus back to the NASCAR Cup Series in February.
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