Leigh Diffey reflects on Kyle Larson’s praise for SVG and "respectful" rivalry after duo’s ROVAL clash

Kyle Larson and Shane van Gisbergen battled hard for victory late on Sunday at the Bank of America Roval 400, earning praise from NBC Sports play-by-play commentator Leigh Diffey. The crowd at Charlotte Motor Speedway enjoyed the matchup, albeit for a short stretch.

While SVG went on to dominate, Larson’s run stood out for different reasons. He was the only driver who stayed within sight of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, challenging the lead before the Kiwi powered away. For a race that sealed the Round of 8 spots, it also showed the respect between NASCAR’s best all-rounder and its new road-course master.

After the race, Diffey reflected on that dynamic during the Door Bumper Clear podcast.

"I think all of us enjoyed that little scrap with Larson and the 20 (Chritopher Bell). "And then in his post-race interview saying, 'I hope, I didn’t piss him off too bad. I didn’t mean it intentionally.' But it was pretty clear that Larson didn’t enjoy being raced that way." (19:31 onwards)

Diffey continued:

"It was Kyle Larson’s words, where he said, ‘If Shane van Gisbergen learns how to race ovals, we’re in trouble.’ And so then SVG’s coming off his first top 10. And then those two end up racing together. "I love that moment because the day before in the media center, Kyle said, ‘Shane’s the one who’s raised the bar for all of us.’ So I think there’s this lovely kind of mix going on and with incredible drivers who have a tremendous amount of respect for each other."

Larson led for 27 laps in the race, second to Shane van Gisbergen's 57, and was top six in both stages. But the Trackhouse driver regained the lead with 11 laps to go and finished with a gap of 15.160 seconds.

Podcast co-host Tommy Baldwin also pointed out how Kyle Larson took the entire fight in his stride:

"I liked a couple of Kyle’s comments after the race. He basically said that him and the 20 were almost trying to team up on SVG to make it kind of miserable a little bit for him. "But he also said that he finished first in class. Kyle did, right? I mean, that’s big props for one of the best race car drivers in the world." (20:24 onwards)

Van Gisbergen’s fifth road-course win of the season came with ease, but for Kyle Larson, who’s had four finishes outside the top 30 on such tracks this year, a runner-up result was as timely as it was necessary.

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"He kicks everybody’s butt": Kyle Larson reflects on the Roval battle with SVG

Kyle Larson (5), Christopher Bell (20), and Shane van Gisbergen (88) at Charlotte Roval. Source: Getty

For Kyle Larson, Charlotte marked the culmination of a steady recovery. After failing to record a top-10 in the Round of 16, he has now finished seventh at New Hampshire, sixth at Kansas, and second at the Roval. It’s momentum he’ll need heading into Las Vegas, where he owns the best average finish among all playoff drivers.

Speaking to NBC after the race, Larson smiled when asked if he was “sending a message” to SVG during their mid-race duel.

"A little bit, because he was so much faster than me and he bombed it in on (Turn) seven and could have spun me out. So, I was a little bit upset with that. "Figured I could pressure him and maybe he’d make a mistake and what not and just make it exciting for the fans. But no, it was fun. He’s just so good and he kicks everybody’s butt. So, you try to learn behind him, but he pulls away so fast it’s hard to." (17:52 onwards)

Kyle Larson added that his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was too tight, forcing him to overwork the rear tires on longer runs. It was something the Kiwi didn’t struggle with and rolled through the corners more efficiently and preserved tires deeper into the race.

Nevertheless, Larson is showing form when it matters. He now enters the Round of 8 third in the standings, chasing his second Cup Series title with the kind of consistency that had eluded him for much of 2025.

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Edited by Bhargav