Larson, No. 5 team wins at Las Vegas; locked into Championship 4
TRACK: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
LENGTH: 1.5-mile
DATE: Oct. 15, 2023
STARTED: 2nd
FINISHED: 1st
STANDINGS: 1st
HendrickCars.com is going to race for its second NASCAR Cup Series championship thanks to Kyle Larson’s dominant win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday.
After securing a front row starting position for the first race in the Round of 8, the 31-year-old driver wasted no time climbing to the front. Only three laps in to the 267-lap event, Larson claimed the lead. With improvement still in mind, Larson reported to crew chief Cliff Daniels that his Chevy was loose. The No. 5 HendrickCars.com driver defended the top position for the next 26 laps. Shortly after, he made his way down pit road from the second position for a green-flag pit stop, taking four tires, fuel and adjustments. Following the completion of the green-flag pit cycle, Larson re-claimed the lead. He began to lap competitors in the back of the field as he maneuvered through traffic. Larson expressed his Chevy was tighter in traffic, but back loose again as he faced clean air. Luckily, a caution occurred with only 15 laps remaining in the stage. Under the yellow, Daniels called Larson down pit road for fuel and four tires with an air pressure adjustment. A competitor opted for right-side tires only and took the lead off pit road. Larson chose second for the restart with nine laps to go. He immediately re-claimed the lead and went on to win the opening stage, earning stage points.
Under yellow for the stage break, the Elk Grove, California, driver pitted for four tires and fuel. The crew took an extra moment for adjustments, causing the No. 5 driver to choose seventh for the stage-two restart. He took the outside of the third row and quickly re-claimed a spot within the top five. About 25 laps later, a caution occurred. Under the yellow, Larson visited pit road for fuel and four tires with an air pressure adjustment. He then restarted from the outside of the front row. With 24 laps to go in the stage, Larson made contact with the wall in turn 2. He was able to save his Chevy, and after watching the replay, crew chief Cliff Daniels assured him that his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 looked fine damage-wise. A few laps later, another caution occurred. The No. 5 team took advantage of this timely caution, pitting for four tires and fuel. All competitors in front of him took two right-side tires only, causing Larson to restart sixth for the restart with 16 laps to go in the stage. He took the lead with 11 laps remaining and continued to pace the field, claiming another stage victory in stage two.
During the stage break, Larson came to the attention of his crew for four tires, fuel and adjustments. Daniels worked to tighten up Larson’s Chevy and improve his ride quality after hitting the wall. The HendrickCars.com driver restarted third for the final stage. Following the restart, Larson maintained a top-five position and trailed less than two seconds behind the leader. About 20 laps later, he reported his balance was “choppy.” Just 13 laps after that comment, a caution occurred with Larson in the third position. Under the yellow, Larson’s No. 5 pit crew executed a fast four tire and fuel pit stop, gaining two positions on pit road and sending the 2021 Cup Series champion to the lead. Before the field could complete a lap, another caution occurred. He stayed out when pit road opened and led the field back green with 45 laps to go. The HendrickCars.com driver was able to defend the top position for the rest of the race, crossing the finish line just inches before the runner-up competitor.
The Grand Canyon state win locked Larson into the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. The victory also signifies Larson’s 23rd Cup Series career win, 17th win with Hendrick Motorsports, ninth career playoff win, fourth win in 2023, and sixth win on a 1.5-mile track.
QUOTING KYLE LARSON:
“It was a really good race for us and our team. We were able to get the lead early. I kind of struggled with my balance out in the lead early in the race. I was really loose. We made some big adjustments, and got our balance to a better spot. It still wasn’t quite perfect. We had some cautions work out in the first stage to get the first stage win. Then in the second stage, I got really loose and about crashed off of two. Then the caution came out shortly after that. Kind of got to re-rack 'em, put new tires on, go win that stage. A lot of cautions fell at the right time throughout the race. Same thing in the third stage. The pit crew did a great job on that final stop to get us control of the race. Kind of stretch out enough to where I knew they were going to be coming at the end. Just was going to hope that I had enough time to hold on, which thankfully we did.”
NEXT RACE:
Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team will head south and race in Homestead, Florida on Sunday, Oct. 22. The 400-mile race from Homestead-Miami Speedway goes green at 2:30 p.m. and will be televised live on NBC.
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