Larson takes over top spot in the standings with top-five finish at Kansas
TRACK: Kansas Speedway
LENGTH: 1.5-mile oval
DATE: Sept. 11, 2023
STARTED: 2nd
FINISHED: 4th
STANDINGS: 1st
After posting the fourth-fastest speed in Saturday’s lone practice session, Kyle Larson advanced to the final round of qualifying to score the No. 5 team a spot in the front row for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at HendrickCars.com’s Home track – Kansas Speedway.
Following the green flag for the 400-mile race, a caution quickly occurred on lap four and Larson stayed out when pit road opened, choosing the outside of the front row for the restart. When the field went back green, Larson quickly showed speed in his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Patriotic Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. With help from teammates Chase Elliott and William Byron from behind on the restart, the Elk Grove, California, driver advanced to the lead position by lap 10. Just 15 laps later, Larson reported his Chevy was feeling free in the long-run, although holding a 2.5-second lead over the second-place competitor. Halfway through the first stage, crew chief Cliff Daniels called Larson down pit road for four tires and fuel from his team. When the pit cycle was complete, Larson reclaimed the lead. With less than 20 laps to go in the stage, a caution occurred and the No. 5 driver came to the attention of his team for four tires -- scuffs from qualifying -- and fuel. He chose second taking the inside of the front row for the restart with 11 laps to go in the stage. Within one lap, Larson raced to the lead and defended his spot for the next 10 circuits to win the opening stage and acquire a playoff point.
During the stage break, the 31-year-old driver pitted for four tires and fuel. With a fast pit stop from his team, he held the lead and chose the outside of the front row for the stage two restart. Just over 25 laps into the stage, the fourth caution of the day occurred. Under the yellow, Larson pitted for four tires and fuel from his crew, maintaining the lead. He took the outside of the front row alongside Elliott for the restart with 52 laps to go in the stage. Immediately following the restart, another caution occurred. Larson restarted from the third position with 46 laps to go in the stage. He quickly advanced to the runner-up position, behind Elliott. Another caution occurred less than 10 laps later and the No. 5 driver stayed out when pit road opened while others elected to pit for new tires. Following the restart, Larson lost momentum without fresh tires and got loose coming off of turns one and two. Over the next 30 laps, Larson battled hard but continued losing positions and scored a 19th-place finish in the second stage.
During the stage break, the HendrickCars.com driver came down pit road for four tires and fuel. He chose 20th, taking the outside for the stage three restart. Just five laps into the stage, a caution occurred with Larson in the 13th position. Daniels congratulated Larson on a good restart, gaining over five positions, and then told his driver to pit under the yellow, strategizing that the stop for new tires would pay off in the long run with Larson’s fast Chevy. He chose the outside for the restart, being scored 26th, with 88 laps to go. During the next 20 laps, Larson executed great patience and speed. He entered the top 10 with less than 70 laps to go. With less than 15 laps to go, Larson joined the top five. During the final laps, another caution occurred with seven circuits to go. Under the yellow, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion came to the attention of his team for four tires and fuel. He chose sixth taking the outside of the fourth row for the green-white checkered flag. At the completion of the 268-lap race, Larson scored a fourth-place finish.
QUOTING KYLE LARSON:
“We had a great No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy. It was good on the short runs and really good on the long runs compared to everybody else. I was struggling, as well, but I felt really good about my car.
It's a bummer, but sometimes it goes that way. All-in-all, we were able to recover. I only got into the wall once today. We had two great cars to start the playoffs. You have to look at the positives. We got stage points, so that’s good, as well.”
NEXT RACE:
Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team head to Bristol Motor Speedway for 500 laps of short-track racing. The Round of 16 cut off race takes place under the lights Saturday, Sept. 16 and goes green at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA.
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