Kyle Larson was optimistic when he arrived near St. Louis for Sunday’s Cup Series race.
Turned out the two-time series champion was right to feel that way.
Larson raced away from Alex Bowman and Joey Logano in the second NASCAR overtime of the second playoff race, breaking a 51-race winless streak by taking the caution-filled Enjoy Illinois 300 on Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill.
After Chase drivers Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suarez, Ty Gibbs and Chris Buescher brought out three caution flags in the final 20 laps of regulation, Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet started beside Hendrick Motorsports teammate Bowman, kept the point and beat Bowman’s No. 48 by 0.333 seconds.
“I had a good feeling, but you just never know,” said Larson, who led 80 laps. “I felt like this place is so weird. Obviously, with the brake rotor failures. … Just proud of my team for being so patient through all the tough times and the winless streak.
“And thanks for the fans, my fans, for also being patient with us.”
It was Larson’s first win since May of last season at Kansas and Chevy’s first since Shane van Gisbergen won at Sonoma on June 28.
Logano led a race-high 96 laps and finished third, while William Byron and Ross Chastain rounded out the top five in the race that featured a track-record 18 cautions.
In a day when nearly every Chase driver other than Larson or Logano had some issue, points leader Denny Hamlin rallied from a slow pit stop to finish ninth.
He holds the Chase standings lead by nine points over Larson and 18 over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Bell.
Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota banged the wall during the first caution. After Ricky Stenhouse Jr. looped his No. 47 for the second yellow, Suarez was involved in a multiple-car fracas that also included van Gisbergen, Michael McDowell and Noah Gragson.
On Lap 28, van Gisbergen lost his No. 97 on his own and forced the fourth caution with Logano still out front as drivers failed to get into any kind of longer run on the slick track.
The segment ended with Logano leading Bell to the checkers. Larson, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott followed behind.
In the longest green-flag run thus far, Chastain led on the restart on Lap 70, but Larson passed the No. 1 on Lap 81.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver showed strength and pulled away from Chastain by nearly three seconds with Logano in third.
However, with the possibility that the No. 5 car not being able to get to the end of the 95-lap second stage, Larson’s crew chief Cliff Daniels urged his driver to try to save fuel by skipping third gear.
Zane Smith wrecked his Ford on Lap 131 for the eighth yellow, setting up a full field of pit stops.
Chase racers Wallace, Chase Briscoe, Byron, Ryan Preece and Elliott were all involved in an incident on the Lap 141 restart.
Blaney had brake failure under the flagstand on Lap 155 and crashed his No. 12 Ford into the frontstretch wall for the 10th caution.
With 27 laps to go, Elliott lost his brakes and his No. 9 Chevy crashed into Briscoe’s No. 19 Toyota in Turn 1.
–Field Level Media
