Larson handed then-leader Denny Hamlin initially of a two-lap additional time Sunday night time at Kansas Speedway, then went toe-to-toe with Chris Buescher earlier than escaping with a 0.001-second victory that needed to be confirmed by a video and photograph evaluate.
The win formally goes down because the closest end in NASCAR historical past because the creation of digital timing and scoring.
Larson’s win over Buescher now supplants a pair of iconic races that shared the highest spot beforehand with a margin of victory of 0.002 seconds – Ricky Craven’s 2003 win over Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson’s 2011 win over Clint Bowyer at Talladega that featured tandem drafting.
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro, Chris Buescher, RFK Racing, Castrol Edge Ford Mustang end
Photograph by: David Rosenblum / NKP / Motorsport Photos
The previous is commonly heralded as one of many best NASCAR race finishes of all time and Larson stated it’s an honor be a part of that dialogue together with Buescher.
“I respect the heck out of his expertise. I believe if I’d have completed – say he received and I completed second, I’m nonetheless comfortable,” Larson stated. “However say me and Denny had come right down to the end like that and he edges me out by a thousandth, I’d have been pissed off simply because I’ve completed second to him so many occasions.
“I’d hate to (hear), ‘Oh, the Larson-Hamlin end,’ or ‘Hamlin beat him once more.’ That will suck. To share it with Buescher if roles have been reversed, I believe can be cool.”
Personally, Larson nonetheless believes the Craven-Busch end was “means cooler.”
“That was like a battle the lasted nonetheless many laps and got here right down to a photograph end,” he stated. “This was nonetheless cool, and hopefully it may grasp on for a very long time. I didn’t assume that was as shut as that.”
Larson’s Cup win on Sunday is his second of the 2024 season for he and his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet staff and got here on he heels of a runner-up end the weekend earlier than at Dover.
This 12 months – which is intermixed together with his typical array of dash automotive races – has already been a profitable one for Larson and his largest enterprise – working on this 12 months’s Indianapolis 500 – has but to kick into gear.
Waiting for a busy Month of Might
Larson, 31, will try to turn out to be the fifth driver in historical past to finish “The Double” and run 1,100 miles in someday, beginning with the Indianapolis 500 in an Indy automotive after which flying to Charlotte to drive within the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s longest race of the 12 months.
Larson is working an entry co-fielded by McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports, which is Corridor of Fame staff proprietor Rick Hendrick’s first entry into the Indianapolis 500.
The prolonged buildup to the Indy 500 will present some conflicts with NASCAR All-Star Race weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway however nothing too critical.
Larson will keep in Indianapolis on Might 17 to follow for the five hundred quite than journey to North Wilkesboro to follow and qualify for the All-Star race. Former NASCAR driver-turned-TV commentator Kevin Harvick will sub for Larson in his No. 5 Chevy at North Wilkesboro.
Larson anticipated to qualify for the Indy 500 on Might 18 earlier than he travels to North Carolina to compete in an All-Star warmth race later that night time. The All-Star fundamental occasion at North Wilkesboro is Might 19, hours after the highest 12 vehicles on the beginning grid are set in Indianapolis.
“I hope to make it again in time for the (warmth) race itself. Sort of don’t actually know but. Sort of is dependent upon how the week goes in Indy,” Larson stated. “For positive, received’t be capable to follow, I do know that.”
Whereas Larson’s Indy 500 efficiency might stay an enormous query mark, the remainder of the month remains to be stuffed with alternatives for extra journeys to Victory Lane.
Larson received the All-Star race a 12 months in the past and has sometimes run properly at Darlington – website of this weekend’s race – and Charlotte.
“The best way the schedule traces out, for positive it’s simply good tracks for us,” he stated. “We had a great run final week, completed second after which obtained a win this week, felt like we’d have a great shot. Clearly going to Darlington, I do know we’ll have a great shot.
“Then Indy begins, which is basically cool. Then it will get form of hectic for a pair weekends with North Wilkesboro and qualifying and clearly the double, the five hundred, hopefully getting every little thing all clean and attending to the 600 and having a great shot there, with some dash automotive races intermixed in all that.
“It’s actually enjoyable, actually. Up to now, it simply feels regular to me. It would not really feel prefer it’s loopy totally different than actual life sometimes is for me.”
