In a thrilling display of speed and skill, Kyle Larson dominated the first elimination race of the season, leading an impressive 462 laps at Bristol Motor Speedway. The victory marked a new record for Hendrick Motorsports, with Larson’s son Owen joining him in the winning Chevrolet for a heartwarming victory lap.
The win solidified Larson’s position in the second round of the playoffs, while former champions Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. were eliminated from the competition. Ty Gibbs and Harrison Burton also failed to advance, leaving 12 drivers in the running for the championship.
Larson’s dominance was evident from the start, with his team executing flawlessly throughout the weekend. “We’ve had a lot of good cars since I’ve come to Hendrick Motorsports, but man, that was just great execution all weekend by the team,” Larson said.
Denny Hamlin, who finished fourth, was never in danger of elimination and remains a strong contender in the playoffs. “My aspiration was winning,” Hamlin said. “It’s as good as what we’ve been here the last couple times. It’s all offense from this point forward.”
Meanwhile, Keselowski and Truex struggled to find pace, with Truex penalized for speeding on pit road and Keselowski lamenting his lack of speed. “Didn’t have the pace we wanted. We ran as hard as we could, there just wasn’t anything there,” Keselowski said.
Truex, who is retiring from full-time racing at the end of the season, was disappointed by his mistake. “That kind of screws up your whole season,” Truex said. “It’s on me. It was my mistake. Just really sad for my guys. We had a really good car. I hate I screwed it up, would have at least tried to see what we could do.”
Larson’s impressive win marked the fifth of the season for the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, and he will look to carry his momentum into the next round of the playoffs at Kansas Speedway.
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