NASCAR: Kyle Larson drives away on the final 30 laps for first Martinsville win
Larson's two-tire pit stop on the final caution got him some badly needed track position
Kyle Larson got his second win in three races after he won some desperately needed track position via a two-tire pit stop during the final caution of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville.
Larson restarted in the top five thanks to the pit stop after J.J. Yeley wrecked with 57 laps to go and passed Joey Logano with 30 laps remaining. Logano had stayed out on old tires to gain track position and was relatively powerless to keep Larson behind him.
Larson then incredibly drove away from Logano and everyone else over the final 30 laps of the race. After no one had grabbed a sizable lead over the course of the 400-lap race, Larson extended his lead to more than three seconds over Logano and the rest of the field — even the drivers who had pitted for four tires during the final caution.
The win is Larson's 21st career Cup Series win and his first at Martinsville. He wasn't a threat to win until the final pit stop of the day.
"I don't even know what to say. I never thought I'd win here," he told his team on the radio after the race.
Logano held on to finish second, while Martin Truex Jr. drove his way to third in the final laps. Denny Hamlin finished fourth, and Chase Briscoe was fifth.
Preece’s speeding penalty ruins his day
Ryan Preece led the first 135 laps of the race from the pole but never got back to the front of the field after he sped on pit road during the race’s second caution flag. The penalty dropped Preece from first to the tail end of the lead lap, and it took him a ton of laps to even work his way back into the top 20.
Preece ended up finishing 15th and five spots ahead of Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick.
Harvick also had a fast car Sunday, but his misfortune came late in the race. Harvick was forced to pit because of a loose wheel and broken lug nut after his pit stop during the final caution flag. While the wheel on his car stayed connected to the hub, Harvick had to pit for a new tire and lost any chance at a win or a top-five finish.
Race results
1. Kyle Larson
2. Joey Logano
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Chase Briscoe
6. Aric Almirola
7. Ryan Blaney
8. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
9. Bubba Wallace
10. Chase Elliott
11. Alex Bowman
12. Austin Dillon
13. Ross Chastain
14. Chris Buescher
15. Ryan Preece
16. Christopher Bell
17. Daniel Suarez
18. Ty Gibbs
19. Michael McDowell
20. Kevin Harvick
21. Kyle Busch
22. Tyler Reddick
23. William Byron
24. Brad Keselowski
25. Todd Gilliland
26. Corey LaJoie
27. AJ Allmendinger
28. Justin Haley
29. Harrison Burton
30. Noah Grayson
31. Erik Jones
32. Ty Dillon
33. Austin Cindric
34. Zane Smith
35. Anthony Alfredo
36. JJ Yeley
