Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports won in double overtime in NASCAR’s return to the Brickyard 400. Larson’s victory has sparked a lot of debate, and recently available SMT data has shed light on the matter.
Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch made contact three laps before the Brickyard 400 was supposed to end, forcing the race into overtime. Brad Keselowski was running in first place on the inside line prior to the overtime restart. Sharing the front row with him was Ryan Blaney, with Larson in P3.
The #6 Ford was running out of fuel and went to pit road, giving Kyle Larson the inside line on the restart. The green flag was waved while Keselowski was still refueling. Larson took advantage of the inside line and passed Blaney, who was in P1. Besides that, there was controversy that Larson made a jump start in overtime.
New SMT data has been released, which has helped clear the air behind the Larson-Blaney controversy. Here’s a look at the data via a post on X (formerly Twitter) from CouchRacerShop:
The SMT data has revealed that Larson was in first gear ahead of the restart in overtime, while Blaney was in second gear. Moreover, Larson had newer tires, which proved essential in giving him a better start than the Team Penske driver.Kyle Larson’s victory at the Indianapolis Oval marked his fourth Cup race win this season. He is only a Daytona 500 win away from having victories at all NASCAR’s crown jewel events. Larson also passed HMS teammate Chase Elliot in the drivers’ standings, reclaiming his spot at the top with 749 regular season points.
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