Indianapolis (AP) — Kyle Larson departed Indianapolis in May on one of the most agonising days of his racing career.
Larson returned Sunday to complete one of his most memorable races with one of sports’ most famous celebrations: kissing the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 31-year-old Californian survived an early, unplanned pit break to charge from 12th to first place in the closing 32 laps. He won the duel for the lead on the final two restarts and just avoided a third overtime to win his maiden Brickyard 400 under caution.”Today was absolutely meant to be for us with the way the plan was working out and everything falling into place,” Larson said after jumping on his car’s roof and going through the fence to thank the raucous crowd. “I can’t believe this. It’s simply weird to win here.”Perhaps it will help Larson forget how unhappy he was Memorial Day weekend, when rain in Indianapolis and Charlotte, North Carolina, ruined his chances of finishing the entire 1,100 miles of the two races. He didn’t even complete a lap in the Coca-Cola 600 despite rushing to get in.
On Sunday, however, he recovered with excellent tactical racing and, yes, some good fortune.
Larson was racing third in the paint scheme he had planned for the 600 when race leader Brad Keselowski ran out of gasoline and went off the track shortly before the second-to-last restart. This placed Larson in position to drive into the shorter inside lane, adjacent to Ryan Blaney’s second-place vehicle, and Larson easily passed Blaney, just before of a five-car accident that resulted in a red flag and a second overtime.
This time, after needing assistance to restart his No. 5 Chevrolet, Larson beat Blaney on the inside and crossed the finish line before another caution flag appeared.”I don’t know what was driving him today other than his desire to win the Brickyard 400,” said Jeff Gordon, who won five Brickyard 400s before returning to the Hendricks team as an executive. “You could see he drove with a purpose.”
Tyler Reddick won the pole and finished second, while Blaney slipped to third.
Larson has now won three of NASCAR’s four crown jewel races, all bar the Daytona 500, and this was the first Cup race on Indy’s iconic 2.5-mile track since 2020. The last three travelled 200 miles along the track’s 14-turn road layout.
His fourth win of the season sent him to the top of the Cup standings, ahead of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, with four races remaining until the playoffs begin.
However, the dramatic conclusion was not coincidental.
Keselowski bet that he could complete the last 59 laps without pitting for fuel, and he almost did. What he didn’t anticipate was the race lasting an additional seven laps. And Blaney had been battling Larson for several laps, even blocking his low line once, to keep ahead.
“That is a heartbreaker. “We did everything well today,” added Blaney, who finished third following the unfortunate twist. “He was in a great position to win, but it didn’t work out for us.”
But, with most cars in fuel-saving mode, Larson kept pushing aggressively, making team owner and pace car driver Rick Hendrick worried.
“He was coming across the field like a rocket,” Hendrick explained. “It was difficult to pass, but he made it seem simpler. Then, as he got to second or third, I became concerned about fuel. They told us we had enough for one overtime, but we were holding our breath. But he did put up a show. “That’s Kyle Larson.”
Even if Hendrick did not grant his consent Sunday, Larson informed the fans that he wants to make atonement for what occurred in May by doing it all over again.
“I wish we could have done both,” Larson stated. “But, I believe everything comes full circle, and everything is meant to be.”
Odds and ends.
Denny Hamlin won the opening stage, his first at Indianapolis, while Bubba Wallace won the second stage, giving him 10 points as he attempts to enter the playoffs. Wallace won the stage for the first time since 2022, finishing sixth. Elliott ended up fourth.
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