Larson rides Busch tribute car to 2nd place run at LVMS, extends points lead

Things were not going well for Kyle Larson early in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Larson started sixth and was one lap down in Stage 1. But by the end of the fifth race of the NASCAR Cup Series Chase on Sunday, Larson found himself in contention for the win.

Larson’s late-race run came up one position short. He finished second to Chase Briscoe on a wild final lap. Larson made up ground running the top of the racetrack, and on the final lap, his car got loose coming off Turn 4 and hit the wall.

After hitting the wall, a slowed-down Larson car was hit from behind by Tyler Reddick. Larson limped across for a second-place finish as Reddick slid through the grass for a third-place finish at LVMS.

“I was just trying to run a fast corner and build as much momentum as I can for the frontstretch to just make anything happen,” Larson said. “With that, I got really loose, which I was (already) loose, so I figured if anything was going to happen, I was going to get sideways.

“I needed tighter balance to run the wall like I’m comfortable doing. It was fun. It was a good little finish.”

Other contenders struggle

Despite a scratched-up No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, which was designed just like the 2007 No. 5 car Las Vegas native Kyle Busch once drove, Larson extended his lead in the series points standings to 40 points over Denny Hamlin.

“A great fight by our team. We never give up,” said Larson, who added his car was too loose in Stage 1. “We had to work really hard in that first stage. We did not fire off where we all expected to.”

Larson scored 36 points, which included one additional point for a 10th-place finish at the end of Stage 2. But several other championship hopefuls struggled at LVMS.

Hamlin, after starting first and looking for a third straight LVMS win, finished 16th and scored 22 points, which resulted in losing 14 points to Larson in the standings. Hamlin spun at the end of Stage 1 and never could regain track position as he sought his third straight win at LVMS.

Christopher Bell scored 17 stage points after finishing second in Stage 1 and third in Stage 2. But in the final stage, Bell struggled with power steering issues and finished 23rd. Bell jumped to third in the standings and is 55 points behind Larson.

“Disappointing to not be able to capitalize on a day like today,” Bell said in his post-race TV interview with USA Sports. “Some other guys had issues. It looked like it was an opportunity to make up some points and it didn’t happen. Just going to go out there and race. We’ve got five more (races) and try to win a couple.”

‘A gritty performance’

Larson’s team fell behind after a lengthy pit stop in Stage 1 as Larson’s team worked behind the right-front tire to make an adjustment. Larson lost a lap, but regained it after a Lap 44 caution.

Slowly, Larson and his team made his way back to the front. The reigning series champion credited crew chief Cliff Daniels for keeping his team forced on having a good result, but admitted there was a missed opportunity with Bell and Hamlin’s struggles.

“I feel good about it, but I also look at it as, I only scored one stage point today, which is very minimal for what we’re used to scoring on intermediate (tracks),” Larson said. “I feel like there was a lot of points left out there. It would have been nice to take advantage of their misfortune.”

“I’ll take it, I’m definitely happy with it. Average finish got better.”

Larson’s No. 5 car was designed like the No. 5 Kellogg’s car Busch ran at Hendrick Motorsports. Above Larson’s driver’s side door was “Tiny Kyle,” the nickname the 6-foot-1 Busch gave the 5-foot-6 Larson.

“It definitely would have loved to get a win in any paint scheme, but especially this one and do it in a fashion with just a couple laps left,” Larson said. “That would have been cool and Kyle Busch fashion. We put on a show and had a gritty performance like he would have. I’m sure he was looking down smiling.”

Pennzoil, LVMS extend partnership for spring race

Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Pennzoil announced Sunday a "long-term extension" that will make Pennzoil the title sponsor of the spring NASCAR Cup Series race at LVMS.

The 2027 Pennzoil 400, scheduled for March 21 at LVMS, will mark the 10th anniversary of Pennzoil's sponsorship of the spring race at Las Vegas.

"Pennzoil and Las Vegas Motor Speedway have shared a strong relationship for many years, and we're proud to continue building on that history as we approach our 10th year together," LVMS senior vice president and general manager Patrick Lindsey said in a release.

Next year will mark the 30th year of NASCAR Cup Series racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. A specific length of the deal was not announced. Pennzoil debuted as the spring LVMS race sponsor in 2018.

"Reaching this milestone reflects the strong connection Pennzoil has built with NASCAR and our Speedway over the years," Lindsey said. "We appreciate Pennzoil's continued commitment to the sport and look forward to growing this partnership together for many years to come."

Alex Wright Review-Journal