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Kyle Larson has won the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at the fastest half-mile short track in the world in Bristol, after dominating throughout the event.
His Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman took pole position, with the 2021 champion alongside on the front row, and the #48 led the opening 32 laps.
From then on though, only six out of the remaining 468 tours around the circuit saw the #5 cross the line not in the lead.
Larson said: ”Great execution all weekend by the team, we practiced and qualified well and had a great car.
“We dominate a lot of races, but we might not close them all out, so it feels really good to close one out.
“I had a phenomenal car, so I could manage it well and pass a lot of cars right at the end.
“This is my favourite racetrack, and I hope you guys enjoyed that race and the methodical lapped traffic run!”
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The 32-year-old led more laps in one event than any Hendrick Motorsports driver in Bristol history, including legends like Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.
He also won both stages accumulating seven playoff points and assuming the lead in the postseason standings, 15 clear of the second seed Christopher Bell.
He is 39 points clear of two-time champion Joey Logano on the cutline as we head into the next three races and the Round of 12.
Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, celebrates with the gladiator sword in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 21, 2024 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Playoff exits for four contenders confirmed
Ty Gibbs, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr and Harrison Burton have failed to advance past the first stage of the postseason.
The youngest of the quartet, Gibbs, who was the 2023 Rookie of the Year, got into the playoffs for the first time this season.
The Joe Gibbs Racing prodigy failed to get a top-ten finish in the last three races though, with 15th at Bristol being his best result of this stint.
He said: “It was just unfortunate there, we were really good in practice and qualifying, just a little bit too loose tonight.
“We fired off too tight so it’s just unfortunate, the speeding penalty we got was on me, we were running to the line so close.
“I got a little bit too much I guess, my fault, but I’m proud of my guys and all the effort they’ve given me and we’ll keep hammering down.”
Despite the #54 driver’s inability to win this year, he has achieved seven finishes inside the top five and 11 top tens, with a best finish of second in the spring at Darlington.
The 21-year-old will look to build on his sophomore season and hope for a better playoff berth in 2025.
