LDN - Sports

After string of 2nds, Larson gets win at Auto Club 400

[March 27, 2017] FONTANA, Calif. -- After three consecutive runner-up finishes the previous three weeks, Kyle Larson claimed his second career NASCAR Cup Series win Sunday in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway.

"Our Target Chevy was amazing all day," Larson said. "We were able to lead a lot of laps today."

Brad Keselowski finished second after falling through the field and spinning in the opening laps. Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano rounded out the top five.

Other than the caution for Keselowski's spin on lap four, the yellow flag waved only two other times to signal the end of each of the first two 60-lap stages until 21 laps remained in the race's 200-lap scheduled distance.

However, four cautions littered the final laps, the last of those sending the race into overtime.

"I was staying as calm as I could be, but also frustrated at the same time," Larson said. "It seems like every time I get to the lead at the end of one of these things, the caution comes out, and I've got to fight people off on restarts."

When the yellow waved for a Gray Gaulding wreck with 21 laps left, Larson gave up the lead to pit for tires. Three drivers -- Truex, Denny Hamlin and Jamie McMurray -- stayed out.

"It was definitely not the situation we wanted to be in, but we thought more guys would stay out, there," Truex said. "I think we only ran a few laps. It was definitely a disadvantage at the end and just really tight. Holding on for fourth was good for points."

Larson got up to second on the restart and took the lead just before the final caution.

"We had a few lap fresher tires than them, and I knew that was going to be very important to get to the lead quick," Larson said. "I was hoping we weren't going to have a caution like we had. We were just able to have a good restart, there, on the last one and get a really good push by Truex on that launch. I got a little nervous that he might peel underneath me or try and get above me, but we were able to carry enough momentum around to hold onto the lead and, ultimately, get the win."

McMurray, like Truex, managed to remain in the top 10 on his old tires, finishing sixth. Hamlin, though, wound up 14th at the checkered flag.

Larson led most of the final 80-lap stage of the race after getting by Truex for the top spot on the restart at the beginning of the stage.

Truex was up front at the end of the second 60-lap stage after running up front throughout the stage. He assumed the lead by getting off pit road first during the caution that separated the first two stages after the completion of lap 60. Previous leader, Larson, was fourth off pit road after stopping his car too close to the wall, making service difficult for his crew.

"All in all, it was a good day, and we ran up front and led laps," Truex said. "The 42 (Larson) and I felt like we were the class of the field; he just got it done, and we didn't."

Larson quickly got back up to second behind Truex when the race restarted, but after a green-flag cycle of stops halfway through the stage, Larson was third behind Truex and Clint Bowyer.

Larson got back up to second with a pass on Bowyer on lap 101, but by that time Truex had a lead of over six seconds that continued to grow through the remaining laps of the second stage.

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NASCAR Cup series driver Kyle Larson (42) during the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Larson was second at the end of stage two at lap 120. Chase Elliott passed Bowyer on the last lap of the stage for third.

"Truex was better than us that second stage by quite a bit," Larson said. "We were able to get the jump on him the following restart and led pretty much the rest of the distance. I had to fight him off, there, after the green-flag stops, and that was a lot of fun."

Larson won the first 60-lap stage after a dominant performance that started from the pole. Aside from a handful of laps under an early race caution on lap four, during which Paul Menard and David Ragan stayed out, Larson led until a cycle of green-flag pit stops just past lap 30.

Pitting one lap earlier than Larson, Truex was the race leader after the cycle completed. Larson gained on Truex and retook the lead on lap 47.

Truex and Elliott were second and third at the end of the first stage after running in those positions, behind Larson, throughout the stage. McMurray and Kyle Busch were fourth and fifth, respectively.

NOTES: Jimmie Johnson has six wins at Auto Club Speedway, most of any driver. His wins include last year's race. Johnson also has a record five runner-up finishes. Kevin Harvick led nearly three-quarters of the 2016 race before finishing second. ... Kyle Larson won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday. Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Erik Jones finished second through fourth, respectively. Logano, Busch and Larson combined to lead all but four laps of the 150-lap Xfinity race. ... After wrecking in practice on Friday and going to a backup car, Johnson didn't make a qualifying attempt. Four other drivers, including Logano, also didn't make qualifying attempts because of inspection issues. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his 600th career start Sunday from the back after a tire change. ... Brad Keselowski has an interim crew chief at ACS in Brian Wilson. Regular crew chief Paul Wolfe has been suspended three races since the No. 2 car failed post-race inspection last weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. Kevin Harvick's crew chief, Rodney Childers, was suspended for one race after PIR, but his suspension was deferred by a Stewart-Haas Racing appeal.

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