Late surge at Richmond gives Kyle Larson win of 2023
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[April 03, 2023]
After having a couple of potential wins slip away from him
this season, Kyle Larson had to be calmed down on Sunday during
another strong run.
Fortunately, he got it all together.
Larson won the final race off pit road, held on over two restarts
and scored his first 2023 victory in Sunday's Toyota Owners 400 at
Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia.
In the first of three straight weeks of short-track racing in the
NASCAR Cup Series, Larson and the field pitted with 25 laps left
after Tyler Reddick's spin on Lap 372 brought out the seventh
caution.
Larson's No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet emerged with the lead
and won a 14-lap dash to the checkers over teammate Josh Berry, the
replacement in the No. 9 for injured Chase Elliott.
"We've been really close to winning a couple," said Larson. "William
(Byron) has been extremely good this year. It was going to be
between him, (Martin Truex Jr.), us and (Christopher Bell) was
really good."
Larson led 93 laps in his 20th career win. His previous win at RIR
was on Sept. 9, 2017.
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But the triumph wasn't without a major problem.
Larson struck the No. 99 of Daniel Suarez during Stage 2. The
handling on his Camaro then went away as he drifted back in the top
10.
"We were awful after that," said the Elk Grove, Calif., native. "I
was hoping the damage was the reason why. They had to calm me down a
little bit and get refocused and I was able to get it done."
Berry's team kept him out on older tires to gain track position, and
the 32-year-old sub recorded his best career win.
"What a huge day," said Berry. "To come here and start in the back
with no practice and qualifying, get spun out, work through the
field like that to second place. That's pretty cool."
Ross Chastain, Bell and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top five.
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![](../images/040323PIX/sports23.jpg)
Apr 2, 2023; Richmond, Virginia, USA;
NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (5) races during the Toyota
Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway. Mandatory Credit: John David
Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
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With qualifying washed out, NASCAR used a
performance-based metric that put Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex
Bowman on the front row beside Kyle Busch for the 400-lap race at
the 3/4-mile track.
Byron, who led a race-high 117 laps, quickly charged to the front
from third place in his No. 24 Chevy and dominated Stage 1 to record
his series-best fifth stage win.
Larson led 67 laps and was in control of Stage 2 until he pitted
under green and made hard contact with Suarez's Chevy.
Eventually, Larson lost the handling on his Camaro due to the
incident and was passed by Byron and Bell before the segment ended.
Bell's No. 20 Toyota got better on the longer run and slipped past
Byron to lead for the first time in the final 25 laps of Stage 2.
However, Denny Hamlin maneuvered his No. 11 Camry by Bell's to the
point with two circuits left to claim the stage -- the first for Joe
Gibbs Racing in 2023.
--Field Level Media
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