Texas NASCAR: Larson wins to secure final four playoffs place
Kyle Larson booked his place in the final four of the NASCAR Cup playoffs with victory at Texas, holding off Hendrick team-mate William Byron to the line.
Larson had to hold off multiple contenders over six restarts in the final 60 laps - and just edged his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron by 0.459 seconds at the finish to earn his series-leading eighth win of the 2021 season.
After winning Stage 2, Larson continued to lead into the final part of the race, ahead of the flurry of caution periods that punctuated the final part of the race.
Chase Briscoe's burst tyre brought the lead runners into the pits, with Larson continuing to lead, and the driver of the #5 continued to bat away plays for the lead as Joey Logano's engine expired, Kurt Busch and Chris Buescher made contact, and Anthony Alfredo's car caught fire after a clash with Briscoe - which brought out a brief red flag.
Once the race resumed, Denny Hamlin sustained a tyre rub which eventually became flat, pitching him into a spin to bring out another caution period.
Martin Truex Jr's crash brought out the penultimate caution, before a battle between Briscoe, Buescher and Hamlin boiled over and produced the final yellow flag period - leaving Larson just needing to hold on for the final two laps to secure victory.
This win in the semi-final round of the playoffs at Texas Motor Speedway locks Larson into the Championship 4 at Phoenix, regardless of where he finishes in the next two races.
Larson, 28, has never previously had the opportunity to compete for the series title under NASCAR’s playoff format.
The win is the 14th of Larson’s career and first at Texas.
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro, Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Ford Mustang, Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ford Mustang
Photo by: Chris Graythen - Getty Images
“Yeah, this is unreal,” Larson said. “I knew we had a good shot to win today. Our car was amazing – that is probably the best 550hp package intermediate car we’ve had all year. Thanks to everyone at this No. 5 team.
“This is so cool. We get to race for a championship. This is crazy.”
Asked about hanging on during seven restarts in the final stage, Larson said, “I got good pushes from behind, really. Thankfully, I was just barely able to clear William every time into (Turn) 1 and not have to fight off of (Turn) 2.
“It was awesome. Hopefully, we can still get some more wins the rest of the year.”
Larson said despite being locked into the Championship, he does not intend to “lose focus” on winning at either Kansas or Martinsville.
“I love the West Coast. I love Phoenix,” he said. “We’ve always been fast there. I think we should have a good shot. Our team has been so strong. Might as well close it out now.”
Behind second-placed Byron, Christopher Bell ended up finishing third in the race - both drivers accompanying Larson in the top three having been knocked out of the playoffs in the previous round.
Brad Keselowski was fourth as Kevin Harvick rounded out the top five, ahead of Ryan Blaney.
Blaney's final-round playoff hopes have been boosted with his sixth-place finish, sitting 17 points ahead of Chase Elliott in the cut-off zone - who finished seventh.
Stage 1 winner Kyle Busch crossed the line in eighth, ahead of Tyler Reddick, as Daniel Suarez completed the top 10.
With races at Kansas and Martinsville remaining in the semi-final round, the four drivers in the playoff standings in danger of missing out at a chance to compete for the championship are Elliott, Keselowski, Truex and Logano.
NASCAR Cup Series Texas race results - 334 laps
| Cla | Driver | Manufacturer | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kyle Larson | Chevrolet | 3:42'54.478 | |
| 2 | William Byron | Chevrolet | 3:42'54.937 | 0.459 |
| 3 | Christopher Bell | Toyota | 3:42'54.994 | 0.516 |
| 4 | Brad Keselowski | Ford | 3:42'55.034 | 0.556 |
| 5 | Kevin Harvick | Ford | 3:42'55.107 | 0.629 |
| 6 | Ryan Blaney | Ford | 3:42'55.267 | 0.789 |
| 7 | Chase Elliott | Chevrolet | 3:42'55.369 | 0.891 |
| 8 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 3:42'55.809 | 1.331 |
| 9 | Tyler Reddick | Chevrolet | 3:42'55.814 | 1.336 |
| 10 |  Daniel Suarez | Chevrolet | 3:42'55.915 | 1.437 |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 3:42'55.946 | 1.468 |
| 12 | Erik Jones | Chevrolet | 3:42'56.041 | 1.563 |
| 13 | Matt DiBenedetto | Ford | 3:42'56.078 | 1.600 |
| 14 | Austin Dillon | Chevrolet | 3:42'57.470 | 2.992 |
| 15 | Chase Briscoe | Ford | 3:43'04.913 | 10.435 |
| 16 | Kurt Busch | Chevrolet | 3:42'56.311 | 2 Laps |
| 17 | Michael McDowell | Ford | 3:42'56.574 | 2 Laps |
| 18 | Aric Almirola | Ford | 3:42'58.790 | 3 Laps |
| 19 | Cole Custer | Ford | 3:42'58.388 | 4 Laps |
| 20 | Corey Lajoie | Chevrolet | 3:42'57.664 | 5 Laps |
| 21 | Chris Buescher | Ford | 3:35'28.728 | 7 Laps |
| 22 | B.J. McLeod | Ford | 3:43'00.796 | 10 Laps |
| 23 | David Starr | Ford | 3:42'59.086 | 11 Laps |
| 24 | Garrett Smithley | Chevrolet | 3:41'57.448 | 13 Laps |
| 25 | Martin Truex Jr. | Toyota | 3:27'42.691 | 14 Laps |
| 26 | Josh Bilicki | Chevrolet | 3:43'05.239 | 15 Laps |
| 27 | Timmy Hill | Toyota | 3:43'09.897 | 17 Laps |
| 28 | Ross Chastain | Chevrolet | 3:43'06.139 | 23 Laps |
| 29 | Anthony Alfredo | Ford | 3:09'59.434 | 35 Laps |
| 30 | Joey Logano | Ford | 3:02'03.933 | 36 Laps |
| 31 | Quin Houff | Chevrolet | 44'17.757 | 275 Laps |
| 32 | Bubba Wallace | Toyota | 33'00.239 | 296 Laps |
| 33 | Alex Bowman | Chevrolet | 30'58.531 | 298 Laps |
| 34 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Chevrolet | 20'03.420 | 303 Laps |
| 35 | Ryan Newman | Ford | 20'08.592 | 303 Laps |
| 36 | Ryan Preece | Chevrolet | 19'02.607 | 304 Laps |
| 37 | Justin Haley | Chevrolet | 19'02.883 | 304 Laps |
| 38 | Cody Ware | Chevrolet | 19'02.987 | 304 Laps |
| 39 | Joey Gase | Ford | 19'03.179 | 305 Laps |
| View full results | ||||
Related video
Previous article
Logano: Next Gen NASCAR ready to race on road courses
Next article
Elliott "confused" by tyre issues in crucial Texas NASCAR race
How NASCAR is gearing up for its "biggest change" in 2022
It’s not just Formula 1 that’s set for upheaval in 2022, as the NASCAR Cup Series adopts its Next Gen cars that will cast any in-built advantages aside and require teams to adopt a totally new way of operating. Far more than just a change of machinery, the new cars amount to a shift in NASCAR's core philosophy
Why Bubba Wallace’s Talladega win is such a big moment for NASCAR
Bubba Wallace claimed his maiden NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega on Monday to become the first Black victor in the category since Wendell Scott in 1963. Both Wallace and Scott had faced obstacles and racism in their paths to their breakthrough wins, and NASCAR is trying to put it right with its range of diversity programmes
Why NASCAR's most resilient driver has landed on his feet at 23XI
In a career that has had many ups and downs, Kurt Busch has been written off many times before. But facing career uncertainty after the sale of Chip Ganassi's NASCAR team, the 2004 Cup champion has found a new berth at Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan's 23XI organisation - which underlines his enduring value
The F1 nearly-man winding back the clock in NASCAR’s European cousin
A multiple F3000 race winner, Marc Goossens was on the precipice of making Formula 1 in the 1990s - but a lack of budget left him without a path to the promised land. Turning to an illustrious racing career in sportscars, Goossens left the endurance circuit to try his hand at racing stock cars - and now calls the NASCAR Euro Series home
Why a British prospect is trying to make it in NASCAR
There has never been a full-time British driver in the NASCAR Cup. But Alex Sedgwick, who is rising through the stock car ranks, wants that to change and could be a trailblazer for European talents to reach the top echelons of the NASCAR ladder
How Earnhardt’s death changed American motorsport
It's 20 years since legendary driver Dale Earnhardt Sr died at the Daytona 500, but the legacy of his crash continues today through the pioneering safety work done by NASCAR
The NASCAR subplots to keep an eye on in 2021
This weekend's Daytona 500 kickstarts a NASCAR Cup season that promises plenty of intrigue courtesy of new owners and a refreshed calendar. Here's what you need to know ahead of the new season
How a second-chance NASCAR ace is rebuilding his career
From a disgraced NASCAR exile, Kyle Larson has been given a shot at redemption by the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports squad. Replacing seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is no easy billing, but Larson has every intention of repaying the team's faith
