Bowman racing to narrow win
NASCAR CUP SERIES LAS VEGAS (USA) 6 MARCH ROUND 3/36
A late caution sent an already-chaotic Las Vegas NASCAR race into overtime, with Alex Bowman emerging as the surprise winner.
Before a caution was displayed for a wreck with two of the originally scheduled 267 laps remaining, Kyle Busch was in a tight duel with Martin Truex Jr for the win. All the lead-lap cars pitted under the caution and three Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet drivers – Kyle Larson, Bowman and William Byron – took only two new right-side tyres while the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas of Busch and Truex, along with most others, took four, meaning a longer stop.
On the restart into the two-lap overtime, Busch could never get back to the front. Bowman and Larson raced side by side, before Bowman finally cleared the 2021 champion on the last lap and held him off by 0.178 seconds.
“What a call by [crew chief] Greg Ives and the guys to take two [tyres] there,” said Bowman. “Obviously, it paid off. Racing Kyle [Larson] is always fun. I’ve got to race him for a couple wins. We’ve always raced each other super-clean and super-respectfully.”
The win is the seventh of Bowman’s career and the second consecutive victory for Hendrick, after Larson’s the previous weekend at Fontana.
Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Chevy) finished third, Busch ended up fourth, and Byron rounded out the top five.