Larson’s surge persists at Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Kyle Larson drove to yet another victory, his ninth of the year and most meaningful to date in his new job with Hendrick Motorsports.
Larson drove the No. 5 Chevrolet to victory lane at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, the 17th anniversary of a Hendrick plane crash that killed all 10 people aboard. The plane was traveling to a race in Virginia and among those killed was Rick Hendrick’s only son.
Ricky Hendrick used the No. 5 during his driving career and the 24-year-old was the heir apparent of NASCAR’s winningest team at the time of his death. Larson’s car is stylized to resemble Ricky Hendrick’s scheme, and hours before Sunday’s race, team owner Hendrick texted Larson to stress what a win would mean to him on this date.
“I didn’t ever get to meet Ricky or the other men and women who lost their lives that day,” Larson said. “But I felt the importance of this race. So crazy how it all worked out for me to win. So again, thank you to Rick Hendrick, I know this means a lot to you and I’m glad I could get it done.”
When Rick Hendrick texted Larson earlier Sunday, he told his new driver that all four of the Hendrick crews would turn their hats backwards on the fifth lap in honor of how Ricky Hendrick wore his caps. He urged Larson to be the leader on the fifth lap and Larson was determined to deliver.
“To lose your child and so many other people that day, I can’t imagine what the feeling may have been for everybody at that time,” Larson said. “So to come here 17 years to the day and win in this paint scheme, with this number, it’s just pretty surreal. I’ve heard lots of good stories about Ricky and I wish I could have met him.”
The victory was Larson’s third consecutive and fourth win over the last six playoff races. Larson has now won three-straight races twice this season and is the first driver to do that since the late Dale Earnhardt in 1987.
Larson is locked into the Nov. 7 championship finale, and the remaining three spots in the winner-take-all title race will be settled next Sunday at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia – where the Hendrick flight was headed on that 2004 race morning.
Larson beat reigning Cup champion and Hendrick teammate Chase Elliott by 3.619-seconds for the win. The Hendrick cars have been far and above the strongest on tracks in which NASCAR uses its 550 horsepower package, but Kansas marked the final race of the season with those rules.
But in finishing second, Elliott moved above the cutline and is second in the standings headed to Martinsville. Denny Hamlin is third and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch is fourth, a single point above the elimination line.
Kevin Harvick finished third in a Ford and there was no chance of another incident with Elliott since NASCAR two weeks ago demanded the two end their feud.
Kurt Busch was fourth and followed by Hamlin, the highest-finishing Toyota driver.
It was a terrible day for Team Penske despite Joey Logano’s ninth-place finish. Brad Keselowski finished 17th and Ryan Blaney was wrecked on a late restart and finished 37th.
All three Fords from the Penske camp go to Martinsville below the playoff elimination cutline. Martin Truex Jr. is also below the cutline. Blaney is one point below Kyle Busch, while Truex is three points behind his JGR teammate.