On Sunday, it appeared that Denny Hamlin was going to dominate at Dover as he led 218 laps, but ultimately, it was Kyle Larson’s race to lose.
For Larson, the win broke a 75-race winless streak and secured his spot in the third round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. And while he had a fast car, Larson acknowledged he had to change up his driving style to help him win.
“After the first stage, I kind of changed my driving style up and I felt like I made the car better at the same time, and it really benefited our long runs,” said Larson, who started second in the race and led 154 laps.
Martin Truex Jr. finished second, behind Larson by over 1.5-second. Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick and Hamlin rounded out the Top Five.
Dover was tough on some playoff contenders, including Joey Logano, who’s had car issues prior to the green flag and by the time he finally made it on track was 24 laps down. For Chase Elliott, he only last eight laps because of engine failure. Ryan Blaney struggled late in the race, complaining of a brake issue.
With Larson in the third round, the other seven drivers above the cutline heading into this weekend’s race include Truex, Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman and William Byron. The four drivers currently in danger of not advancing are Logano, Clint Bowyer, Elliott and Blaney.
October 7, 2019