(Motorsport-Total.com) – Kyle Larson is almost unstoppable. A week following securing early seat in the four-man finale of the 2021 NASCAR Cup season with his win at Texas Motor Speedway, Larson also triumphed at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
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Ninth win of the season, fourth in the playoffs for Kyle Larson (Hendrick-Chevrolet)
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At the Hollywood Casino 400, Larson once once more led the most laps, but had two scares in the last segment of the race. Still, it was enough for him to earn his ninth win of the season, his fourth in the playoffs, and his third straight. (Photos: NASCAR at the Kansas Speedway)
This latest win for Larson came on the anniversary of the Hendrick plane crash. On October 24, 2004, ten members and loved ones of Rick Hendrick’s family and team died in the fatal approach to Martinsville.
With regard to the ongoing playoffs in 2021, Larson’s victory in Kansas ensured that in the last race of the “Round of 8”, which will take place in Martinsville next weekend, seven drivers are still fighting for the three final tickets that are still open.
NASCAR 2021: Kansas City II
Highlights from Race 8 of 10 of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway!
Once once more, Kyle Larson started the race from the front following calculating the starting grid. But following just ten laps, with Larson in the lead, the race pace had to be slowed down for the first time. The reason for the early first yellow phase was a rain shower, which caused a red phase.
Stage wins for Kyle Larson and William Byron
But the shower quickly passed. After just 20 minutes of red, the game continued. Four of the seven playoff participants without a ticket for the final had either a wall contact or a puncture in the first race segment (Stage 1) and initially fell out of the leading group due to pit stops that had become necessary.
They were Kyle Busch (Gibbs-Toyota) and Brad Keselowski (Penske-Ford), who respectively hit the wall, and Martin Truex Jr. (Gibbs-Toyota) and Ryan Blaney (Penske-Ford), who respectively catch a plate. Undeterred, Larson clinched another clear stage win, ahead of Hendrick teammates William Byron and Chase Elliott.
In the second race segment (Stage 2), Kyle Busch hit the wall a second time and had to pit once more unscheduled. A different strategy didn’t work for Joey Logano (Penske-Ford). On the other hand, it didn’t backfire either, which almost happened.
Because at the green flag stop, the mechanic on the left front wheel of Logano’s Penske-Ford signaled that not all wheel nuts were tightened. But Logano saved himself up to the stage flag. Meanwhile, the Stage 2 victory went to William Byron, who no longer plays a role in the playoffs. Elliott and Larson ensured that, as in Stage 1, three Hendrick drivers occupied the top 3 positions.
Larson WINS following two seconds of shock
In the decisive third segment of the race there was no way past Hendrick either. But Kyle Larson had to endure two moments of shock. Shortly into the segment, there was a touch with Tyler Reddick (Childress-Chevrolet) in the battle for the lead. With luck, both got away without punctures.
A little later, Larson joined the ranks of those who easily hit the wall. At that point, he was third behind teammates William Byron and Chase Elliott. A pit stop was not necessary in this case either. Tires and car stopped.
At the last restart, 40 laps before the end, Larson took the lead once more. And he defended it to the finish. The fact that he ended up 3.6 seconds ahead of Elliott was also because Elliott himself touched the wall several times in the final laps of the pursuit. If he had won, he would have gone straight into the final.
Behind Larson and Elliott, two drivers finished outside the playoffs in P3 and P4: Kevin Harvick (Stewart/Haas-Ford) and Kurt Busch (Ganassi-Chevrolet). Rounding out the top 5 was Gibbs driver Denny Hamlin, who, like Elliott, is a few points up the playoff table but not sure of a place in the finals yet.
Playoffs: Logano with the greatest deficit, but not without a chance
In the playoff table, Kyle Busch, who is currently fourth behind Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin, is still in the plus area, but only just. After his two contacts with the wall, he finished the race on P28 and now has a single point advantage over the minus area of the table.
The minus area is led by Ryan Blaney, who didn’t finish at all. The reason for this was not his tire damage in stage 1, but a crash in stage 3 through no fault of his own. Austin Dillon (Childress-Chevrolet) got off track in turn 2 while driving next to Blaney. The neon yellow Penske-Ford was unlucky and swerved into the wall.
Martin Truex Jr. landed a solid seventh place in the race following his early puncture. Although he is also in the minus area of the table, the damage might have been greater.
Brad Keselowski, who in turn had contact with the wall and in the last segment of the race once more deviated from the planned pit stop rhythm due to high engine temperatures, finished P17. His gap to the plus area of the table is still in one digit.
Joey Logano still has the biggest gap. With P9 he finished the race in the top 10. However, following starting the race with a huge deficit and not scoring any points in either stage, the Penske driver is now 26 points behind. Of course, they can be caught up next weekend, with a win anyway.
The last race of the “Round of 8” of the playoffs and with it the decision on who takes the last three remaining final places next to Kyle Larson takes place next Sunday at the Martinsville Speedway. The finale takes place a week later at Phoenix Raceway.
