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Kyle Larson Crushes Field, Seizes Points Lead And Reaches Key Milestone At Kansas Speedway

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Just as predicted by this writer ahead of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, Kyle Larson scored the victory.

What no one could have predicted, however, was how decisive of a victory it turned out to be.

Starting from the pole in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Larson ran roughshod over the competition virtually the entire day.

How Dominant Was Kyle Larson On Sunday At Kansas Speedway?

Executing one of the most lopsided performances in recent memory at the NASCAR Cup Series level, Kyle Larson led a whopping 221 of 267 laps at Kansas Speedway. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion also swept all three stages in the process.

Larson spent the final 55 laps out front and held a lead of nearly three quarters of a second over runner-up Christopher Bell at the finish. Even with the speed Larson had in his car, though, he wasn’t about to get comfortable until the checkered flag waved.

“We had some restarts work out in our favor, and that last (green-flag) run just played out well enough to get the win,” Larson said. “I wasn’t very good again at the end of the run, but I am just proud of my team. It’s just been an awesome day.”

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Kyle Larson Did Much More Than Just Win At Kansas Speedway

Kyle Larson, who jumped from second to first in the NASCAR Cup Series standings on Sunday, will hold the points lead for at least two weeks since next weekend is the non-points-paying NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

That means Larson will still be the Cup Series points leader on Memorial Day Weekend when he competes in the Indy 500 at fabled Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the second consecutive year. Larson was likewise atop the Cup standings last year when he ventured to The Brickyard for the world’s most prestigious open-wheel race.

“I think it’s good for racing that the Cup Series point leader is competing in the Indy 500 for the second year in a row,” Larson said. “I would say that last year (being the points leader going to Indy) was a goal of mine.

“This year, I didn’t really think about it. But I do think it puts even more of a spotlight on us and our sport.”

If winning at Kansas and being the points leader headed to Indy wasn’t enough to thrill Larson and his fans, there’s more. As of Sunday, Larson has eclipsed the 10,000 laps-led mark in NASCAR’s premier series.

“To surpass 10,000 laps is really cool, honestly, and they said that we’ve led the most laps at Kansas Speedway now,” said Larson, who triumphed for the third time at the 1.5-mile track. “Yeah, really cool day.”

 

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