NASCAR: Kyle Larson Wins First Race Since 2019 in Wake of Suspension Return

Sunday afternoon, NASCAR driver Kyle Larson lined up against his fellow Cup Series drivers with [...]

By John Newby

Sunday afternoon, NASCAR driver Kyle Larson lined up against his fellow Cup Series drivers with the goal of winning the Pennzoil 400, which fans could watch online with a fuboTV trial. He started in the second row and piloted a fast vehicle all afternoon. Larson ultimately built up a massive lead over Team Penske's Brad Keselowski and secured his first win for Hendrick Motorsports, as well as his first since returning from a 2020 suspension.

Keselowski may have won Stage 1, but it was Larson who found the most success during the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He led several laps during Stage 2, built up a lead of more than four seconds, and then won the Stage. Larson dropped out of first place during the final Stage but fought his way back to the front of the pack. He built up a lead of more than three seconds and maintained it en route to his seventh career win and first since 2019.

"It was such an awesome race car," Larson said after the race. "It was a really fun race. I could kind of go wherever I wanted to." He continued and explained that he knew the car would find success during the single-file runs. This success was evident as he continued to hold massive leads over his fellow drivers.

The race marked two major firsts with the No. 5 team. Larson won his first race on a 1.5-mile oval track while crew chief Cliff Daniels got his first win as well. Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who previously worked with Larson's team, expressed excitement about the win and sent his congratulations on social media.

Following the win, Keselowski ran over and offered his congratulations to the man that defeated him. The two drivers embraced and said something to each other. Keselowski later revealed that he was just excited for Larson, who he called a "good kid." The veteran driver also said that he was really happy for his peer due to everything that he went through in the past year.

With the win, Larson now sits atop the playoff standings. Christopher Bell sits in second place after four races. Michael McDowell, the man who won the Daytona 500, sits in third place. Larson's HMS teammate in William Byron rounds out the group of race winners. Denny Hamlin is fifth in the playoff standings — although he technically leads in points. He just hasn't booked his trip to the postseason.

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