Kyle Larson outshone NASCAR legends and former Hendrick Motorsports greats, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, in a unique and impressive statistic. Larson clinched victory in Sunday’s Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, securing his place in the Round of 12. Along with him, teammates Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, and William Byron also moved forward in the playoffs.
In what can only be described as a commanding performance, Larson swept all three stages of the race and led an astonishing 462 laps out of the 500-lap event. This victory marks his 28th career win and sets him apart in NASCAR’s NextGen era, as no other driver has ever led that many laps in a single race. In fact, Larson set a new record for Hendrick Motorsports by leading more laps in a single race than any driver since Jeff Gordon’s legendary 431 laps at Martinsville in 1997.
Speaking about his accomplishment in a post-race interview, the 2021 Cup Series champion expressed his excitement. He noted how remarkable it felt to break a record held by some of the most revered figures in NASCAR history. “That’s pretty awesome,” Larson said, reflecting on his milestone. “There have been some legendary Hall of Famers racing for Hendrick Motorsports. We all grew up watching Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson dominate, so it’s pretty cool to add my name to another record at Hendrick Motorsports. I feel very fortunate to be part of this group.”
Larson’s dominance at Bristol also stands out as the most commanding performance at the track, nicknamed “The Last Great Colosseum,” since 1977. With this win under his belt, he now heads to next week’s race at Kansas Speedway as one of the 12 remaining playoff drivers. His 39-point advantage on the playoff cutline gives him a solid buffer, and with another win, he would automatically secure a spot in the Round of 8.
As other NASCAR drivers watched Larson’s masterful performance, praise came from all directions. Chase Elliott, who finished second, trailing Larson by more than seven seconds, secured his seventh top-5 finish of the season. He was the only other Hendrick Motorsports driver to finish inside the top-5. Elliott attributed Larson’s success to his ability to navigate through the heavy traffic on the track. “I think Kyle did a really good job getting through traffic, and that was the difference,” Elliott said in an interview with NBC. “I kind of got hung up, and he was able to slice through, so credit to him and his team. They did a great job. It’s nice to get a Hendrick one-two and be moving on.”
Other drivers in the race were equally impressed by Larson’s performance. Denny Hamlin, a four-time winner at Bristol and a driver who has led over 1,199 laps in his 34 previous starts at the short track, acknowledged Larson’s superiority. “My aspirations were to win it, but it looked like Kyle Larson was better than all of us,” Hamlin admitted.
Christopher Bell, Hamlin’s teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, finished in 5th place and joined in praising Larson. He noted that the No. 5 car was simply untouchable throughout the race. “The 5 was the class of the field, and everyone else was kind of racing to be best of the rest,” Bell remarked.
Although Hamlin and Bell advanced to the next round of the playoffs, the same couldn’t be said for fellow Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. After a tough race, Truex Jr. was eliminated from the playoff picture. His exit marks the end of an era, as he will retire from full-time competition in the Cup Series at the end of this season. Truex Jr., the 2017 Cup Series champion, will leave behind big shoes to fill, and Chase Briscoe is set to take over the No. 19 car in 2025.
As the playoff field narrows and the competition intensifies, Kyle Larson’s dominating performance at Bristol will be remembered as a statement of intent. His combination of skill, precision, and strategic driving has set him apart, and with Kansas Speedway on the horizon, Larson is a force to be reckoned with as he eyes the Round of 8. For NASCAR fans and drivers alike, the story of Kyle Larson’s rise continues to be one worth watching.
Kyle Larson has accomplished something remarkable: he has achieved what even legends like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson could not in NASCAR.
