The NASCAR battle between Chevrolet and Toyota still continues as the third manufacturer, Ford, has yet to record a win. RFK Racing’s #17 Chris Buescher was 0.001 seconds away from winning his first race of the season at Kansas Speedway, but Kyle Larson thwarted his plans. Spectators were stunned when they experienced the closest finish in NASCAR history by 0.001 seconds. Even Larson couldn’t believe he had won until officials used world-class cameras to determine the winner. The same thing happened to Cliff Daniels, Larson’s fifth team crew chief.
Cliff Daniels was pretty sure the #5 team didn’t win
Daniels spoke to Sirius XM NASCAR Radio about the race and said he couldn’t believe Larson got his second win. This was Larson’s second Cup Series win of the season despite sitting at the top of the standings. Needless to say, HMS No. 5 had been desperate to take the checkered flag of late. According to the crew chief, it was worth the wait.
He said, “Oh, it was great at the end. I knew Kyle was going to have a good restart. And to be honest, the movement he made in Turn 1 was very important in putting him in the right position on the track…and to be honest, he made a great run in Turns 3 and 4. I showed you. He eventually landed on the wall and raced to the finish. As we crossed the finish line, my race timing showed that No. 17 (Buescher) was ahead of us. When he asked me, why did we have it? My answer was no. Because I didn’t think it would happen. Yeah, I mean, the way they decided the camera, I looked at the picture and it was very close.
He said today was a special day and expressed pride in the team’s performance at key moments of the race. He admitted the late caution was a blessing in disguise, but overall he felt it was a positive day for the team. On the way to a whole new journey, Larson actually needed this win to boost his confidence, especially ahead of his IndyCar stint.
Kyle Larson recently made his debut on the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, driving the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet during the Rookie Orientation Program. The event was an important step in Larson’s pursuit of the Hendrick 1100, which includes competing in both the 2024 Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600. During testing, Larson recorded an incredible fastest lap of 217.898 mph. On this day, Rick Hendrick entered the NTT IndyCar Series for the first time as a team owner.
They are partnering with Arrow McLaren for the No. 17 Chevrolet IndyCar entry. Larson is aiming to become the fifth driver to “double” the Memorial Day weekend. Kurt Busch last attempted this feat in 2014. However, his rise to fame was hampered by an engine failure on the Coca-Cola 600. But as the iconic performance continues to evolve, Larson seems confident, too. “Honestly, what I’ve felt so far isn’t all that different. I think the next generation of cars is going to be closer to IndyCar. The tires and wheels have shorter sidewalls.
When I tested them in Phoenix and rode them for a few laps, I thought I could feel them a little in my hands and butt, but mostly in my hands. “The front tires really make it feel like a next-gen car,” he said in an interview. As expected, the #5 driver’s participation in the NTT IndyCar Series is highly anticipated by fans. They are very much looking forward to his appearance at the legendary Indy 500 later this year. Are you excited? Check out EssentiallySports for the latest information on Driver’s upcoming shenanigans.
