NASCAR CUP KANSAS: LARSON BEATS BUESCHER IN CLOSEST FINISH IN HISTORY
For a few moments there were a pair of winners, one on the scoring monitor another on the video camera, after Larson and Buescher raced side by side off Turn 4 on the final lap of overtime and stayed that way as they took the chequered flag.
The scoring monitor said Buescher won by 0.001 seconds, but NASCAR officials reviewed the video footage which showed Larson’s #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet edging Buescher’s Ford by inches at the line.
The official margin of victory was confirmed as 0.001s with the win going to Larson – officially the closest finish in NASCAR history since the use of electronic timing and scoring.
The wild finish capped a remarkable day of back-and-forth racing among the leaders, despite the race being delayed by rain by more than three hours. The race featured 27 lead changes among 10 different drivers.
Larson’s chance to win only came about when a caution in the final laps sent the race into overtime after Kyle Busch spun at Turn 2.
Denny Hamlin was first off pitroad, but Buescher quickly rocketed into the lead on the restart ahead of Larson.
Larson caught back up with Buescher exiting Turn 2 on the final lap, which set up the sprint to the chequered flag.
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro
Photo by: Ben Earp / NKP / Motorsport Images
The victory is the second this season for Larson, who came in second just last weekend to Hamlin at Dover. It’s also the 25th of his career.
"That was wild. I was obviously thankful for that [last] caution," Larson said. "We were dying pretty bad. Was happy to come out third, and figured my best shot was me to choose the bottom [lane] and try and split three-wide to the inside."
"That race from start to finish was amazing. That first stage was incredible. The second stage at the end was fun, and then that whole last stage with the wrecks and cautions and then fuel strategy and tyres running long and all that was wild.
"You guys got your money's worth today, and I'm just proud to be a part of the show."
In an almost equally close finish for third, Chase Elliott edged Martin Truex Jr into fourth as Hamlin rounded out the top five.
Christopher Bell had to settle for sixth ahead of Alex Bowman and Kyle Busch, as Noah Gragson and Michael McDowell completed the top 10.
NASCAR Cup Kansas - Race results
| 1 | 5 | Chevrolet | 268 | 3:10'42.420 | 9 | ||
| 2 | 17 | Ford | 268 | +0.001 3:10'42.421 | 0.001 | 12 | |
| 3 | 9 | Chevrolet | 268 | +0.060 3:10'42.480 | 0.059 | 13 | |
| 4 | 19 | Toyota | 268 | +0.075 3:10'42.495 | 0.015 | 13 | |
| 5 | 11 | Toyota | 268 | +0.609 3:10'43.029 | 0.534 | 12 | |
| 6 | 20 | Toyota | 268 | +0.693 3:10'43.113 | 0.084 | 9 | |
| 7 | 48 | Chevrolet | 268 | +0.784 3:10'43.204 | 0.091 | 9 | |
| 8 | 8 | Chevrolet | 268 | +1.144 3:10'43.564 | 0.360 | 9 | |
| 9 | 10 | Ford | 268 | +1.154 3:10'43.574 | 0.010 | 9 | |
| 10 | 34 | Ford | 268 | +1.244 3:10'43.664 | 0.090 | 10 | |
| 11 | 6 | Ford | 268 | +1.258 3:10'43.678 | 0.014 | 11 | |
| 12 | 12 | Ford | 268 | +1.469 3:10'43.889 | 0.211 | 10 | |
| 13 | 42 | Toyota | 268 | +1.503 3:10'43.923 | 0.034 | 10 | |
| 14 | 38 | Ford | 268 | +1.550 3:10'43.970 | 0.047 | 9 | |
| 15 | 4 | Ford | 268 | +1.654 3:10'44.074 | 0.104 | 10 | |
| 16 | 47 | Chevrolet | 268 | +1.885 3:10'44.305 | 0.231 | 9 | |
| 17 | 23 | Toyota | 268 | +2.425 3:10'44.845 | 0.540 | 10 | |
| 18 | 51 | Ford | 268 | +2.629 3:10'45.049 | 0.204 | 10 | |
| 19 | 1 | Chevrolet | 268 | +2.786 3:10'45.206 | 0.157 | 9 | |
| 20 | 45 | Toyota | 268 | +2.890 3:10'45.310 | 0.104 | 9 | |
| 21 | 14 | Ford | 268 | +3.227 3:10'45.647 | 0.337 | 9 | |
| 22 | LEGACY MOTOR CLUB | 43 | Toyota | 268 | +3.940 3:10'46.360 | 0.713 | 12 |
| 23 | 24 | Chevrolet | 268 | +3.978 3:10'46.398 | 0.038 | 9 | |
| 24 | SPIRE MOTORSPORTS | 77 | Chevrolet | 268 | +4.202 3:10'46.622 | 0.224 | 9 |
| 25 | 3 | Chevrolet | 268 | +4.261 3:10'46.681 | 0.059 | 10 | |
| 26 | 7 | Chevrolet | 268 | +6.266 3:10'48.686 | 2.005 | 14 | |
| 27 | 99 | Chevrolet | 268 | +6.668 3:10'49.088 | 0.402 | 10 | |
| 28 | 41 | Ford | 268 | +7.531 3:10'49.951 | 0.863 | 10 | |
| 29 | SPIRE MOTORSPORTS | 71 | Chevrolet | 268 | +7.624 3:10'50.044 | 0.093 | 9 |
| 30 | 31 | Chevrolet | 268 | +8.059 3:10'50.479 | 0.435 | 14 | |
| 31 | 16 | Chevrolet | 268 | +17.351 3:10'59.771 | 9.292 | 8 | |
| 32 | JOE GIBBS RACING | 54 | Toyota | 267 | +1 Lap 3:10'45.634 | 1 Lap | 9 |
| 33 | 33 | Chevrolet | 267 | +1 Lap 3:10'58.406 | 12.772 | 11 | |
| 34 | 22 | Ford | 266 | +2 Laps 3:10'50.120 | 1 Lap | 11 | |
| 35 | 15 | Ford | 266 | +2 Laps 3:10'50.839 | 0.719 | 11 | |
| 36 | 21 | Ford | 262 | +6 Laps 3:10'53.917 | 4 Laps | 11 | |
| 37 | 2 | Ford | 184 | +84 Laps 2:02'30.385 | 78 Laps | 7 | |
| 38 | 84 | Toyota | 175 | +93 Laps 1:49'48.842 | 9 Laps | 6 |