Kyle Larson started at the end under a penalty but managed to hold off Daniel Suarez and Austin Dillon in a thrilling finish to win his career’s 17th victory at Fontana. It is also his 11th win at Hendrick Chevrolet.
It was the 1st race for the Next-Gen car of NASCAR with Kyle Larson adding another famed trophy after he clung onto the lead racing on a transitional track.
Larson said that others had their share of misfortune and his team managed to keep their head in a race that he termed as crazy. He said it felt good to win at California.
It was Kyle Larson’s first win in 2022. The California native and multi-disciplinary competitor cruised to a win at the Auto Club Speedway in a race full of entertaining. The whole race featured constant passing, mistakes galore, and thrilling positioning on the 5-side asphalt.
Kyle Larson Assured Of Victory With 8 Laps Remaining When Teammate Elliott Received Caution
With 8 laps remaining, Kyle Larson could sense victory as Chase spun, facing a 12th caution, a record. There had been an earlier fracas with Kyle Larson, his teammate at Hendrick as he got pushed to the wall. Larson apologized over the radio.
Larson was first off the pits and was leading with 4 laps remaining. He ran neck-to-neck with Daniel Suarez for 2 laps. Dillon was in the draft, waiting to have a go as the leader. Kyle Larson hung on all the way. Dillion was second while Suarez conceded third place to Erik Jones with Chevrolet taking the top 4 spots.
The new car was a challenge but led to commendable competitive racing. 7 drivers were part of the early lead with the lead changing a dozen times before the halfway mark.