Kyle Larson emerged victorious in a thrilling finish at Kansas Speedway, winning the Cup Series race in the closest finish in NASCAR history. Larson edged out Chris Buescher by a mere thousandth of a second, reminiscent of the Kentucky Derby's tight finish the day before.
The dramatic conclusion unfolded after a caution for Kyle Busch's spin set up a green-white-checkered finish. Larson made a daring move on the final lap, passing Buescher on the outside of the last corner to secure the win.
Larson expressed gratitude for the caution that allowed him to make the winning move, marking his second win of the season for Hendrick Motorsports. The victory served as redemption after finishing second in previous races.
Meanwhile, Buescher, who initially believed he had won, was left stunned by the photo finish. The Ford team, yet to secure a win this season, lamented the closest miss in their history.
Buescher's race was marred by a penalty midway through after a pit road mishap, forcing him to fight his way back to the front. Despite a strategic pit stop alongside Denny Hamlin, the late caution reshuffled the field, ultimately costing them the win.
Christopher Bell, who started on the pole, struggled throughout the race, finishing sixth. The eventful race saw multiple yellow flags, including incidents involving Jimmie Johnson, Austin Cindric, and Joey Logano.
Corey Heim, substituting for Erik Jones, finished 22nd after winning the Truck Series race the night before. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished 16th after a contract extension with JTG Daugherty Racing.
The NASCAR series now heads to Darlington for its annual throwback weekend, following a thrilling race at Kansas Speedway.
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