For much of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney were the class of the field.
The two former Cup champions led a combined 474 of the race’s extended 505 laps. Larson was in command for 285 laps, while Blaney paced the field for 190 circuits.
Yet, after a late pit strategy call that cycled Ty Gibbs to the front, neither of them would leave with the trophy. Gibbs prevailed in the Food City 500 for his first career Cup win, followed by Blaney in second and Larson in third.
Following the checkered flag, Larson reflected on the battles he had with Blaney inside “The Last Great Colosseum.”
Kyle Larson on battling Ryan Blaney: ‘Good short-track racing’
It looked as though either Larson or Blaney would be pulling into victory lane when the dust settled on Sunday.
Throughout the Food City 500, the driver of the No. 5 and the driver of the No. 12 had a number of bumper-to-bumper fights for the lead.
Blaney, however, continued to get mired back in traffic on pit stop cycles as his Team Penske crew struggled to keep him up front.
That gave the edge to Larson at times as the two-time and defending Cup champion managed to put distance between himself and the 2023 Cup champion.
“He [Blaney] was extremely good. By far had the best car once again. He just kept getting put behind on pit road and allowed us to go out there and lead laps and try to manage the car and tires the best I could to fight him off,” Larson said.
Unfortunately for Larson, he said Blaney would eventually navigate back to the front, and struggled to fend him off.
As the bottom line continued to rubber in, Larson knew Blaney’s car was superior.
Although there were intense battles at times, there was no controversy as Larson enjoyed going toe-to-toe with Blaney on the Tennessee short track.
“He just got better throughout the race as the bottom kinda stacked more rubber. He could just really wrap more grip. It was fun battling him. Good short-track racing, and Ty, he did good as well,” Larson said.
Bristol continues to be one of Larson’s best tracks.
The Hendrick Motorsports star surpassed over 2,000 laps led at Bristol on Sunday and recorded his seventh top-five finish in the last eight Bristol races.
Last year, Larson dominated the Food City 500 by leading 411 of 500 laps. It was his third career victory at the track.
Winless drought continues for Larson heading into Kansas
Last year, Larson posted three wins and ended the season as the 2025 Cup Series champion.
His third and final win of 2025 came at the Kansas Speedway, where the Cup Series heads to this Sunday.
While he captured the 2025 title, Larson has been without a victory in the Cup Series since May 2025. The California native’s Kansas triumph came 32 races ago.
After eight races in 2026, Larson sits sixth in the points standings. He has tallied five top 10s and two top fives. Larson is seeking his third straight spring Kansas win on Sunday, April 19.
Kyle Larson Talks NASCAR Bristol Battle with Ryan Blaney