Kyle Larson looked like he had lost his chance to win at Talladega Superspeedway. Less than a lap later, he was celebrating one of the most improbable victories of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver went from the lead to roughly 11th on the final lap of Sunday’s YellaWood 500, only to charge back through traffic and take the checkered flag in a remarkable finish.
And the championship implications were enormous.
Larson entered Sunday’s race with a five-point lead over Christopher Bell. He left Talladega with an unofficial 73-point advantage over Denny Hamlin, putting himself in a commanding position with just two races remaining in NASCAR’s championship Chase.
Kyle Larson Comes From Nowhere to Win Talladega Thriller
For much of the final lap, Larson appeared to be out of contention.
After leading at the white flag, the No. 5 Chevrolet was shuffled backward as the field scrambled for position. With cars filling multiple lanes and the finish line approaching, Larson was buried in traffic.
Then everything changed.
A push from Ross Chastain helped Larson surge forward, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and William Byron also part of the Chevrolet charge. Larson found his way back to the front in the final stretch, completing an extraordinary recovery to steal the victory.
The finish capped a chaotic afternoon at Talladega, where aggressive drafting, shifting alliances and two major accidents repeatedly changed the complexion of the race.
For Larson, it was his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Talladega and a breakthrough superspeedway win.
Top-10 Finishers from a Wild Talladega
- Kyle Larson
- William Byron
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Ross Chastain
- Cole Custer
- Carson Hocevar
- Todd Gilliland
- Denny Hamlin
- Alex Bowman
- Michael McDowell
Talladega Wrecks Deal Major Blows to NASCAR Championship Contenders
Larson’s victory was only part of the championship story.
The first major accident unfolded on Lap 132, when contact and a loss of momentum in the outside lane triggered a 12-car pileup on the backstretch.
Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace were among the drivers involved. Blaney and Reddick suffered extensive damage, while Hamlin was able to continue despite damage to his Toyota.
Blaney, who entered the race fifth in the championship standings, was unable to continue.
Christopher Bell had already endured a disastrous opening stage. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver spun into the inside wall while attempting to enter pit road on Lap 56. Tire problems, repairs and a subsequent penalty left him nine laps down by the end of Stage 1.
Then came another frightening accident with five laps remaining.
Joey Logano was battling near the front when a multicar crash sent his No. 22 Ford onto its roof. Riley Herbst suffered a particularly severe impact, while Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric, Connor Zilisch and Carson Hocevar were among the other drivers affected.
Logano climbed from his overturned car and later spoke with reporters, expressing gratitude for NASCAR’s safety improvements and the emergency crews.
“Happy to be alive,” Logano said.
NASCAR subsequently confirmed that both Logano and Herbst had been evaluated and released from the infield care center.
Stage 2: The ‘Big One’ Rocks NASCAR’s Championship Chase
Talladega’s biggest wreck struck on Lap 132, collecting 12 cars and dealing a devastating blow to several championship contenders.
The accident began when Ryan Blaney lost momentum in the outside lane and Bubba Wallace couldn’t avoid hitting him from behind. Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott and several others were swept up in the pileup.
Blaney was unable to continue, while Reddick and Elliott were among those sent to the garage. Championship leader Kyle Larson escaped the wreck and was scored as the leader under caution.
Joey Logano ultimately won Stage 2 by just 0.012 seconds over Larson, who collected nine valuable stage points. Chase Briscoe finished third.
Stage 1: RFK Racing Dominates as Christopher Bell Suffers Disaster
RFK Racing turned Talladega’s early fuel-saving strategy into a major advantage.
While most of the field slowed to conserve fuel, Chris Buescher, Ryan Preece and Brad Keselowski broke away, eventually building a lead of roughly 40 seconds. Buescher won the opening stage, followed by his two teammates.
Larson finished fourth, earning seven stage points.
But Christopher Bell, who entered Sunday just five points behind Larson, suffered a disastrous opening stage. Bell spun entering pit road on Lap 56 and hit the inside wall, triggering a series of tire problems, repairs and a pass-through penalty for too many crew members over the wall.
Bell ended Stage 1 nine laps down in 40th place, putting his championship hopes in serious jeopardy.
Who Won the NASCAR Race at Talladega? Kyle Larson Pulls Off Stunning Last-Lap Victory