Kyle Larson Claims Victory In Brickyard 400 With Dramatic Finish

Just two months after participating in the Indianapolis 500, Kyle Larson returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to secure a thrilling victory in the 30th Anniversary Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG. Larson held off his competitors in a tense double overtime finish, marking his first win in this prestigious NASCAR Cup Series event.

Larson, driving the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, led for only seven of the race’s 167 laps. Crucially, six of these laps came during the overtime periods. He managed to stay ahead of 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney until a late caution, triggered by Ryan Preece’s stalled Ford, ended the race.

Emerging from his Chevrolet Camero, the 31-year-old Californian celebrated enthusiastically with the crowd. This victory, his first on the historic 2.5-mile oval after three years on the infield road course, comes 30 years after Hendrick Motorsports’ Jeff Gordon won the inaugural stock car race at the same venue.

This win is Larson’s third in NASCAR’s crown jewel races, adding to his triumphs at the Southern 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. It also comes eight weeks after Larson finished 18th in his Indianapolis 500 debut. Reflecting on the victory, Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, who now leads the series with four wins this season, expressed his joy and gratitude.

“This is just such a prestigious place, such hallowed ground,” Larson said. “Pretty neat to get an opportunity to race here on the oval again. What a job by our team. I mean, never gave up at all. And to all the fans, I love it here. I think everything has come full circle with what was meant to be and today was meant to be for us.”

Ryan Blaney, who finished third, believed he had a strong chance to win. He was on the front row for the first overtime restart alongside Brad Keselowski, who ran out of fuel, opening the door for Larson to take the lead.

Blaney expressed his frustration, saying “It’s no fun, had a really good shot to win today. Our car was fast. Thought we had really good strategy. Kind of was the front guy having to save a little bit of gas. I thought we put ourselves in a great spot.

“I know the 6 [Keselowski] was probably going to run out if it went green. Came to the restart, I couldn’t believe they stayed out. I knew there was no way they were going to make it. So, I obviously chose the top because he might run out in the restart zone. He runs out coming to the green so he gets to do to pit road and the 5 gets promoted.

“Luck of the day right there, I guess. I don’t know. I don’t know what to be mad about. Mad at losing this race because I thought we were in the perfect position.”

Tyler Reddick’s second-place finish, after leading a race-high 40 laps, keeps him in contention for the Regular Season Championship.

“Obviously, a lot of cars and a lot of things had to happen for us to get second. Honestly, it was a good day. Obviously return to the Brickyard, it’s tough coming up one spot short. Once we got off of turn two there, I knew I was pretty much it. He [Larson] was going to have to make a mistake.

“Glad we had a good recovery. Another solid points day. We didn’t close the gap on the 5 [Larson] that much, but a little bit on the 9 [Elliott]. In the big picture, it was a great day for the team,” said Reddick

Larson now holds a 10-point lead as NASCAR heads into a summer break, with Reddick just 15 points behind.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell finished fourth, while 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace impressed with a fifth-place performance, also securing his first stage win since 2022. The race featured 13 leaders and 17 lead changes, with varying pit stop strategies keeping the competition dynamic.

Denny Hamlin, despite leading 21 laps and winning the first stage, finished 32nd after a multi-car accident in the first overtime restart. He remains fourth in the championship standings, 43 points behind Larson.

The top ten were rounded out by Todd Gilliand, Austin Cindric, Daniel Suarez, Noah Gragson, and Chase Elliott. Bubba Wallace’s strong finish was crucial for his playoff hopes, as he now trails Ross Chastain by seven points for the final playoff spot.

NASCAR will now take a two-week break for the Summer Olympics, with the Cup Series resuming on August 11 at Richmond Raceway. Post-race inspection confirmed Kyle Larson’s victory.