Kyle Larson on His Stage 1 Clinch: ‘I Was Just Kind of Caught Off Guard’

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Kyle Larson clinched his third NASCAR Cup Series championship at the end of Stage 1 at Homestead. He just didn’t know it yet.

Larson told FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass that he had only planned for one scenario, and it wasn’t the one that played out.

“I was just kind of caught off guard because I guess I didn’t really think about all the scenarios of points. I was just like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to finish third in the first stage and that locks it up,’” Larson said. “I wasn’t really thinking of if [Christopher] Bell didn’t win the stage, so my head was just all wrapped up in ‘All right, it’s the second stage, and I’ve got to gain one point,’ and all this and that.”

https://x.com/bobpockrass/status/2121232854705414588

How the Clinch Happened

Larson entered the finale 67 points ahead of Christopher Bell and 70 ahead of Denny Hamlin. He needed nine points to clinch, and every driver gets at least one point for starting.

Larson had focused on finishing third in Stage 1, which would have locked up the title by itself. Instead, Stage 1 ended early when Chase Briscoe‘s engine failed, and Larson finished the stage fourth.

Tyler Reddick won the stage, ahead of Ryan Blaney and Bell. Because Bell didn’t win the stage and Briscoe was out of the race, Larson’s fourth place was enough. Neither Bell nor Hamlin could catch him anymore.

A Quiet Radio Call

Crew chief Cliff Daniels told Larson over the radio, in a message far simpler than Larson expected, and Larson asked to make sure it was really over. Rick Hendrick then came on the radio to congratulate the team.

Larson’s day got rougher after that. He scrubbed the wall in Stage 2, cut a right-rear tire and finished 12th, but it didn’t matter.

Champion Again

Larson won the title by 49 points over Bell, becoming the first driver to win back-to-back Cup championships since Jimmie Johnson in 2010. Ryan Blaney won the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Larson has said the title still feels unreal. “It feels like I’m in some sort of dream, you know, kind of being on the list of those guys,” he said of joining NASCAR’s three-time champions. See his full Chase, race by race.