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Kyle Larson now has the most Cup Series wins in the Next Gen car. His win at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday was his 19th since the car debuted in 2022, one more than Denny Hamlin‘s 18.
RACER’s Kelly Crandall noted the milestone on X on Thursday: “Kyle Larson now has the most wins in the Next Gen car (19).”
Breaking the tie
Larson and Hamlin were tied at 18 Next Gen wins going into Talladega. Larson broke the tie by beating Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron to the line by 0.041 seconds after falling back to about 10th on the final lap. It was his first career win at Talladega and his third win of the season, all in the Chase.
Hamlin won four times in the regular season and started the Chase as the regular-season champion, but has not won since.
The Next Gen car
The Next Gen car made its points-race debut in the 2022 Daytona 500. It brought a symmetrical body, independent rear suspension, a five-speed sequential transmission and 18-inch aluminum wheels with a single center-lock lug nut.
Larson’s 2021 championship came in the final season of the previous car. His second title, in 2025, came in the Next Gen car.
The title race
The record comes as Larson closes in on his third Cup Series championship. He leads Hamlin by 73 points with two races left and clinches the title at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday if he leaves with a lead of at least 77 points, as Pit This Time reported.
Martinsville could be Hamlin’s best chance to tie the Next Gen record again. He has six Cup wins there, and he won the pole and led 292 laps in the spring race before finishing second.
The Xfinity 500 is Sunday, November 1, at 2 p.m. ET on NBC from Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. The season ends November 8 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida.
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