BRISTOL, Tenn. - Kyle Larson tamed Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, leading 411 laps en route to his second victory of the season.
During the celebration, Larson paid tribute to Jon Edwards, long-time Hendrick Motorsports public relations representative, who passed away earlier in the week. Edwards spent 31 years within the industry, helping build drivers like Jeff Gordon and Larson into stars of the sport.
“This one's definitely for John,” Larson told Jamie Little of FOX Sports. “Wish he was going to be here with us to celebrate, but I know he's celebrating with us in spirit.”
Edwards impact on NASCAR was profound and his absence will leave a hole in the sport. All four Hendrick Motorsports entries carried a decal, honoring Edwards as one of a kind.
As for the race itself, Larson dominated the 500 lap event, leading 411 total circuits. “Just a flawless race once again here at Bristol for the five team,” Larson said.
Denny Hamlin made a bid for the win during the final pit cycle, but Larson foiled Hamlin’s attempt at three in a row.
“Glad to stop this three-peat,” Larson said. “We hate to see him win.”
Larson led more than 400 laps in back-to-back Bristol races, a feat not accomplished since Bobby Allison in 1972. Yet, Bristol remains one of the most physical tracks on the schedule.
After climbing out of the car, Larson said he was “A little bit out of breath.” According to Larson, the high-banked short track brings your “heart rates up,” because it is “so high paced.”
This was his 31st career Cup victory and his third at the track. Larson fell short of a weekend sweep, winning in Cup and Xfinity races, but coming home runner up in Trucks.
As for Hamlin, he praised the effort by Larson’s team and said “That was all I had to try to keep up there.” Hamlin earned the third most stage points and climbed to second in the standings.
Hamlin and Larson finished in the top two together seven times, but this was Larson’s first win. “Just gotta continue this momentum,” Hamlin said. “In the last month, we've been really good.”
The Cup Series will take a week off Easter before returning to full-speed action at Talladega Superspeedway. Coverage is on FOX on April 27 with the green flag set to fly at 3 p.m. ET.