Three Takeaways: Kyle Larson continues hot streak with win at All-Star Race
By Bob Pockrass
FOX Sports NASCAR Writer
FORT WORTH, Texas – Kyle Larson didn’t think he had a race-winning car during parts of the NASCAR All-Star Race, but he had a strong enough car and a solid enough restart with 10 laps remaining to capture the $1 million prize Sunday night at Texas Motor Speedway.
Having won back-to-back points races heading into the All-Star event, Larson outdueled his Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Chase Elliott on that final restart as well as Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski, who hounded him in the final laps after getting side-by-side with him during the final 10-lap round.
The exhibition race featured a new six-round format and a new location in the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway.
"Honestly, I can't believe it," Larson said. "That second run there, we were really bad, and I was like, 'Man, we're in trouble.’
"I went backwards that round ... and did not imagine seeing myself winning this race."
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Three takeaways from Texas Motor Speedway:
1. Funky format
The format included a series of four 15-lap rounds, a 30-lap round and then a 10-lap dash to the finish. NASCAR used a variety of inversions and average finishes to set the order for the rounds.
There was math and confusion, but Larson said he enjoyed it.
"The drafts were so big that you could make up ground for 10 laps or so but then it seemed like your tires started fading and then it got harder to pass," Larson said. "I actually kind of enjoyed it. ... I feel like for Texas it worked."
Keselowski finished second despite being last after the third round, gaining track position when the caution came out while he was on pit road and put himself in the mix.
"It’s part of the format – you win some and you lose some that way," Keselowski said. "The team did a great job of putting us in position with good strategy, good [pit] stops.
"We just didn’t have enough speed to do anything."
Elliott’s crew had the fastest pit stop in the fifth round, earning them $100,000.
2. Restarts key
With passing expected to be difficult at Texas, the drivers knew restarts were key. And they were.
There were only a couple of times where the leader was passed on the track that was not part of a restart situation.
On the final restart, Elliott had the lead with Byron second and Larson third.
"It was all about the restart and I did a poor job there," Elliott said. "That’s what you get."
Larson got what he wanted.
"That restart just worked out perfect where Chase kind of got choked up and I was able to get to his back bumper and push him past the 12 [of Ryan Blaney] to get him a little bit clear and he shaded left a little bit much and I poked to the outside ... and I’m going to go for it when I get the chance," Larson said.
"If I wreck, I wreck, But I think there will be enough grip and it worked out there was."
His crew chief was impressed.
"I knew he was just going to make whatever move he could to get to the lead, which he did – which was really cool to watch," Larson crew chief Cliff Daniels said.
3. Larson's awesome run
Kyle Larson is on an awesome run where he has had three second-place finishes, two points races win and now the All-Star win.
"There's still a long season left, and other cars and teams are going to get better, and so will we," Larson said. "We’ve just got to keep working hard, and hopefully we can have ourselves in position come October or November."
Keselowski indicated that being second to Hendrick cars right now is an accomplishment.
"It’s my third second-place finish in all-star – it’s really, really bittersweet," Keselowski said. "We feel like we’re doing the right things. It just hasn’t come together."
Bob Pockrass has spent decades covering motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s. He joined FOX Sports in 2019 following stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @bobpockrass.
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