Kyle Larson netted another $1 million prize after winning the 39th NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. (Photo: Trish McCormack | The Podium Finish)
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. – If anyone wonders why Kyle Larson’s nickname is “Yung Money,” perhaps Sunday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race provides a solid answer.
Despite kicking off the North Wilkesboro Speedway race weekend with the fastest time in Friday’s practice session, he ranked ninth quickest in a 10 lap consecutive run. Still, the 30-year-old racer was not all too keen with No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.
During Saturday night’s second qualifying heat, Larson, who started fifth, dropped to a confounding eighth place result. While the 21-time Cup race winner earned checkered flags at Richmond and Martinsville, it seemed logical to ponder if he would contend in the 200-lap race on Sunday night.
Starting 16th, Larson fell back to 21st in the opening 17 laps. Opting to pit for four fresh tires and fuel, the Elk Grove, California native was tagged for speeding on pit road exit.
Relegated to the 24th position on the Lap 21 restart, Larson’s No. 5 car slowly but surely hooked up nicely with the abrasive 0.625-mile short track. By Lap 49, Larson worked his way up to the fourth position.
Just six laps later, Larson worked his way to the lead, passing Daniel Suárez with relative ease. Even with the fresh tires advantage, it was apparent that the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion hit his stride with a quick Camaro.
Larson was virtually unstoppable once he took the lead from Daniel Suárez on Lap 55. (Photo: Trish McCormack | The Podium Finish)
Prior to the Lap 102 competition caution, the 2019 and 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race winner built a lead of nearly 13 seconds over Bubba Wallace. Not even a pit stop for the lead lap contenders slowed down Larson and his No. 5 team, entering and exiting pit road in the first position.
Following the Lap 111 restart, Larson built a comfortable 3.5 to 4.2 second lead over Wallace, managing his tires and methodically lapping his competitors. On this occasion, nobody had an answer for the familiar blue, white and red colors of the No. 5 car.
From the back of the field to the front of the pack, Larson tallied his third NASCAR All-Star Race victory in five years, besting Wallace by 4.537 seconds. After a riveting burnout in clockwise fashion, Larson was refreshingly excited about his dominant triumph.
“I can’t even tell you what it means,” Larson said. “This is my third All-Star win and my third different track. In a historical place like this, you guys and the crowd made this weekend so awesome. We could feel the atmosphere all weekend.
“So much fun there. That was an old-school ass whipping for sure. We had a great car on the long run there and was just thinking for sure there was going to be a caution. I got out to a big lead and I could see everybody’s cars were driving like crap in front of me, but I cannot thank this No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy team enough.”
It took a lot of hustle and work to get in position for one of the most commanding wins in NASCAR All-Star Race history. Sure, the driver did his part, but it took a village to realize their incredible performance and result.
The Lap 111 restart was about as close as Larson’s competitor were to making any challenge for the win. (Photo: Kevin Ritchie | The Podium Finish)
“We were awful all weekend,” Larson said. “In practice, I was like the worst on the 30-lap average, and went backwards in a heat race yesterday. You obviously had some strategy work out there in the beginning, but we drove from dead last to the lead and checked out by 12 or 13 seconds. Then just could pace myself there that last run.”
Wallace was one of the other strong performers in the 200-lap exhibition race, easily the best Toyota driver of the evening. A runner-up would be delightful for most racers but the Mobile, Alabama native turned Concord, North Carolinian wanted more, such as the win and $1 million prize.
“If this was a normal race, something to be excited about – but this was for a million dollars, and you come up short and walk away with nothing,” Wallace said. “Tail tucked between our legs, but all-in-all, just continue to ride the momentum train.
“I want to get Columbia in Victory Lane. They’ve done a lot – and they came up with the best paint scheme in the field. We came up one spot short.”
Tyler Reddick rounded out the podium finishers with a third place finish. Aside from Larson and Wallace, his 23XI Racing teammate, the Corning, California native was steady and quick all race long.
Like Larson, Reddick opted to pit for fresh tires and fuel on Lap 18. Fresh tires meant a great deal for Reddick to make his charge from the back of the pack to a podium finish.
“Yeah, Billy Scott (crew chief) and everyone on the pit box did a really good job of executing the strategy,” Reddick said. “The pit crew did a really good job of having a good pit stop and getting us a few there too at the halfway break.
“Our car was really strong – we saw that in practice on Friday. The Beast Unleashed Toyota Camry TRD had a lot of pace. I needed to make some different decisions in the race. I was in front of Kyle in the race, made some mistakes and let him get ahead. Things to look back on and wonder what if, but solid night for sure for 23XI.”
Larson won his third NASCAR All-Star Race in the past five years, joining the three-time winner’s club with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon. (Photo: Kevin Ritchie | The Podium Finish)
Sunday night belonged to Larson and his No. 5 brigade. After all, leading nearly 73% of the NASCAR All-Star Race speaks volumes on the effort, preparation and execution by this Hendrick Motorsports team, particularly with tallying the organization’s 11th victory in this storied showdown.
“What an amazing car,” Larson said. “Everything that my car did bad on Friday and Saturday did great today. Again, thanks to the 5 team, Cliff Daniels (crew chief), Cal Stewart (engineer), too. Cal Stewart is our engineer. We bust his balls all the time because every time he’s at the track, something bad happens.
“This one is for him. I told him the other day, he said he’s going to like five of the next six. I’m like, well, we’re going to win five of the next six at least, so here we go.”
Berry, Gibbs and Gragson Open the Door to All-Star Race
Josh Berry’s path to the NASCAR All-Star Race was a bit of a Christmas present. (Photo: Kevin Ritchie | The Podium Finish)
Prior to Sunday night’s running of the NASCAR All-Star Race, the 100-lap NASCAR All-Star Open decided the two transferees and Fan Vote winner who would compete in the big dance. While Ty Gibbs, the pole sitter, led the opening 43 laps, Josh Berry, who started second, enjoyed his first stint in the lead from Laps 44 to 55.
Following a Lap 42 competition caution, a five car crash in Turn 1 collected Chandler Smith, Todd Gilliland, Ryan Newman, AJ Allmendinger and Noah Gragson. Smith and Gilliland bowed out of the race due to their cars being beyond repair while Newman and Gragson continued on despite the cosmetic damage to their machines.
Not long after, Gibbs, in his attempt to march back to the front, bumped Michael McDowell in Turn 4, with the latter tangling with Justin Haley. Consequently, Haley and McDowell crashed into the Turn 4 wall, eliminating the former from further contention.
Once the race was back underway, Gibbs led the way before McDowell slowed down and made contact with him in Turns 3 and 4. This allowed Berry to scoot past both to take the lead, effectively sealing the victory and first transfer spot into NASCAR All-Star Race along with Gibbs and Gragson, the Fan Vote winner.
NASCAR All-Star Race Finishing Order
Light ’em up, up, up. (Photo: Kevin Ritchie | The Podium Finish)
- Kyle Larson (W, x3)
- Bubba Wallace
- Tyler Reddick
- Chase Briscoe
- Chase Elliott (W)
- Ryan Blaney (W)
- Daniel Suárez
- Erik Jones
- Ty Gibbs (O)
- Joey Logano (W)
- Ross Chastain
- Christopher Bell
- Denny Hamlin (W)
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Josh Berry (O)
- Chris Buescher
- Austin Dillon
- Kevin Harvick (W, x2)
- Brad Keselowski
- William Byron
- Austin Cindric
- Kyle Busch (W)
- Noah Gragson (O)
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
