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Kyle Larson Secures Victory at Bristol in Tribute to Jon Edwards

Kyle Larson kicked off Sunday’s race from a solid third position, quickly advancing to seize the lead. Demonstrating exceptional skill, he dominated the track, leading an impressive 411 laps before crossing the finish line first, marking his second consecutive victory at Bristol for Hendrick Motorsports. Larson not only won the race but also clinched both stages, solidifying his commanding performance.

In a heartfelt moment following his victory, Larson reflected on the recent loss of Jon Edwards, Hendrick Motorsports’ esteemed director of racing communications, who passed away unexpectedly just days before the race. “Yeah, it’s special,” Larson remarked. “You know, Jon Edwards meant a lot to the 5 team, and a lot to the NASCAR Industry, too. Just good to get a win for him. Obviously, we don’t want to be winning for him and his spirit, we wish he was here in person with us. But he is no longer here, so it’s just going to be fun to celebrate and I know he is smiling down on us. We had a damn good weekend, as he would say. A lot of fun, and I can’t say enough about the team. The car they brought again here to Bristol was amazing and just makes it fun for me.”

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Sean Gardner

Discussing the nuances of the race, Larson expressed his enthusiasm: “It’s fun. I love this place because it is just so high-paced and with traffic; just dicing it up and picking the right lines at the right time while conserving your tires. It’s like a 500-lap sprint car race. It just suits me and my style with quick decision making. I just love this place. I think a lot of us do here in this series. Just had another good race.”

The race, spanning 500 laps, was notably stable, with only one incident occurring when Shane van Gisbergen spun out 178 laps in. Additionally, pole-sitter Alex Bowman faced an engine failure, resulting in one of three cars unable to finish the race. Aside from a brief scare caused by a runaway wheel on pit road, the event was relatively uneventful.

Larson’s dominance was evident from start to finish, as tire management played less of a role in the race’s dynamics, allowing drivers to take calculated risks in an effort to gain crucial track position. During the final series of green-flag pit stops, Ryan Blaney opted for an extended run, momentarily placing the entire field at least one lap down while hoping for a timely caution that never materialized. Ultimately, he made his final pit stop, ceding control back to Larson.

While Larson retained the lead, he faced persistent pressure from Denny Hamlin, who was vying for his third consecutive Cup victory. Throughout the final laps, Hamlin stayed close, capitalizing on slower traffic, but was unable to mount a serious challenge. Even as Larson brushed the wall in the closing laps, he maintained his lead.

Finishing behind Larson and Hamlin, Ty Gibbs achieved his best result of the season with a third-place finish, followed by Chase Briscoe in fourth. Ryan Blaney fought back to secure fifth place, while William Byron, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell, AJ Allmendinger, and Austin Dillon rounded out the top ten.

Photos from Bristol – Race

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