Kyle Larson took his first NASCAR Cup Series short track win on Saturday night at Richmond, as the 16-team playoff grid has been set for 2017.
Richmond Raceway has held the role of the last race of the regular season in the NASCAR Cup Series since the Chase began in the mid 2000s. Now, in 2017, this is the final time it will serve in that role before moving into the playoffs in 2018. The craziness of short track racing at Richmond ended with Kyle Larson in Victory Lane, and the 16-driver field for the championship hunt set.
Martin Truex Jr., the dominant driver on the 2017 season so far, was the man in control of the field for most of the night at the action track. However, a late caution when Derrike Cope clipped the wall meant the race would head to overtime, shuffling up the field with pit stops. Kyle Larson would come out of the pits in the lead. He would roll to victory after Truex Jr. collided with Denny Hamlin on the final lap, ending the race under yellow.
Larson picked up his first career short track win in the Cup Series on Saturday night at Richmond Raceway and his fifth win of his career. Joey Logano would come home 2nd, with Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, and Denny Hamlin rounding out the top 5.
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The race within the race tonight at the regular season finale was for the final spots in the NASCAR playoffs. Three drivers – Chase Elliott, Matt Kenseth, and Jamie McMurray – began the night as the last three not locked in. One of them could be bumped out with a new winner. While that did not happen, the night was not without drama for these drivers.
Perhaps the craziness moment of the race came under yellow when the drivers were coming to pit lane. An ambulance was on course and stopped near the entrance to the pits, causing the drivers to have to stop short. This led to severe damage to Matt Kenseth, who would be out of the race with radiator damage. It was certainly a moment that angered many fans, drivers, and teams.
Here are the full race results from the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway:
- Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
- Joey Logano, Ford, Team Penske
- Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
- Kurt Busch, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
- Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Erik Jones, Toyota, Furniture Row Racing
- Daniel Suarez, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
- Kyle Busch, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
- Brad Keselowski, Ford, Team Penske
- Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
- Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
- Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
- Kevin Harvick, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
- Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, Leavine Family Racing
- Aric Almirola, Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
- Ryan Blaney, Ford, Wood Brothers Racing
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
- Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, Furniture Row Racing
- Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
- Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, Germain Racing
- Danica Patrick, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
- Clint Bowyer, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
- Trevor Bayne, Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
- A.J. Allmendinger, Chevrolet, JTG-Daugherty Racing
- David Ragan, Ford, Front Row Motorsports
- Paul Menard, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
- Corey LaJoie, Toyota, BK Racing
- Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports
- Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, Go Fas Racing
- Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, JTG-Daugherty Racing
- Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, TriStar Motorsports
- Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, TMG-Circle Sport Racing
- Gray Gaulding, Toyota, BK Racing
- Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports
- B.J. McLeod, Chevrolet, Rick Ware Racing
- Matt Kenseth, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Landon Cassill, Ford, Front Row Motorsports
Next: Kyle Larson - The Future of the NASCAR Cup Series
The next race for the NASCAR Cup Series will be the first race of the series playoffs, happening just outside of the Windy City. Catch the Tale of the Turtles 400 from Chicagoland Speedway next Sunday, September 17 on NBCSN and the NBC Sports app.