Kyle Larson gets Crown Jewel and Controversy

It’s been 4 years since the Cup Series raced on the oval at the iconic Indianapolis track, and the hype was huge. There was plenty of talk of fuel savings and strategy, and much ado about Kyle Larson’s second time visiting the track this year after he attempted the back-to-back endeavours of running the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day Weekend.

As a throwback to his Indy involvement, Larson specifically asked to nix the paint scheme that had been chosen for the Brickyard 400 and instead requested that his team re-use the papaya orange paint scheme that he never had the chance to run at the 600 due to the rain-shortened race. The Indy scheme proved to be the perfect choice because, after two overtime periods and a contentious restart, Larson emerged victorious in the 30th anniversary edition of the iconic race.

This triumph marked his fourth win of the 2024 season and his first at Indianapolis. Larson’s victory at the Brickyard 400 adds to his collection of wins in three of NASCAR’s four crown jewel races, complementing his previous successes at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte and the Southern 500 in Darlington.

The drama unfolded when Larson, running in third place with two laps remaining, found himself in first position for the initial overtime restart. This change occurred when race leader Brad Keselowski ran out of fuel and had to pit just as the green flag was about to be waved. Despite Ryan Blaney inheriting the lead and controlling the restart, Larson maneuvered up the inside lane and got an exceptional launch, enabling him to overtake Blaney as a major crash in Turn 1 triggered another caution.

In the second overtime, Larson once again executed a flawless launch, outpacing Blaney through Turn 1. His victory was sealed on the final lap when NASCAR had to issue a caution due to Ryan Preece’s stalled car.

Laron’s post-race interview proved he’s already thinking about next year, with this quote: “How about we come back next May and try and kiss these bricks in an IndyCar. I’d love to; I’d love to. We’re working on it. So, I hope we can announce something soon and see you all next May.”

The race lacked a consistent rhythm, with varying pit stop strategies shuffling the lead. And stage 3 showed a significant reduction in speed as drivers tried to save fuel to eliminate pit stops. A total of 13 drivers led the race, with 17 lead changes throughout the afternoon.

Reddick’s second-place finish, achieved by overtaking Blaney on the final lap, keeps him firmly in contention for the Regular Season Championship. As the sport heads into its summer break, Larson holds a 10-point lead, with Reddick trailing by just 15 points. With four races left to determine the 16-driver playoff field, the competition remains intense.

Denny Hamlin, who led for 21 laps, won the first stage — his sixth stage victory of the season and his first at Indy. However, he finished 32nd after being caught in a multi-car crash during the first overtime restart. Hamlin is now fourth in the championship standings, 43 points behind Larson.

Rounding out the top-10 were Front Row Motorsport’s Todd Gilliand, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric, Trackhouse’s Daniel Suarez, SHR’s Noah Gragson, and HMS’ Chase Elliott.

Wallace’s performance was crucial for his playoff hopes, as he now trails Chastain by seven points for the 16th and final playoff spot. RFK’s Chris Buescher is 15th in points, only 17 points ahead of Wallace.

NASCAR will take a two-week break for the Summer Olympics. The Cup Series will return on August 11 at Richmond Raceway.