Kyle Larson clinched his first victory of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season at the Straight Talk Wireless 400, held at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This marked Larson’s 30th career win in the Cup Series.
Early Battles and Strategy Calls
The race commenced with pole-sitter Alex Bowman leading the field and showcasing the speed that earned him the top starting position. However, by lap 9, Ryan Blaney managed to overtake Bowman, asserting his presence early in the race.
A notable early battle ensued between Larson and Tyler Reddick, with both drivers repeatedly crossing over positions. Larson, known for his high-line driving style, particularly at Homestead-Miami where he’s known to run only two inches from the wall, repeatedly grazed it in his pursuit of Reddick. Though the right rear fender took a beating, he finally completed the pass around lap 29.
The first round of green flag pit stops began early on lap 32, initiated by drivers like William Byron and Austin Cindric. This strategy prompted the majority of the field to follow suit, leaving only 14 cars on track that had yet to pit.
Blaney Dominates, Pit Road Incident Involves Larson
The race’s first caution occurred on lap 70 when Christopher Bell spun independently, disrupting the field’s rhythm. During the ensuing pit stops, Blaney emerged first, maintaining his lead, while Bowman held onto second. Noah Gragson experienced a challenging restart, possibly due to a missed shift, and caused a temporary stack-up in the field.
Blaney’s dominance continued as he secured the Stage 1 victory. During the pit stops that followed, an incident unfolded involving Joey Logano, who made contact with Josh Berry upon exiting his pit box. This pushed Berry into the side of Larson and caused both Berry and Larson to spin backward into their pit boxes. Larson’s car sustained a hole in the rocker panel. Justin Haley was also tagged in the kerfuffle.
Carson Hocevar was the only car that did not pit during the cycle, and remained on track for the restart. He briefly inherited the lead, but quickly gave it up to Alex Bowman who had been first off pit road after the round of stops. On older tires, the #77 of Hocevar lost a few spots and finally settled into sixth.
Hamlin and Larson Go Head-to-Head
As Stage 2 commenced, Denny Hamlin showcased his speed by overtaking Bowman for the lead.
Green-flag pit stops began around lap 118, during which Daniel Suárez spun while entering pit road. On track, a battle between Hamlin and Larson ensued as Stage 2 neared its conclusion, with multiple lead changes and crossover moves. Ultimately, Hamlin clinched the Stage 2 win.
During the subsequent pit stops, a minor incident occurred between Elliott and Blaney. Elliott exited his pit stall ahead of Blaney, resulting in slight contact. Blaney expressed frustration over the radio, claiming significant damage—”demolished” by the #9 car—despite that Blaney’s car appeared largely unaffected.
Soon after, and just prior to the restart, NASCAR called Elliott for a penalty due to a pit entry violation, relegating him to the back of the field for the restart. The infraction stemmed from a two-wide entry onto pit road as Elliott had been attempting to avoid a wreck. He expressed frustration while explaining that it was an evasive maneuver, but the penalty stuck despite that Larson had entered 2-wide on his previous pit stop without penalty.
Bubba Wallace assumed the lead at the start of Stage 3. Meanwhile, Hocevar faced mechanical issues, pitting with 82 laps remaining due to a battery problem and eventually heading to the garage.
Larson Takes Control
The race took a dramatic turn on lap 207 when Blaney’s suddenly engine expired, spewing smoke over the front stretch, grandstands, and spotter’s perch. The fire itself did not extinguish easily, requiring several fire extinguishers. This marked Blaney’s third consecutive DNF and brought out another caution.
The field headed to pit road again, during which Austin Cindric and William Byron both incurred speeding penalties, greatly affecting their track positions. Wallace retained the lead for the ensuing restart.
Bowman showcased a strong performance, overtaking Wallace to reclaim the lead. However, Larson, running the high line and gaining momentum, passed Hamlin and Wallace, and set his sights on Bowman. In an attempt to defend his position, Bowman moved up the track but made contact with the wall, reducing his speed. This misstep allowed Larson to seize the lead with seven laps remaining. He maintained his advantage to the checkered flag, expressing pride in himself and his team while acknowledging the challenges they faced during the race.
Top 10 Finishers
- Kyle Larson
- Alex Bowman
- Bubba Wallace
- Chase Briscoe
- Denny Hamlin
- Chris Buescher
- A.J. Allmendinger
- Tyler Reddick
- Ryan Preece
- Justin Haley
Photo Credit: HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA – MARCH 23: Chase Briscoe, driver of the #19 BassProShopsSpringFishingClassic Toyota, Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, and William Byron, driver of the #24 Valvoline Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 23, 2025 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)