HOMESTEAD, Fla. – With just six laps remaining, Kyle Larson managed to overtake Alex Bowman, securing a victory in the NASCAR Cup Series race held at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This triumph marked Larson’s 30th career win at a track where he has repeatedly demonstrated strong performances, solidifying his reputation as one of the premier drivers for Hendrick Motorsports.
Larson skillfully maneuvered his No. 5 Chevrolet past Bowman, who struggled as he skimmed the wall in Turn 4 while leading. As Larson widened his advantage by more than a second, he smoothly finished 1.205 seconds ahead of his teammate from Hendrick Motorsports. This race not only marked Larson’s second Cup Series win at Homestead but also his second victory of the weekend.
Despite his noteworthy accomplishments, Larson fell short of clinching a triple-header sweep. After winning the Craftsman Truck race on Friday, he led an impressive 132 of the 201 laps in Saturday’s Xfinity Series but finished fourth. This prevented him from joining Kyle Busch as one of the few drivers to execute a clean sweep of a triple-header weekend. Busch notably did this at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2010 and again in 2017. However, Larson is determined to make another attempt at a sweep in Bristol next month.
Reflecting on his performance, Larson admitted that Saturday’s near-win motivated him for Sunday’s race, especially after a late caution undid his earlier dominance. Throughout his history at Homestead, Larson has experienced similar letdowns despite usually performing exceptionally well there. “I’m proud of myself and the team for this gritty, hard-fought victory,” Larson expressed with enthusiasm. “This win is particularly meaningful given the challenges and setbacks I’ve faced at this track.” He praised the team’s resilience and determination to overcome past heartbreak and continue striving for success.
Larson’s victory wasn’t secured by sheer dominance. Having led just 19 of the 267 laps, he started from the 14th position and faced numerous obstacles, including challenges on pit road and subpar restarts, before taking the win. This was his inaugural victory for the season and his first at Homestead since 2022 in the Cup Series.
Upon taking the green flag, Larson shared his intentions to dominate the race, but soon had to adjust his strategy. “Initially, I was frustrated and aimed to lead early and maintain control, but that didn’t pan out as expected. After the first ten laps, I refocused on working hard to secure the win.”
After starting the race from pole position, Alex Bowman finished in second place driving the No. 48 Chevrolet. Bubba Wallace took third place for 23XI Racing, having led 56 laps—his most since September 2023. The fourth and fifth positions were claimed by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin, respectively.
Ryan Blaney had been in a strong position running third when an engine failure on Lap 207 caused his No. 12 Team Penske Ford to release thick smoke across the track, necessitating a lengthy cleanup. Blaney, who had the lead for 124 laps, also clinched a Stage 1 win after starting from sixth. Unfortunately, this marked the second engine-related race withdrawal for Blaney in three events. Despite this, Blaney remained optimistic about future races, highlighting the speed and competitiveness of their cars.
Pit road incidents spiced up the race as well. On Lap 84, Josh Berry’s No. 21 Ford collided with Larson’s car and Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford, causing both Logano and Berry to spin and misalign as they entered their pit stalls. While Larson’s car sustained minor damage, another noteworthy incident occurred on Lap 172 when Chase Elliott received a penalty for not lining up correctly while entering pit road. Despite trying to explain over his in-car communication that he was avoiding another car, Elliott still had to serve the penalty, ultimately finishing 18th.
Looking towards the future, many drivers anticipate Homestead may regain its spot in the postseason. Previously, from 2002 to 2019, the 1.5-mile track hosted NASCAR’s championship finales but was later replaced by Phoenix Raceway starting in 2020. Though Homestead remained part of the playoff rotation for three years, it shifted to the regular season this year. Denny Hamlin expressed a preference for Homestead to have a greater role in championship races, advocating for its return to playoff relevance.
Upcoming on the racing calendar, the Cup Series is set to head to Martinsville Speedway. It was at Martinsville last November that Ryan Blaney secured a win to earn his place in the last season’s playoff final four, and Wiliam Byron was the victor of the Spring race.