INDIANAPOLIS — Kyle Larson finally has redemption in the best way possible.
After finishing 18th in the Indianapolis 500 in May and unable to race in the Coca-Cola 600 due to rain, Larson came back to Indianapolis and won the 2024 Brickyard 400. Larson’s win comes in the 30th anniversary of the race and his fourth on the season and 27th of his Cup career. The driver of the Hendick Motorsports No.5 gave car owner Rick Hendrick his 11th victory in the Brickyard 400 as well.
“I think everything just comes full circle. Everything is meant to be,” Larson said when asked by NBC about redemption for May. “Today was definitely meant to be for us.”
Larson started fifth, the same spot he started in at the Indy 500, and played the pit strategy game to his advantage, late in the race. When the race hit lap 142, Larson’s car came alive. Running in seventh, the driver from Elk Grove, CA, made passes with ease, getting monumental runs into turn three, where he made several key passes.
By lap 150, Larson was in the top four and charging hard. Larson made it to third on lap 152 and stayed behind Roush-Fenway Keselowski driver, Brad Keselowski and Team Penske driver, Ryan Blaney. Keselowksi was on a fuel-saving strategy and in position to win when a caution came on lap 159, setting up an overtime finish.
When the cars entered the GEICO restart zone, Keselowski dove into the pits, leaving Blaney and Larson on the front row. Larson gained the lead over Blaney but as the pack entered turn one, a massive wreck triggered a red flag, halting the race.
The race went green on lap 166, with Larson and Blaney going side-by-side into turn one, battling for the lead. Larson would get the lead by turn two and did not look back. The race would end under caution after Ryan Preece would spin on the previous lap and getting his car fired up on the white flag lap. Larson would cross the line under caution and win his third Crown Jewel Race in NASCAR.
“This is just such a prestigious place, such hallowed ground,” Larson said. “It’s pretty neat to get an opportunity to race here on the oval again. What a job by our team. I mean, never gave up at all. We had the pit stop issue there early on. Just fought and dug and had things work out.”
Blaney would end up third after being passed by 23XI driver and polesitter, Tyler Reddick. Christopher Bell and Reddick’s teammate, Bubba Wallace would round out the top five. Front Row Motorsports driver Todd Gilliland would finish sixth, followed by Austin Cindric of Team Penske, Daniel Suarez of Trackhouse Racing, Noah Gragson of Stewart-Haas Racing, and Larson’s Hendrick teammate of Chase Elliott would round out the top 10.
Gilliland who has had a strong year was proud of another top 10 finish, going into a two week break for the Paris Olympics.
“If we got a bad result, I would be like ‘Ok, good, time to reset and get back to it’,” Gilliland said. “For us, it’s just cool to see the progress that we’ve been making and continuing to make.”
The NASCAR Cup Series will resume action at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, VA, for the Cook Out 400 on Sunday, Aug. 11. Coverage for that race will air on the USA Network.
