Seas Part for Larson in Watkins Glen Win

by
Peter Stratta
August 20, 2022

Photo Credit to @NASCAR_Xfinity via Twitter

Kyle Larson Wins Watkins Glen Xfinity Race After Leaders Tangle

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – “I got lucky,” summed up Kyle Larson’s last few laps of the Xfinity race perfectly at Watkins Glen. Running third on a late restart, Larson was in prime position when Ty Gibbs and William Byron spun entering the bus stop. The 13th win of his Xfinity career, ideally Saturday will help Larson perform on Sunday and back up his 2021 Watkins Glen triumph.

One contender’s day ended very early, as Justin Allgaier crashed while running 20th in the esses. After starting in the rear, the 7 was making big moves forward before sliding sideways and out of control on lap five. Unfortunately for the JR Motorsports No. 7 team, they would leave The Glen in last place.

Young Sammy Smith would steal Stage 1 from AJ Allmendinger, as the 18 got by the 16 on a restart with two to go. This marks Stage win number one in just the 18-year-old’s fourth Xfinity start.

William Byron looked unbeatable once he regained the lead, as he paced nearly every lap in Stage 2. Byron’s No. 17 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports had an identical scheme to Kyle Larson’s No. 88 for JRM, as both Cup stars hoped for a win and valuable on-track experience. The two twin cars could not have had different starts though, as Larson began in the rear due to unapproved adjustments. Meanwhile, Byron set a new track record in qualifying on pole. The 17 and 88 entered as two heavy favorites, as Byron took Stage 2 with ease.

Another driver’s day came to a crashing end early in Stage 3, as Daniel Hemric lost a tire in the carousel turn. This sent the 11 straight through the tight turn five, and deep into the tire barriers. Thankfully, Hemric did walk away under his own power, seemingly uninjured after a massive hit.

Just prior to Hemric’s hit, Ty Gibbs had just narrowly beaten Byron off pit road under green flag stops. Ahead of the fastest man in town, Gibbs now looked unbeatable, as the 17 could not quite get back by the 54. On the ensuing restart, Gibbs held his ground over both Byron and Larson. Gibbs began to drive off, as he appeared on his way to a dominant late run to the checkers. However, this race would be turned on its head when Ross Chastain got stuck in the turn six gravel trap.

On the restart with five laps left, Larson initially tried to push Byron clear of Gibbs. This plan worked out, until the leaders hit the bus stop. With Gibbs and Byron entering the chicane door-to-door, contact sent both cars spinning out of the lead. This gave the top spot to Larson, who held serve over AJ Allmendinger to take the win.

“I think my only shot really was if the 54 and 17, William and Ty, got racing,” Larson said. “I just wanted to help William down the frontstretch as much as I could. Then they got battling up the esses, I was trying to help him get clear into the bus stop. They raced side-by-side into there, got together, the seas parted, and I was able to get through. Then I had AJ behind me, so I was just trying to hit my marks as best as I could. He definitely had me nervous out in front of him.”

“Cool to get a win here. Rick Hendrick’s here too, so wish William and I could have fought out for the win there. But either way, happy to get Hendrickcars.com into victory lane. Everybody at Hendrick Automotive Group, Hendrick Engine Shop, JR Motorsports, pretty iconic number, so it’s cool to get a win with the 88 on here.”

Behind Larson and Allmendinger, Sammy Smith rebounded to third, while Noah Gragson and Kaz Grala were the top five. Sam Mayer, Riley Herbst, Sheldon Creed, Josh Berry, and Jeremy Clements were the top 10.

Byron would only come home in 25th, just ahead of Ty Gibbs in 27th. The two drivers did talk post-race, but both were frustrated a potential win escaped their grasp.

Four races remain now in the Xfinity Series regular season, as their next stop is Daytona. Coverage of the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola is Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. The ultimate wildcard race of Daytona can be found on USA Network, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. As the Xfinity Series Playoffs near, can we see an upset winner at The World Center of Racing?