Kyle Larson Wins at Las Vegas
Eleven months ago, Larson was fired from Chip Ganassi Racing for using a racial slur during an iRacing event. Today, he is a winner for another team. Chris GraythenGetty Images
Whether the Fox broadcast had any interest in discussing it or not, the headline of today s race is the winner. Kyle Larson, suspended through the end of the 2020 season after being caught using a racial slur during an iRacing event, is not just back in NASCAR, but back to winning races.
Before that, though, was the race. Like almost every other race of the COVID-19 era, today s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway started with a grid set without qualifying. That meant Kevin Harvick, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver who dominated so much of the 2020 season before missing the championship race at Phoenix, started on pole.
Kyle Larson s Second Act Takes Off Early With Vegas Win
This win was special to all involved for a variety of reasons.
The lit-up phone meant different things at different times.
As soon as he said it, and the phone started to ring, Kyle Larson was afraid his NASCAR Cup Series career was immediately and unceremoniously over.
Cliff Daniels had gotten several calls over the years. The one that came when he was offered the head job with Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team changed his life. Two years later, Daniels was on the phone again to connect with Larson, who had just been assigned to him at Hendrick Motorsports.
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Who… should you be talking about after the race?
After being out of a NASCAR Cup Series car for nearly a year following a suspension for violating the driver conduct policy,
Kyle Larson was repentant and ready to get back on track. It took him all of four weeks to find his groove and win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the seventh win of his career.
The big question mark over Larson’s head has been his ability to close the longer Cup races, but that wasn’t a problem on Sunday (March 7), as Larson dominated in the second half, saving his tires and working lapped traffic late to take the checkers. It was a moment of redemption for Larson, who, to his credit, spent last year learning some valuable lessons and earning his second chance.
Kyle Larson is back in NASCAR and back in victory lane. (AP Photo/John Locher)
On Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Larson raced to his first NASCAR victory since he was reinstated from a nearly yearlong suspension. He ran just the first four races last season, then lost his job for using a racial slur while playing a video game early in the pandemic.
He worked all last year on rebuilding his image and was hired by Hendrick Motorsports when NASCAR said the suspension would lift at the start of this year. Thanks Mr. H. for believing in me, Larson radioed to boss Rick Hendrick after crossing the finish line.
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