As one of NASCAR’s young stars celebrated his first career Sprint Cup victory, another blamed himself for not winning his first race Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. But, with a late caution after Michael Annett (No. 46) blew a right front tire, the lead was gone and Elliot will have to try and get the lead back on the restart.
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Like at MI earlier this season, Elliott had a tough time getting his auto going in the final restart as Larson took the lead with nine laps remaining and held on for his first career win.
Larson crossed the finish line with a 1.478-second advantage over Elliott, who passed Keselowski for the second spot on lap 193. “He probably could have pulled underneath me and he stayed with me and got me the lead”. Kyle Larson ultimately won the race. The 15-point penalty is insignificant to Keselowski, who sits second in the standings by 50 points and whose four wins this year have him locked into NASCAR’s postseason Chase for the Sprint Cup.
He dedicated the win to Bryan Clauson, a friend and former Chip Ganassi Racing Xfinity Series driver, who died from injuries suffered in a sprint auto crash earlier this month in Kansas. This one is for the Clauson family.
“They got us the lead just like I asked and I gave it away again”, Elliott said of his pit crew.
Larson wore a tribute helmet to Clauson during last week’s race at Bristol.
Compounding Elliott’s frustration, it was the second MI race in a row where a late restart stymied him. As he was struggling to gain traction, he got bumped by Ryan Blaney behind him (who was being bumped by Kevin Harvick behind him).
Notable: Larson joined Buescher as the second driver this season to score their first Cup win…
“Just made another mistake”, Elliott, the 20-year-old son of Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, said. There are two races remaining before the start of the 10-race Chase.
“I think with two to go, I was starting to get choked up”, he said. It’s about as simple as that.
“You either do or you don’t and I didn’t”.
But it was Larson who held off Elliott for his first ever win on his 29th start in the Sprint Cup Series, snapping a 99 race winless streak for Chip Ganassi Racing.
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“We have worked hard to get a win, and we just haven’t done it”, Larson said. Larson first mentioned through the radio and in victory lane that they “parked it” for Bryan Clauson, who was fatally injured in a midget auto accident in Belleville, Kan. back on August 6. He’s now only 21 points ahead of Richard Childress Racing teammate Newman for the last spot on points, which lessens the margin for error. Now, points are of no concern over the next two races until the Chase begins at Chicago.
