Kyle Larson Wins Brickyard 400, Rick Hendrick’s 11th As Team Owner

Source: Justin Casterline / Getty

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — In its return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval for the first time since 2020, Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in the 30th anniversary running of the Brickyard 400.

The ending is certainly a poetic one for Larson who was essentially robbed of what could have been a dream weekend during the Month of May when he attempted ‘The Double’, but that dream was marred by rain both in Indianapolis and in Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600.

Larson made up for his experience in May.

“The month of May was awesome but I didn’t get to complete it. It was still a great experience,” Larson said. “Then to come back and run the paint scheme I was supposed to run at Charlotte here at Indy, it’s a surreal moment! It’s amazing to win at the Brickyard!”

That paint scheme was the blue with a papaya streak in homage to Arrow McLaren who gave him the car for his attempt at the Indianapolis 500.

Tyler Reddick started on the pole and was able to finish second.

The was ‘run of the mill’ of what you typically get with stock cars on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, which is usually single file running at 180+ mph. But, it was competitive in that some teams needed different strategies to pay off in order to look at a win.

The race came down to fuel strategy as usual. Brad Keselowski led the race going inside 10 laps to go, but having gone 56 laps without a pit stop, he was cutting the razor’s edge with how much fuel might have for the finish.

Kyle Busch hit the wall with six to go and brought out a caution. Upon the restart, Keselowski dove for pit road as he ran out of fuel coming to the green flag. That allowed Larson to move up into the front row next to Ryan Blaney.

Larson overtook Blaney heading into turn one, but as that transpired, another big wreck happened forcing yet another NASCAR “overtime” necessitating a green, white, checkered finish.

After a lengthy red flag for track repairs and crash clean-up, Larson led the field to the green flag for the final time. A crash happened in the back stretch of the green flag lap, but NASCAR allowed the field to race back to take the white flag. Larson took it first and as the caution flew, the race was over and Larson was the winner.

“It’s for sure up there,” Larson said when asked about where this win ranks for him. “This is such a prestigious place and hollowed ground. What a time to be able to race the oval gain. We fought and dug and things worked out. I love you Indiana fans! How about we come back again for the Month of May next year and kiss the bricks!”

The victory by Larson is Rick Hendrick’s 11th  as a team owner on the IMS oval adding to his record of most stock car victories at IMS dating back to Jeff Gordon’s victory in the inaugural running in 1994.

It’s also Larson’s fourth of the season adding to his stockpile of playoff points as he puts himself in an even better position to contend for the NASCAR Cup Series championship.

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