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The 2021 NASCAR Champion, Kyle Larson, had the checkered flag in sight and was ready to defend and collect his second win in a row after winning the Fontana Wise Power 400.
However, his teammate Alex Bowman, driving the Chevrolet No. 48 for Hendrick Motorsports, had other plans. Bowman edged him out in overtime and fueled him to the finish line, earning his seventh win. On Twitter, NASCAR on TSN stated that:
"THE SHOWMAN WINS IN VEGAS! @Alex_Bowman battles @KyleLarsonRacin to the checkered flag in NASCAR Overtime to win the #Pennzoil400 at @LVMotorSpeedway!#NASCAR"
The two were leading in the last two laps and were running side-to-side in what was seen as tight competition.
Bowman managed to stick to the bottom lane while Larson struggled with the top lane. As they approached the checkered flag, Bowman maintained the pace and went all the way to drop the checkered flag.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver was hunting for his second consecutive win in Las Vegas after winning the race in 2021. Though his dreams were shattered in the final lap, the season still has a long way to go with more than 30 races to fight for more wins.
Kyle Larson wins NASCAR Cup Series 2022 season
When NASCAR returned to its home state of Fontana, California, for the Wise Power 400 last weekend, Kyle Larson took advantage. He held off Austin Dillon to take first place. The Auto Club win was his second win, and his first with Hendrick Motorsports.
After his impressive performances, he has been considered the favorite driver to win in all three races. During the Daytona 500, he managed to win the pole, but was caught in a late wreck, ending his race unexpectedly.
Though the No. 5 driver finished as the runner-up, the win remained for his team, Hendrick Motorsports.
Following a dominant season in 2021, where he clinched 10 wins and a championship, it seems he has started the 2022 season with the same energy and we might see more wins this season.
In the past three races, he has secured one win, one pole and one top-five finish. He also finished in the top five at NASCAR’s pre-season, Busch Clash at the Iconic LA Coliseum.
With only three races, Kyle Larson has already shown great potential for future races.
