Kyle Larson emerged victorious once again.
Larson secured the top spot in the first Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday, displaying dominance for his third consecutive points race win and fourth consecutive Cup Series triumph.
Larson led for over 260 of the race’s 300 laps and faced minimal challenges throughout. Despite a race filled with cautions and various drivers moving in and out of the top 10, Larson remained a constant presence at the front of the pack.
This pattern has defined his performance this spring and early summer. Larson has claimed victory in four points races in the Cup Series and consistently proved to be the fastest driver in the series, even if he doesn’t hold the points lead. His recent wins were further reinforced by his exceptional performance at the All-Star Race last week, where he showcased the fastest car and clinched the victory in the exhibition event for the first time.
Although Hendrick Motorsports nearly secured a fifth consecutive 1-2 finish, Ross Chastain managed to overtake William Byron for second place in the final laps, with Byron settling for third.
“We never really had to run behind people, so I don’t know,” Larson commented after exiting his vehicle, referring to his car’s performance in traffic. “If one of my teammates got out front again, it would have been hard to pass them.”
Aric Almirola claimed fourth place, while his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick finished fifth. Almirola’s pole win for the race and subsequent top-five finish were significant accomplishments, especially considering his struggles to secure a spot within the top 25 in points throughout the season.
Brake Issues
The race on Sunday featured NASCAR’s higher horsepower (750 HP) and lower downforce rules combination at the 1.33-mile track. This setup required drivers to rely more heavily on their brakes compared to races on larger tracks where there is less horsepower and more downforce. Consequently, the race witnessed several instances of brake failures.
Drivers like Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, and others encountered brake problems during the race. The question of whether the lack of downforce and increased horsepower contributed to these brake failures remains unanswered. Nevertheless, these incidents led to 11 caution flags being raised over the course of the 400-mile race.
The Diminishing Dream of 16 Winners
Each victory by Larson diminishes the possibility of a first-time winner in 2021 before the playoffs commence.
The initial seven races of the season saw seven different drivers emerge victorious, and the first 11 races witnessed 10 winners. This streak of diverse winners raised hopes that all 16 playoff drivers at the end of the season would secure a win.
However, this scenario now seems unlikely. Since Martin Truex Jr.’s third win of the season at Darlington on May 9, Chase Elliott has been the sole first-time winner. With points leader Denny Hamlin and Harvick being the only drivers in the top 10 standings yet to clinch a victory, the likelihood of additional new winners in 2021 appears slim.
If three winless drivers secure victories before the playoffs begin, the total number of drivers with victories will reach 14. This leaves two spots available for winless drivers based on the points standings.
Currently, Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick appear to be the most probable candidates for these spots. The two Richard Childress Racing drivers are the fastest winless drivers outside the top 10.
Chase Elliott’s Disqualification
Chase Elliott faced disqualification post-race due to his car having five loose lug nuts. Despite finishing 13th and winning the first stage, Elliott lost both the 13th-place finish and the stage win as a result of the disqualification.
The stage win would have earned him a playoff point. He was officially placed last in the race standings.
Race Results
1. Kyle Larson
2. Ross Chastain
3. William Byron
4. Aric Almirola
5. Kevin Harvick
6. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
7. Daniel Suarez
8. Kurt Busch
9. Christopher Bell
10. Joey Logano
11. Kyle Busch
12. Austin Dillon
13. Ryan Newman
14. Alex Bowman
15. Corey LaJoie
16. Michael McDowell
17. Anthony Alfredo
18. Tyler Reddick
19. Erik Jones
20. Bubba Wallace
21. Denny Hamlin
22. Martin Truex Jr.
23. Brad Keselowski
24. Matt DiBenedetto
25. Garrett Smithley
26. Josh Bilicki
27. JJ Yeley
28. BJ McLeod
29. Joey Gase
30. Cole Custer
31. Chase Briscoe
32. Ryan Preece
33. Chad FInchum
34. David Starr
35. Justin Haley
36. Chris Buescher
37. Ryan Blaney
38. Quin Houff
39. Chase Elliott
Points Standings
1. Denny Hamlin, 684 points
2. Kyle Larson, 675
3. Chase Elliott, 629
4. William Byron, 605
5. Joey Logano, 577
6. Kyle Busch, 558
7. Martin Truex Jr., 541
8. Kevin Harvick, 516
9. Ryan Blaney, 510
10. Brad Keselowski, 489
11. Austin Dillon, 475
12. Alex Bowman, 469
13. Tyler Reddick, 416
14. Christopher Bell, 392
15. Chris Buescher, 392
16. Michael McDowell, 375
17. Kurt Busch, 366
18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 347
19. Matt DiBenedetto, 344
20. Ross Chastain, 342
More from Yahoo Sports: