Kyle Larson raced away from Alex Bowman and Joey Logano in the second NASCAR overtime of the second Cup Series playoff race, breaking a 51-race winless streak by taking the caution-filled Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., on Sunday.
After Chase drivers Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suarez, Ty Gibbs and Chris Buescher brought out three caution flags in the final 20 scheduled laps, Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet started beside Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman, kept the point and beat Bowman’s No. 48 by 0.333 seconds.
It was the two-time series champion’s first win since May of last season at Kansas.
Logano, William Byron and Ross Chastain rounded out the top five in the race that featured a track-record 18 cautions.
Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota banged the wall during the first caution. After Ricky Stenhouse Jr. looped his No. 47 for the second yellow, Suarez was involved in a multiple-car fracas that also included Shane van Gisbergen, Michael McDowell and Noah Gragson.
On Lap 28, van Gisbergen lost his No. 97 on his own and forced the fourth caution with Logano still out front as drivers failed to get into any kind of longer run on the slick track.
The segment ended with Logano leading Bell to the checkers. Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott followed behind.
In the longest green-flag run thus far, Chastain led on the restart on Lap 70, but Larson passed the No. 1 on Lap 81.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver showed strength and pulled away from Chastain by nearly three seconds with Logano in third.
However, with the possibility existing of the No. 5 car not being able to get to the end of the 95-lap stage, Larson’s crew chief Cliff Daniels urged his driver to try to save fuel by skipping third gear.
Zane Smith wrecked his Ford on Lap 131 for the eighth yellow, setting up a full field of pit stops.
Chase racers Wallace, Chase Briscoe, William Byron, Ryan Preece and Elliott were all involved in an incident on the Lap 141 restart.
Blaney had brake failure under the flagstand on Lap 155 and crashed his No. 12 Ford into the frontstretch wall for the 10th caution.
With 27 laps to go, Elliott had a similar moment and lost his brakes, then his No. 9 Chevy crashed into Briscoe’s No. 19 Toyota in Turn 1.
