Once again, Kyle Larson spanked the field on his way to Victory Lane leading 264 of the 300 laps. While many in the field suffered from grip, brake and tire issues, Larson quickly made his way to the front and stayed there. If another driver found the lead, it wasn’t for long. Larson had his car hooked up and he didn’t waste time finding the lead every time. The only other driver to lead double digit laps was Kyle Busch with 10.
The Chevy’s were dominant in practice and held 6 of the final Top 10 spots but they weren’t all Hendrick cars this time. William Byron finished third but Alex Bowman finished 14th and while Chase Elliott finished in 9th, he ended the day in 39th due to his penalty for loose lug nuts. One could argue that Elliott should have pitted in the closing laps and saved a few points positions when he complained of a rear tire issue. The team wasn’t sure what was wrong and opted to keep him out and deal with the issue at the end of the race. Had the tire come apart he would have finished outside the Top 25 anyway, most likely in 30th.
Nashville proved to be a bit of a challenge to many teams. The slick concrete surface had a lot of drivers struggling to find grip and several teams experienced brake issues that saw their cars eventually banging into the wall. Larson easily ran to the front and gapped the field by a couple of seconds which, for some, made it a pretty boring race. Thankfully NBC had a good broadcast team and showed the battles going on elsewhere on the track. Jr and Burton are really good at bringing the driver experience into the home. But no one tunes into a race to watch 38 drivers struggling to find a racing groove.
Kyle Busch Watch
As mentioned, Kyle led 10 laps and many thought this kind of track would suit him. I guess not. He finished P11 and ran second to teammate Christopher Bell in P9. Pocono couldn’t be coming at a better time for Team Gibbs.
Good on ya mate
Ross Chastain (P2) got his best finish after a great pit call and not needing to save fuel.
Polesitter Aric Almirola (P4) got the good start and finish he desperately needed. Let’s hope they can use this as momentum.
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Kevin Harvick (P5) is still seeking his first win of the season and should be considered a contender at Pocono.
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (P6) had a stout car and even made it to the end of the race in spite of nearly wrecking himself in a battle with Kurt Busch.
Daniel Suarez (P7) ran well after starting 22nd and gathered up another Top 10 finish.
Kurt Busch (P8) faded a bit at the end and had to watch his teammate Chastain make a bid for the win instead. Not a bad day for Ganassi Racing.
Christopher Bell (P9) led the charge for Gibbs Racing and was the only Toyota to crack the Top 10.
Corey Lajoie (P15) made the Top 15 which is a good finish for them considering how difficult this track was.
So you had a bad day
Chase Elliott (P39) was DQd for loose lug nuts.
Quin Houff (P38) literally saw the wheels come off his effort on lap 2.
Ryan Blaney (P37) told his team he had no brakes on his last pit stop. Evidently he wasn’t kidding with a terrifically hard hit into the wall.
Martin Truex, Jr. (P22) didn’t qualify well not did he run very well.
Next up, the Pocono double header. Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick are the defending race winners from the 2020 double header. This should be a good race for what ills lurk over at Joe Gibbs Racing. Their drivers have won five of the last six races there. If Harvick can grab another victory or at least run Top 5, it might be the shot in the arm Stewart-Hass racing needs as well. With the speed Team Chevy has been bringing, you can’t rule out another strong showing by Kyle Larson or William Byron.
Drive fast, turn left and keep the shiny side up.
(Photo by Tim Parks/HHP for Chevy Racing)
