The 2024 NASCAR Cup season has witnessed yet another historic close finish. Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher (Images via IMAGO and X)
The NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas witnessed history as Hendrick Motorsports’ driver secured his second win of the 2024 season in an impressive manner. He defeated the RFK Racing driver in an epic final lap battle by a margin of 0.001 seconds, marking the smallest margin for victory in the history of the sport.
Kyle Larson began the race in fourth position and consistently maintained his position among the frontrunners throughout the event. After enduring 267 laps, 26 lead changes, and seven caution periods, the driver of the No:5 Chevy Camero ZL1 found himself engaged in a final lap battle with Chris Buescher, who was leading in the No:17 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
The duo was closely pursued by the No:9 HMS Chevy and the No:19 Toyota Camry. Despite multiple attempts to overtake, Larson was unable to secure the lead due to Buescher’s strong defense. However, in the final turn of the race, Larson forcefully made contact with the No:17 Ford, causing him to lose momentum.
This gave Larson enough time to pass Buescher and cross the finish line ahead of him. The finish was so close that Buescher’s team initially celebrated, believing they had won. However, after NASCAR reviewed the footage, Larson was declared the winner. RFK Racing protested the results, claiming that the finish line was uneven, but NASCAR quickly resolved the confusion by utilizing a finish line camera to determine the winner.
When discussing his impressive victory, Kyle Larson emphasized that it was an enjoyable and entertaining race. He highlighted the excitement of all the stages, particularly the final stages with the crashes and caution periods.
With yet another defeat, Ford finds itself in an embarrassing situation. In the 2024 NASCAR season, they have participated in 30 races across all three tiers but have failed to secure a single victory. This also marks the third closest finish they have lost in the Cup this year.