Kyle Larson Fights Off Challenges in First Career Win

(FONTANA, CA – MARCH 22, 2014 – RIS) Phenom Kyle Larson searched for the race line he preferred for over half the race Saturday, then used what he learned to hold off challenges from Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick after a late race caution. In winning the TreatMyClot.com 300, he scored his first victory in 38 career Nationwide Series starts and his fifth top-ten finish in the current season.

Kevin Harvick placed second and Kyle Busch took third place, just over a second ahead of a rapidly gaining Joey Logano. The margin of victory of 0.342 second only hides the fact that Harvick and Busch both had multiple runs at Larson, with Harvick taking a dramatic low line in the third turn of the track but Larson's smooth high line allowed momentum to rule the day at the stripe.

Larson's victory burnout in the front straight grass showed a new wrinkle to what has become a cliché: he held the steering wheel out the window while he spun the car around.

In Victory Lane after the race, competing team owner Rick Hendrick congratulated Larson, followed shortly by third-place finisher Kyle Busch. "He’s great.  He’s definitely a great talent," said Busch later.  "That’s why he’s here.  That’s why he’s made it this far.  That’s why he’s in Cup.  He does a good job.  It was fun racing there at the end.  I had a track on him and cleared him I would have been done with him, but I couldn’t get the slide job done quick enough without just knocking the wall down.  And so he got back to my outside and that was it for us."

Unofficial Race Results:16th Annual TreatMyClot.com 300

Fin, Str, Driver, Car, Lap, Pts, BPts, Status, TLd, LLd
1) 8, Kyle Larson(i), No. 42 Cartwheel Chevrolet, 150, 0, , Running, 4, 17
2) 6, Kevin Harvick(i), No. 5 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet, 150, 0, , Running, 2, 8
3) 39, Kyle Busch(i), No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota, 150, 0, , Running, 4, 25
4) 4, Joey Logano(i), No. 22 America's Tire Ford, 150, 0, , Running, 6, 96
5) 1, Elliott Sadler, No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota, 150, 39, , Running
6) 5, Chase Elliott#, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, 150, 39, 1, Running, 1, 2
7) 2, Matt Kenseth(i), No. 20 GameStop/Turtle Beach Toyota, 150, 0, , Running
8) 3, Ty Dillon#, No. 3 Wesco Chevrolet, 150, 36, , Running
9) 13, Trevor Bayne, No. 6 AdvoCare Ford, 150, 35, , Running
10) 11, Regan Smith, No. 7 Best Foods Chevrolet, 150, 34, , Running
11) 7, Dylan Kwasniewski#, No. 31 Rockstar Chevrolet, 150, 33, , Running
12) 9, Brian Scott, No. 2 Anderson's Maple Syrup Chevrolet, 150, 33, 1, Running, 1, 2
13) 16, David Ragan(i), No. 98 Carroll Shelby Engine Co. Ford, 150, 0, , Running
14) 19, Chris Buescher#, No. 60 Roush Performance Ford, 150, 30, , Running
15) 10, Brendan Gaughan, No. 62 WIX Filters Chevrolet, 150, 29, , Running
16) 12, James Buescher, No. 99 Rheem Toyota, 150, 28, , Running
17) 15, Ryan Reed#, No. 16 ADA Drive to Stop Diabetes presented by Lilly Ford, 149, 27, , Running
18) 18, Mike Bliss, No. 19 DoubleTree by Hilton - Claremont Toyota, 149, 26, , Running
19) 14, JJ Yeley, No. 93 Dodge, 149, 25, , Running
20) 27, Dakoda Armstrong#, No. 43 Charter Ford, 148, 24, , Running
21) 26, Mike Wallace, No. 28 Dodge, 148, 23, , Running
22) 17, Ryan Sieg#, No. 39 Pull-A-Part Chevrolet, 148, 22, , Running
23) 25, Jeffrey Earnhardt, No. 4 K1 Speed/Shakey's Pizza Chevrolet, 147, 21, , Running
24) 21, David Starr, No. 44 Niece Equipment Toyota, 147, 20, , Running
25) 33, Eric McClure, No. 14 Hefty Ultimate/Reynolds Wrap Toyota, 146, 19, , Running
26) 30, Joey Gase, No. 52 D and B Sales/Axe Equipment Chevrolet, 145, 18, , Running
27) 35, Daryl Harr, No. 87 iWorld Chevrolet, 145, 17, , Running
28) 36, Derrike Cope, No. 70 CharlieSoap.com Chevrolet, 143, 16, , Running
29) 37, Carlos Contreras, No. 23 Voli 38 Special Chevrolet, 140, 15, , Running
30) 28, Kevin Lepage, No. 74 WCIParts.com Dodge, 140, 14, , Running
31) 31, Tanner Berryhill#, No. 17 NationalCashLenders.com Dodge, 131, 13, , Running
32) 38, Jason White, No. 24 Be/More/Friday Night Tykes Toyota, 128, 12, , Power
33) 24, Josh Wise(i), No. 40 Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet, 126, 0, , Engine
34) 34, Jamie Dick, No. 55 Viva Auto Group Chevrolet, 126, 10, , Running
35) 23, Landon Cassill, No. 01 Flex Seal Chevrolet, 108, 9, , Fuel Pump
36) 20, Jeremy Clements, No. 51 RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet, 107, 8, , Running
37) 22, Matt Dibenedetto, No. 46 Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet, 8, 7, , Vibration
38) 40, Carl Long, No. 79 Toyota, 7, , , Electrical
39) 32, Blake Koch, No. 10 Supportmilitary.org Toyota, 6, 5, , Vibration
40) 29, Jeff Green, No. 91 Toyota, 4, , , Vibration, ,

# = Rookie, Fin = Finish, Str = Start, Pts = Total Points, BPs = Lap Leader Bns Pts, TLd = Times Led, LLd = Laps Led. (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

Average Speed: 143.942 MPH
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 05 Mins, 03 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.342 Seconds
Lead Changes: 18 among 6 drivers Cautions: 4 for 15 laps

RIS photo by John Davison