Xfinity Series: Kyle Larson wins in double overtime at Texas

Written by Bailey Defoor

Credit: Logan Riely / Getty Images

What started as filling in for an injured driver turned to victory lane for Kyle Larson as he took the win at Texas Motor Speedway in double overtime.

As it unfolded

Prior to the race, Connor Zilisch was ruled out and replaced by Larson due to the lower back injury he sustained during the last lap incident last week at Talladega.

Qualifying was canceled, so the grid was set using their metric scores. Austin Hill started on pole alongside Justin Allgaier with Jesse Love and Jeb Burton behind them.

Allgaier swept around the outside and took the early lead.

Lap 2 brought out the first caution when Ryan Ellis went for a spin but was able to keep out of the wall and continue on. Ellis had contact with Dean Thompson. Under caution, Jeremy Clements pits to replace his transmitter, and Christian Eckes pits to repair some damage.

Allgaier led the way from the inside on lap 7 and got the jump on Hill. Going into the first corner, there is another crash which includes Sammy Smith, Leland Honeyman and Nick Liets. Smith tapped the back of Honeyman near 16th, and Honeyman spun out, hitting Lietz, who also spun. Smith, Eckes and Thompson pit under caution.

Allgaier and Hill restarted once again on lap 12, going side by side through turn 1 before Allgaier pulled ahead. Love briefly lost control and opened the door for Sheldon Creed to take third. Creed began battling with Hill for second. 

Love fell back as Nick Sanchez fought alongside him for fourth. Sanchez coming out ahead.

Larson was flying through the field, starting in 20th and making it just outside the top 10 by lap 21 before another caution was thrown.

Light contact between Honeyman and Josh Bilicki sent Bilicki through the grass.

Many drivers pit under this caution, including Love.

Allgaier and Hill lead the way on lap 26. Allgaier, Creed and Sanchez pulled ahead after a bad start from Hill.

Larson broke into the top 5 on lap 28 and began challenging Hill for fourth.

Sanchez pulled up alongside Creed as the two traded second place back and forth between them. Sanchez came out on top and surged to challenge Allgaier.

Larson got past Hill, Creed and Sanchez easily and caught up to the back of Allgaier by lap 40.

Corey Day was also pulling ahead, making it up 23 places in the first stage.

Allgaier maintains the lead for the stage win, followed closely by Larson and Sanchez.

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 7 - Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports)

2. No. 88 - Kyle Larson (JR Motorsports)

3. No. 48 - Nick Sanchez (Big Machine Racing)

4. No. 21 -  Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing)

5. No. 41 - Sam Mayer (Haas Factory Team)

6. No. 00 - Sheldon Creed (Haas Factory Team)

7. No. 39 - Ryan Sieg (RSS Racing)

8. No. 20 - Brandon Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing)

9. No. 27 - Jeb Burton (Jordan Anderson Racing)

10. No. 42 - Anthony Alfredo (Young’s Motorsports)

Many drivers pit including the frontrunners. Hill, Creed and Brandon Jones get off pit road ahead of the original top three, and Love makes up 6 places off pit road.

Eckes also pitted but had to retire the car with an issue with the car’s piston.

Creed and Jones lead the way on lap 54, but Hill sweeps around both of them for the lead as Sanchez took third from Jones. Allgaier also got past Jones, Sanchez and Creed, working his way back to the front. 

With 2 laps left in the stage, Kris Wright scraped the wall, but kept the car running. It brought out the fifth caution of the race.

The caution ended the stage with Hill ahead of Allgaier and Creed.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 21 -  Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing)

2. No. 7 - Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports)

3. No. 00 - Sheldon Creed (Haas Factory Team)

4. No. 48 - Nick Sanchez (Big Machine Racing)

5. No. 41 - Sam Mayer (Haas Factory Team)

6. No. 19 - Riley Herbst (Joe Gibbs Racing)

7. No. 2 - Jesse Love (Richard Childress Racing)

8. No. 17 - Corey Day (Hendrick Motorsports)

9. No. 20 - Brandon Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing)

10. No. 54 - Taylor Gray (Joe Gibbs Racing)

Many drivers head to the pits, including the top 5. Hill makes it out first, followed by Creed. Again, Love and, now, Corey Day make up the most places off of pit road.

Hill and Allgaier led the way for the restart, but they did not make it to the first corner as the sixth caution is thrown on lap 97.

A train of cars followed each other straight into the grass. Day, Gray, Sam Mayer and Riley Herbst all make contact. Josh Williams gets spun and collects Ellis, Bilicki, Katherine Legge, Mason Massey, Garrett Smithley, and Anthony Alfredo. 11 total drivers were involved in this crash.

Hill and Allgaier lead the way again on lap 104. Allgaier comes out ahead this time as Creed has a problem, collects Day and scrapes the side of Love before hitting the inside wall. All three suffer damage.

With 88 laps to go, Allgaier and Hill lined up to lead the field once again back to racing speed. Sanchez gets the jump on Hill and takes second place. Larson also has a good start and takes third from Hill.

Larson caught up to Sanchez on lap 122 and took second place one lap later.

On lap 123, Legge pulled off to the side and slowed with a tyre issue and made it to the pits without assistance.

Cars started pitting under the green flag on lap 131 while Larson continued to challenge Allgaier for the lead.

Larson and Love pit on lap 151, coming out in 14th and 21st, respectively. Allgaier and Hill pit one lap later. Larson and Sanchez get out ahead of both of them. Mayer is the new race leader.

Another caution comes out with 45 to go as Allgaier gets into the back of Wright, sending Wright sideways into the grass and Allgaier into the wall. Wright was able to continue, but Allgaier had to retire. 

The drivers who did not pit under the green flag pitted on lap 159. Larson cycles to the lead, followed by Sanchez and Hill. They go back to racing speed on lap 164, and Hill originally had the jump on Sanchez, but Sanchez came back into second.

With 15 laps to go, Larson extended his lead to 5 seconds ahead of Sanchez and Hill as Hill finally got past Sanchez.

On lap 187, Day spins and hits the outside wall from 15th. Many drivers pit under the caution, including Larson, who comes out first. Hill takes the lead followed by Sanchez. Larson funneled out onto the fourth row. 

The race restarts on lap 194, Hill gets a little loose as Sanchez gets pushed by Mayer and Larson goes around the outside into fourth.

The race gets sent into overtime when Smith hits the wall one lap later and brings out another caution. Jeremy Clements also bounced off the wall at turn 2.

Mayer and Sanchez lead the way, followed closely by Larson and Hill, with 2 to go. Mayer gets the early lead and Larson gets up to second when another caution is thrown as Jeremy Clements goes sideways and hits the outside wall.

Mayer and Larson line up for the restart for 2 laps. They stay side by side through the first turn, but Larson gets ahead as Gray also gets past Mayer. 

Kyle Larson takes the checkered flag in double overtime ahead of Gray and Herbst.

Provisional Results

1. No. 88 - Kyle Larson (JR Motorsports)

2. No. 54 - Taylor Gray (Joe Gibbs Racing)

3. No. 19 - Riley Herbst (Joe Gibbs Racing)

4. No. 21 -  Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing)

5. No. 25 - Harrison Burton (AM Racing)

6. No. 41 - Sam Mayer (Haas Factory Team)

7. No. 2 - Jesse Love (Richard Childress Racing)

8. No. 39 - Ryan Sieg (RSS Racing)

9. No. 20 - Brandon Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing)

10. No. 27 - Jeb Burton (Jordan Anderson Racing)

11. No. 10 - Daniel Dye (Kaulig Racing)

12. No. 42 - Anthony Alfredo (Young’s Motorsports)

13. No. 18 - William Sawalich (Joe Gibbs Racing)

14. No. 4 - Parker Retzlaff (Alpha Prime Racing)

15. No. 99 - Matt DiBenedetto (Viking Motorsports)

16. No. 17 - Corey Day (Hendrick Motorsports)

17. No. 44 - Brennen Poole (Alpha Prime Racing)

18. No. 8 - Sammy Smith (JR Motorsports)

19. No. 1 - Carson Kvapil (JR Motorsports)

20. No. 48 - Nick Sanchez (Big Machine Racing)

21. No. 45 - Mason Massey (Alpha Prime Racing) +1 laps

22. No. 28 - Kyle Sieg (RSS Racing) +1 laps

23. No. 71 - Ryan Ellis (DGM Racing) +1 laps

24. No. 31 - Blaine Perkins (Jordan Anderson Racing) +1 laps

25. No. 35- Joey Gase (Joey Gase Motorsports) +1 laps

26. No. 53- Mason Maggio (Joey Gase Motorsports) +1 laps

27. No. 26 - Dean Thompson (Sam Hunt Racing) +3 laps

28. No. 91 - Josh Bilicki (DGM Racing x JIM) +3 laps

29. No. 07 - Nick Leitz (SS-Green Light Racing) +4 laps

30. No. 14 - Garrett Smithley (SS-Green Light Racing) +7 laps

31. No. 51 - Jeremy Clements (Jeremy Clements Racing) +8 laps

32. No. 32 - Katherine Legge (Jordan Anderson Racing) +8 laps

33. No. 5 - Kris Wright (Our Motorsports) +9 laps

34. No. 70 - Leland Honeyman (Cope Family Racing) [DNF]

35. No. 7 - Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports) [DNF]

36. No. 00 - Sheldon Creed (Haas Factory Team) [DNF]

37. No. 11 - Josh Williams (Kaulig Racing) [DNF]

38. No. 16 - Christian Eckes (Kaulig Racing) [DNF]

There is a brief break before NASCAR Xfinity returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 24, at 15:30 EST (20:30 BST). Be there or be square!