“I Fought Hard” – Kyle Larson on his NASCAR All-Star Win at Texas

Kyle Larson has been on a roll in the past few weeks in the NASCAR Cup Series. Earlier on Sunday, he roared to his third consecutive victory, this time at the NASCAR All-Star race. This puts him in a very strong position ahead of the next Cup Series race. Although Denny Hamlin still leads the championship, Larson is edging closer and closer.

Speaking after his win he said, “You run scenarios in your head a lot. Nine times out of 10, it doesn’t work out how you need it to. It kind of played out, I fought hard to get to third and then to set myself up for the final few laps. I knew if I was 4th, I’d have to start on the inside and I knew I couldn’t win from there.”

WATCH STORY: NASCAR Banters: Gordon, Kyle Busch and More

This was why he felt that it was important to grab third and start on the outside. From there, all that he could do was hope that Chase Elliott had a slower start than him. However, the likes of Brad Keselowski kept him on his toes for a while before Larson could finally break away.

Where does this put Kyle Larson in the championship?

Admittedly, the All-Star race is a non-championship round. In other words, no points are awarded for winning, though they do receive a hefty cash prize. Now, the Hendrick Motorsports driver will be looking forward to the next race and hopefully closing the gap to Hamlin.

In the coming weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series paddock visits the Nashville Superspeedway for the next round. The track makes a return to the NASCAR calendar after 9 years, so this is new territory for many drivers. Out of the current crop of drivers, only Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, and Brad Keselowski have won there. In this day and age, Keselowski seems to be the biggest threat, as his win was a lot more recent.

READ MORE: “They are Just Stupid Fast!” – Brad Keselowski on Finishing 2nd to the Hendrick Motorsports Cars