Kyle Larson was in a league of his own last Sunday, driving his way to the fifth win of the 2024 at Bristol Motor Speedway. In a race where drivers and teams were prepared to tackle tire wear challenges, the #5 team devised different plans. And next thing you know, Larson was charging to get into the lead position from the get-go. Knowing that there was a threat of his tires being overused late in the race.

But as we all know, nothing of the sort happened as the race remained green for the most part. Tracking down his teammate Alex Bowman and passing him for the lead, Larson asserted his control over the race right from stage 1. From here on, he never looked back and just dominated the proceedings. Taking home the winning trophy and sweet memories, celebrating with his son Owen.

The #5 team certainly had a different approach setup-wise in comparison to their opponents. But how did they figure out that tire wear-off wasn’t going to be a factor going into the race? And the answer to that is Larson’s feedback after the practice run.

Kyle Larson prefers long green lap runs over tire management races at Bristol

The spring race in Bristol was marred by excess tire fall-off, forcing the drivers to adopt a new style of racing. These tires could barely make 50-60 laps if pushed too hard; therefore, there was an element of strategy involved in that race. NASCAR was hoping to bring about a rather similar experience that would encourage competitive racing and strategies. Therefore went with a similar Goodyear tire for the playoff race.

However, this time around, there was a big difference in the way the Goodyear rubber reacted to the concrete surface of Bristol. And Larson and his team were among the first ones to notice the drastic difference from the sprint event. “I would say probably by lap 10 in practice. You’re visually scanning the racetrack; you’re looking for marbles and stuff, and I didn’t see any. So I was like, Alright, happy for sure.” Larson said after winning the race.

It was indeed surprising to see Kyle Larson appreciate stale and uneventful racing. But the HMS star prefers racing going all out rather than being forced to plan and strategize with the tires at the short track. “I know you guys think the race in the spring was better, but as a driver, I would way rather run 100 percent all night long for 500 laps than run 50 percent. I grew up racing different stuff where you do push the whole race, but I think that version of Bristol is way more exciting.”

Now it is indeed hard to argue against a seasoned NASCAR winner who knows how to get things done. This win in particular was special for Larson and his team, given that they went off-track in the previous few races. Now they are back in a commanding position to focus on the bigger picture, which is to compete for the championship.

Larson needed a win to get back on track

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Ever since his win at the Brickyard 400, Larson found it difficult to find the race-winning speed he had for most of the regular season. In the next six starts he made, he could manage only a single top 5 finish. And the big surprise was his mediocre outing in the first two races of the playoffs. At Atlanta, he was involved in a freak accident that resulted in a DNF; meanwhile, at Watkins Glen, he just wasn’t able to move up in the field.

Sure, he had the buffer of the bonus points he collected through the regular season, but he needed a solid performance at Bristol to advance further. And he delivered the goods in some fashion, marking his first win at the short track since 2021. Had he sat on the pole, he would’ve led the whole 500 laps, but it was a statement victory for the #5 team.

Going into the Round of 12, the HMS star sits top of the points standings with a 15-point lead over 2nd-place driver, Christopher Bell. Larson could further solidify his position with an early win in the second round at Kansas Speedway. Mile-and-a-half racing venues are his strong suit, so keep an eye out for him this weekend; he just might add his sixth win of this season.