Las Vegas – Alex Bowman cleared teammate Kyle Larson exiting Turn 4 on the final lap and held on to win Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in overtime.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver restarted second beside Larson on the overtime restart and it was a drag race for two laps until Bowman pulled in front coming to the checkered flag.
It is Bowman’s seventh career NASCAR Cup Series win.
Bowman and Larson were only in position to win after they and fellow Hendrick teammate William Byron took right-side tires in the pits and were the first three cars off pit road. Kyle Busch, who finished fourth, was the first driver off to take four tires. Much of the field had run out of fresh tires due to a race that saw 12 cautions, the most in a race at the 1.5-mile track since 2018.
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While Bowman won the first stage, he had to bounce back from an equipment violation penalty on pit road that sent him to the back of the pack.
“This thing was so fast all day, just never really had the track position we needed to show it,” Bowman told Fox Sports. “What a call by (crew chief) Greg Ives and the guys to take two there, Obviously, it paid off. Racing Kyle (Larson’s) always fun … we’ve always raced each other super clean and respectfully. … It’s been a pretty awful start to the year. So to come out here and get a win on a last restart deal is pretty special.”
The win is Bowman’s first top-10 finish through three races this season.
The top three were Bowman, Larson and Ross Chastain, who won the second stage and led a career-best 83 laps.
“Dream come true,” said Chastain, who delivered Trackhouse Racing its best result yet. “This is what all the work is for. This is why we train, done our whole lives and careers, once we realize we can race at this level is to have race cars like that. Couldn’t be more proud of Trackhouse.”
Rounding out the top five were Busch and Byron. Busch, who was in a backup car after a wreck in practice Saturday, was leading Martin Truex Jr. with three laps to go in the scheduled distance when the caution came out for a wreck involving Erik Jones and Bubba Wallace.
“True testament to everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing,” Busch told Fox Sports. “Really appreciate the 18 guys, my guys. But also the 11, 19, and 20, all them, for coming over, pitching in. Everybody had a hand in being able to make us go today. Really appreciate that.
“Trying to just do what I could to hold the lead there with Truex. Felt like I inched away finally … But anyways, wasn’t meant to be, not our day, see you next week.”
Rounding out the top 10 were Aric Almirola, Tyler Reddick, Truex, Chase Elliott and pole-sitter Christopher Bell.
Almirola is the only driver who has finished in the top 10 in every race this season.
The first caution of the day was a scheduled competition yellow on Lap 30.
At the time Bell led over Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Bowman and Larson.
Blaney was the first off pit road as Chastain gained five spots to fifth. Busch had an extended pit stop due to an issue with his transmission. Larson had to pit a second time for a loose lug nut.
Two laps after the restart on Lap 36, the first caution for an incident originated from a one-car spin by Cole Custer in Turn 2. Larson was listed in 26th during the break.
The second incident caution quickly followed for an incident that involved Justin Haley, Austin Dillon and Busch in Turn 2 on Lap 42. Bowman had taken the lead from Blaney on the restart.
Bowman kept the lead for a few laps after the restart until Hamlin claimed on it Lap 50. Larson, rebounding from his second pit stop under caution, moved back into the top 10 by Lap 55, advancing 13 spots from the restart.
The fourth incident caution waved on Lap 63 for a spin by Tyler Reddick exiting Turn 4 that sent his No. 8 Chevrolet sliding through the infield grass. Reddick would bounce back to finish seventh.
In the pits, Aric Almirola only took two tires and advanced 13 spots to be first off pit road. Meanwhile, Kurt Busch, Corey LaJoie and Custer stayed out ahead of a restart with 12 laps left in the stage.
Custer and LaJoie dropped like rocks on the restart and Busch only held the lead for one lap before Byron and Almirola overtook him and he quickly fell back. Byron led until three laps to go in the stage when teammate Bowman got around him in Turns 1 and 2 and went on to claim the stage win.
The top 10 after one stage: Bowman, Byron, Chastain, Hamlin, Elliott, Larson, Blaney, Briscoe, Kyle Busch and Bell.
Brad Keselowski took two tires and was first off pit road, but Michael McDowell stayed out to take the lead ahead of the Stage 2 restart.
Keselowski took the lead and managed to keep it for three laps until Hamlin passed him out of Turn 4. Shortly after, Briscoe got loose checking up to avoid McDowell off Turn 4, turned down and made contact with Daniel Suarez. That sent Suarez into the outside wall. The Trackhouse Racing driver was the first elimination of the day.
“I don’t know what to say,” Suarez said. “He got loose and he clipped me. He didn’t do it intentionally, but it was unfortunate.”
The next elimination came on Lap 104 when Keselowski, who was still only on two new tires, spun exiting Turn 4. As he backed into the outside wall, he collected Blaney’s No. 12 Ford. Blaney retired to to garage while Keselowski’s underwent repairs and continued.
Briscoe and Almirola didn’t take tires under the caution and were first off pit road. Kyle Busch and Dillon stayed out and led the field on the restart on Lap 110.
Busch held the lead until Chastain took it on Lap 113 and Larson took second. Larson wasn’t there long. He attempted to pass Chastain on Lap 116, but got loose and shot up the track, saving the car before falling back a few spots. Hamlin assumed second.
The eighth caution waved with 31 laps left in the stage for an Austin Cindric spin high in the entrance to Turn 3, likely because Briscoe was spinning on his own further into the turn. Briscoe retired from the race under caution.
“I just went in the corner and the thing spun out,” Briscoe said. “It’s just really unfortunate. I thought we were gonna be really really good. We’ve had good speed all year long, so we’ll just try to dig out of a hole next week.”
Larson took the lead over Chastain on pit road. Hamlin dropped out of the top 10 after an air hose got stuck underneath a tire. Bowman was penalized for equipment interference
The race didn’t make it a lap under green before the next caution, this time for spins by Bell and Harrison Burton.
The green flag returned with 120 laps to go with Larson and Elliott on the front row.
Chastain eventually took the lead again, passing Larson with six to go in the stage. He went on to claim the stage win, the first of his Cup career.
The top 10 at the end of stage two: Chastain, Elliott, Larson, Byron, Kyle Busch, Truex, Logano, Harvick, Hamlin and Wallace.
Chastain was first off pit road, beating Kyle Busch. Chastain kept the lead on the restart after a hearty battle with Busch.
With about 48 laps to go, the caution came out right at the tail end of green flag stops. The cause was Hamlin spinning while exiting the pits and then stalling. Hamlin retired from the race due to a broken transaxle. It’s his second DNF through three races.
“Just killed every gear when I left pit road,” Hamlin said. “We had the best car today. Just got back there and was working our way forward and made mistakes.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ty Dillon were the front two cars at the time having not pit, while Kyle Busch was third and Chastain fourth. After the leaders pit, Busch assumed the top spot.