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Driving the #5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports, Kyle Larson won the eighth playoff race of the 2022 NASCAR season at Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.
The 30-year-old secured his third win of the season after beating Ross Chastain in the closing laps of the 400-mile-long race.
The 2021 Cup Champion was eliminated from the 2022 NASCAR playoffs in the Round of 12, but that did not stop him from going for the win on Sunday.
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His win denied the playoff drivers from clinching the Championship 4 spot, with only one race remaining at Martinsville Speedway in the Round of 8.
There were a few issues along the way, including early caution during the green flag pit stops and a pit road run-in that ultimately decided the race. However, Kyle Larson turned in a dominant performance by winning both stages and leading 199 of 267 laps to win his first race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
In an action-packed race, Larson crossed the finish line 1.261 seconds ahead of Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain to grab the checkered flag.
The win marked Larson's third victory of the season and the overall 19th victory for the Elk Grove, California-born driver. It also puts the #5 Hendrick Motorsports team in Championship 4 in the owners’ championship.
Dixie Vodka 400 saw 11 lead changes among five different drivers. The venue hosted its 24th annual Cup race and the new Next Gen cars for the first time. The 1.5-mile-long track did not witness any caution flags.
Kyle Larson talks about his Dixie Vodka 400 win
Sunday’s win was amazing for Kyle Larson and #5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Hendrick Motorsports as they took the checkered flag in dominant form and tasted their third victory of the season.
Larson called Sunday’s run his finest performance of the 2022 season. During a post-race interview after the Dixie Vodka 400 win, the Californian said:
“No matter what team I’ve been with, things haven’t worked out on my end to get a win, so glad to get one today. Definitely the best run we’ve had all year long.”
He continued:
“We’ve been capable of it, I feel like many weekends, we just hadn’t quite put it all together. [Crew chief] Cliff [Daniels] gave a great speech this morning and got us all ready to go and focused.”
Catch Kyle Larson next for the third NASCAR race of the Round of 8 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, October 30, 2022.
