Kyle Larson, the driver of the No. 5, just pulled off one of the wildest wins of the 2026 season, recovering from a near-disaster on the final lap of the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway to snatch victory. He literally gave up the lead, fell to 11th, and still found a way to the front in a finish that nobody saw coming.
From “Choked Away” to Champion’s Move
Can you believe the chaos? On the final lap of that 188-lap NASCAR Cup Series race, Larson dropped all the way back to 11th. He was furious with himself, admitting later on “Dale Jr. Download” that he was “mad at myself” for what he thought was a blown opportunity. He was convinced he had “choked away this win that was going to be the easiest speedway win that I would ever have.” Talk about brutal self-talk! He even thought, “I don’t deserve to ever win a speedway race if I lose this one.” But instead of spiraling, “Yung Money” stayed composed. As the field roared through the tri-oval, Larson clawed his way back, passing Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the top spot and incredibly edging out his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron for a thrilling victory.
The Win That Changes Everything For the Chase
This wasn’t just any win for Larson. It was his third of the 2026 season, with all three now coming in the Chase. What’s even crazier? It’s his first career win at Talladega, and his very first on a superspeedway. Despite his initial frustration and thinking he’d messed up, Larson said he didn’t do anything “special or crazy” in that final recovery. He simply focused on taking “what I can get” and getting to the finish. And boom, “it just worked out all the way to the line.” This clutch performance has huge championship implications, giving Larson a massive 73-point advantage over Denny Hamlin in the battle for the title. With just two races remaining in the season, Larson can actually clinch the championship by scoring 59 points in Sunday’s Xfinity 500. All eyes are on that race this weekend.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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