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Kyle Larson steals win in NASCAR regular season finale

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch, front, leads Kyle Larson into Turn 1 during the Monster Energy Series auto race at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va., Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017. (Steve Helber / Associated Press)
By Hank Kurz Jr. Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. – Kyle Larson and his Chip Ganassi Racing team snatched NASCAR’s last victory before the start of the playoffs Saturday night at Richmond.

Martin Truex Jr. had the race easily in hand until Derrike Cope slowed with under four laps remaining. Larson was second at the time, itching for fresh tires and a shot at the win in overtime.

He took his Chevrolet to pit road, his Ganassi team got him out as the leader, and he held for his fourth victory of the season. That ties Truex for most in the Cup series this season.

“I’m really pumped for the playoffs, we’ve got a really good shot at the championship,” Larson said.

Truex, the regular-season champion, wrecked in overtime while racing for position. The entire sequence cost him what seemed to easily be his fifth win of the season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., meanwhile, was officially eliminated from the playoffs. He’s retiring at the end of the season.

Truex still start the 10-race playoff stretch as the favorite to win the championship because he earned the most bonus points during the regular season.

But Larson is hot too, and the Richmond win was his first at a short track in the Cup Series.

“This has been a dream season for me, and we still have a long way to go,” Larson said,

Chaos erupted with 140 laps remaining because one of NASCAR’s rescue vehicles clogged the entrance to pit road as cars headed to their stalls. As the traffic bottlenecked, Matt Kenseth ran into the car in front of him, and his night was ended with a crumpled hood.

“I saw an ambulance sitting there,” Kenseth said. “It was an accordion effect and I just couldn’t get stopped.”

He had to watch from the infield because his playoff fates were taken out of his hands. Clint Bowyer, a driver who had to win to get in to the playoffs, might as well has had his night ruined, too. He suffered enough damage in the accident that his car was essentially eliminated from winning contention.