Kyle Larsen wins at Watkins Glen, grabbing his 2nd win of the season (8-21-22)
By: Becca Cottingham Quimby
Headline Photo Credit: NASCAR Twitter Page
After a rather lengthy rain delay, we get underway at Wakins Glen International. Chase Elliott will bring us to the green flag and we see three and four wide racing already. Aric Amarillo will serve a penalty early this just after Michael McDowell took over second from Kyle Larson. Before they get through the first lap Austin Cindric will lock the front of the car up and get into AJ Allmendinger. Harrison Burton and Corey LaJoie will also spin in that same corner. Michael McDowell will take the lead from Chase Elliott. Drivers do start coming down pit road to get fuel and change from rain tires to slicks. This could change the outcome of stage one and how quickly some drivers switched to slicks. Chase Briscoe was the first driver to make a changeover, which may be the battle for the lead for the stage. Michael McDowell will come out right in front of Chase Briscoe. They go to battle but Chase was a little too much for Michael McDowell. Therefore, leading to Chase Briscoe coming the winner of the green flag pit stops. Multiple drivers do still opt to hit pit road before it closed. Chase Briscoe will stay out and will win stage one.
Todd Gilliland and Joey Logano will lead us into stage two. We will see three wide racing once again. Multiple drivers are trying the two pit stop strategy it appears. We see a pretty calm stage two with only penalties. Corey LaJoie gets hit with a penalty for removing equipment from the pit box. Joey Logano will win stage two. Then Kyle Busch was just over his pit box at the end of the pit box by roughly an inch sending him to the rear of the fear.
We head into the third stage with Michael McDowell and Chase Elliott. Drivers go four and five wide with drivers trying to get somewhere on the track. This leads to Ross Chastain getting into Austin Dillion and another driver running into the Ice Man. We will get our first non-stage break caution. Michael McDowell will get back out in front, but will not be long. Chase Elliott will eventually get around him. The battle will be on now due to fuel. Drivers will do green flag pit stops and most will have to wait it out for fuel. Chase Elliott and the team will get him out in a timely manner and that was extremely important. Kyle Larson and his crew will get him out in front of Michael McDowell which is important for Kyle Larson. Joey Hand will bring out the caution as he gets into the tire barrier. This late caution will change up a lot of things for multiple drivers as the leaders stayed out. We will see another late caution by a single car that got into the sand trap. We will get another big restart. Kyle Larson will use up his teammate Chase Elliott on the restart. Kyle Larson and AJ Allmendinger will be battling once again. It is almost a repeat of the Xfinity race from yesterday. AJ Allmendinger tried desperately to catch Kyle Larson but did not make it. Kyle Larson will be our unofficial winner at Wakins Glen.
