Kyle Larson won the High Limit Racing competition at Davenport Speedway in Iowa on Monday night, leading the final 24 of the 30-lap sprint. He won by more than three seconds and lapped all but 10 cars in the field.
What happened?
Larson took the checkered flag, then honored the late Kyle Busch by performing his signature “Busch Bow”.
Why it matters for Kyle Larson
This win marks a significant moment for Larson, who will donate his winnings to the Bundle of Joy fund, a charity started by Kyle and Samantha Busch to help families struggling with infertility.
Larson indicated that there will be a celebration of life for Busch on Tuesday, though no details of that service have been made public.
What comes next?
Larson, the Cup Series champion last year, is sixth in the point standings this year and hasn’t won a Cup Series race this season. He does have two victories in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
On Monday night, Larson's daughter celebrated in victory lane in a dirt race in Nebraska last week, performing the same “Busch Bow” that her father did after his win.
Kyle Busch died at the age of 41 on May 21 after complications from severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis. His sudden death sent shockwaves through NASCAR and drivers have continued to honor him.
Denny Hamlin performed his celebratory bow on Sunday night in Nashville, Tennessee after winning the Cracker Barrel 400. Daniel Suarez did the same after taking the checkered flag in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
During that race at Charlotte, Larson replaced his traditional name tag atop his door with “Little Kyle” — the nickname that Busch bestowed upon him.
Busch is NASCAR’s all-time leader in combined victories across its top three national touring series with 234. He won his final race just six days before his death, driving into victory lane in the Truck Series race at Dover.
Larson was the Cup Series champion last year in the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.