Kyle Larson and his Turner Scott Motorsports team went out with a bang in the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) grand finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, leading 111 of the 200-lap race before two heart-pounding green/white/checkered flag finishes left Larson with a third-place finish.
Coming up just 0.06 seconds short of claiming the NNS pole, Larson and the No. 42 Cartwheel by Target Chevrolet Camaro took the green flag from the front rows outside lane. The young driver wasted no time charging to the front, and by lap five, the No. 42 car was significantly ahead of the entire field. Larson continued to dominate the race through two cautions and two rounds of pit stops, but despite his performance, the Cartwheel Chevy began to feel loose, and just before the halfway mark, he gave up the lead. When the third caution flag waved on lap 118, crew chief Scott Zipadelli called Larson to pit road for four new tires, fuel and a track-bar adjustment. After the lightning-fast pit stop, the No. 42 car rejoined the field and quickly regained the lead on the restart. Larson continued to inch further away from his competitors until the yellow flag waved again on lap 144. Coming to the pits for a quick stop, tensions ran high as Larson and the leaders had a tight battle to win the race off of pit road. Restarting in fourth, the No. 42 car charged to second before getting loose and dropping to third. Fortunately, the caution flag waved again on lap 173 and Zipadelli called Larson back to pit road for tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. Charging back to the second position on the restart, Larson began battling for the lead when the yellow flag waved with five laps to go. The field was set for a green/white/checkered (GWC) finish and as racing resumed, the Cartwheel Chevy charged to the front. Just one lap away from claiming victory, a multi-car accident occurred behind him and the caution flag was displayed again. Poised and ready for one more GWC dash to the finish line, Larson decided to take the inside lane for the restart, despite having chosen the outside lane for the majority of the race. As the final green flag waved, Larson made every effort to charge to the front, but in doing so, he spun his tires, forcing him to give up the lead when the white flag was displayed. Although dominating the majority of the race, Larson and the No. 42 Cartwheel Chevy came up short when it was all said and done, ultimately crossing the finish line in third place.
Larson and the No. 42 TSM team conclude the 2014 NNS season with two wins, one pole, 14 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes in just 28 races together. Larson led an impressive 356 laps this season, scoring his career-high on Saturday afternoon at Homestead. After an impressive year, the No. 42 car owned by Harry Scott Jr. lands fourth in the NNS Owner Point Standings.
Kyle Larson on the Final Race of the 2014 NNS Season:
“That was such a fun race. We led a lot of laps today; more in one race than I have in my whole career, actually. Our Cartwheel Chevy was good on restarts all night. But when we got the final yellow flag, I accidentally spun my tires a little on the start and I was side drafting all down the frontstretch, and that’s all the No. 20 really needed to win. I’m definitely disappointed. I’m not really sure if my lane choice would’ve made a difference or not though. My spotter Derek Kneeland said to take the top, but I wanted to do what I thought would work, and if it didn’t, I could be mad at myself instead of anyone else. Overall, it felt great to end our season on such a positive note. Our team has had its ups and downs all year, but I’ve had a lot of fun racing with these guys and, for the most part, we’ve been competitive each and every race. I can’t thank Cartwheel and all of Target’s partners for their support all year. A big thanks to ENEOS, as well, for two great races together. It’s been great to work with Harry Scott Jr. again this year and I’m looking forward to what the future holds for this team.”
TSM PR
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