Larson Takes Home First ‘Big Gator’ in Volusia
Kyle Larson wrapped up the first weekend of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida with another dominant performance on Saturday night.
Larson left Volusia Raceway Park with a collection of “Little Gators” (for feature race wins, including his first ever at Volusia, the blindingly fast half-mile oval near Daytona Beach) and his first-ever “Big Gator” (for topping the points over four nights) as the mini-series point champion, after besting fast-timer Logan Schuchart and defending series champion David Gravel in the 30-lap feature, the longest race of the week.
Although the added five laps didn’t seem to make much of a difference, the timing of the World of Outlaws feature after the 30-lap UMP modified – that seemed to take forever with constant yellow flags and a red flag – finale posed its challenges, leaving a black track for the Outlaws, who finished the race with bald tyres.
Volusia winner Kyle Larson also received a personal copy of AUTO ACTION as a memento of his big win in Australia. Image: Andrew Clarke
Dash winner Tyler Courtney and Gravel led the field to green, with Gravel using the outside line to take the lead off turn two. Courtney fell into second while Larson, starting fourth, quickly moved into third. However, that didn’t last long, as Larson made a swift pass on Courtney for a second just a lap later.
A scramble behind the leaders saw Bill Balog roll his car exiting turn four, badly damaging it. Balog was reported to be alert and conscious and was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. Another lengthy delay dragged the racing well past 11 pm.
On the restart, Gravel briefly regained the lead, but Larson wasn’t far behind. After pressuring Gravel for a few laps, Larson powered ahead on lap five, claiming his second win in as many nights.
From the minute Auto Action arrived at the track on Friday, Larson looked in a class of his own, but there’s no such thing as a cruise in sprintcar racing. On Friday, fellow NASCAR driver Christopher Bell pushed him, but engine problems on Saturday relegated the Toyota driver to the role of spectator.
On Saturday, it was first Gravel and then Schuchart, the latter using lapped traffic to draw up the rear of Larson, who always seemed to have enough when he needed it. The cautions landed at the right time for the driver Auto Action has rated the best all-around racer in the world.
A final caution on lap 21 provided a final reprieve, and despite being challenged, he won the night and the weekend.
“I could hear Logan back there, but the caution helped me,” Larson explained of the caution nine laps from home. “I’m just glad to finally get one of the Big Gators to go with the small ones.
“I was just nervous that with Logan behind me if I slowed my pace down too much, I was going to open my corner up. I made a couple of mistakes there late, but I was able to shut the door and commit to the bottom.
“I really wanted to control the race. I wasn’t sure if it was going to take rubber, but I thought it might. I was trying to manage the tyres and not get them hot early. It is just a couple of months from my win in Australia, and I finally won in Volusia. And hopefully, next week, I can finally check off the Daytona 500.
Schuchart, while content with his second-place finish, reflected, “I was hoping he’d make a mistake in traffic, but it didn’t happen. Still, two podiums this week is a good result.”
Gravel, who led early, expressed some frustration with his third-place finish. “The track took rubber, and the tires were bald, but everyone was in the same boat,” he said. “I just couldn’t figure out where to go when I was leading, and that hurt me.”
Race Results:
Saturday Feature (30 Laps):
- 57-Kyle Larson [4]
- 1S-Logan Schuchart [5]
- 2-David Gravel [2]
- 41-Carson Macedo [10]
- 7BC-Tyler Courtney [1]
- 10-Ryan Timms [19]
- 15-Donny Schatz [12]
- 83-Michael Kofoid [6]
- 71-Parker Price Miller [8]
- 26-Justin Peck [11]
- 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [9]
- 24D-Danny Sams III [16]
- 48-Danny Dietrich [20]
- 49-Brad Sweet [14]
- 21-Brian Brown [7]
- 18-Giovanni Scelzi [25]
- 1A-Jacob Allen [17]
- 88-Austin McCarl [24]
- 5-Brenham Crouch [15]
- 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [18]
- 7S-Chris Windom [23]
- 6-Zach Hampton [26]
- 23-Garet Williamson [21]
- 55-Hunter Schuerenberg [27]
- 39M-Anthony Macri [13]
- 28-Conner Morrell [22]
- 17B-Bill Balog [3]
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