Focused Health 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Circuits of The Americas in Austin, Texas on March 24, 2024. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)
Kyle Larson demonstrated both patience and strategy, taking the lead on the final overtime lap to win the Focused Health 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). This first road-course event of the year was marked by high drama and close competition.
Shane van Gisbergen and Austin Hill were battling for the lead, pushing each other off the race line as they approached the checkered flag. Seizing the opportunity, Larson drove his No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet low around both and pulled away to a 1.215-second victory. This was the only lap the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion led all day on the 20-turn, 3.41-mile road course.
Van Gisbergen initially took the checkered flag second in the No. 97 Kaulig Racing Chevy but received a 30-second penalty for exceeding track limits during his last-lap battle with Hill, dropping him to 27th. Consequently, Hill, driving the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, was officially scored as the runner-up.
Larson, smiling after his win, wasn't surprised by the aggressive finish. He was one of the few front-runners to pit for gas during the final caution and had to work his way back up. This was his second major recovery of the day, as he started from the rear after his team replaced a cracked brake rotor.
“It feels really special because seems like every time we’ve run the 17 car — any of us four drivers — we’re always fast on track and somehow give it away,” Larson said. “Today I was definitely not the fastest, but we were patient. I knew the 21 [Hill] had shoved SVG [van Gisbergen] through [Turn] 1 and if he got to him it could get dicey. I was just trying to be patient. I was thinking when to make my move and when I saw him shoving him through [turns] 15 and 16, I thought this could get good and thankfully I cleared them off in that corner. Pretty crazy. Just wild there. Really cool, just awesome to win here at COTA.”
Van Gisbergen and Hill were unhappy with the outcome, their cars damaged from the final lap's aggression. Despite this, van Gisbergen was positive about his fifth NASCAR Xfinity Series race.
“It was a crazy race and the car got better and better,” van Gisbergen said. “On that last restart he [Hill] just drove through me in [turn] one. I guess I stood up for myself. But it was pretty awesome racing with [teammate] AJ [Allmendinger] and in the end just turned into a mess. That’s how it is. It was really fun. Wish I could have gotten through to the lead, but the car [Larson] just snuck through there. He was driving really well. A lot of fun.”
Van Gisbergen battled all afternoon, including with Kaulig teammate Allmendinger, a two-time winner of this COTA Xfinity Series race and the series’ best active road-course driver. They fought for the lead in the final laps of regulation, but Allmendinger was caught in a three-wide attempt during the first green-white-checkered flag period. He was running fifth at the time of the final caution that forced a second overtime and ultimately finished 10th.
John Hunter Nemechek finished third, reigning series champion Cole Custer was fourth, and Parker Kligerman rounded out the top five. Rookie Jesse Love, Austin Green, last week’s winner Chandler Smith, Sam Mayer, and Allmendinger completed the top 10.
Green, son of former Xfinity Series champion David Green, finished an impressive seventh in his first series start. Kligerman earned his first stage win of the year, claiming the Stage 1 victory. Brandon Jones seemingly won Stage 2 but received a penalty for cutting Turn 5 on the last lap of the stage. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst was awarded the stage win, his first of the season.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to competition next Saturday with the ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway (1:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Chandler Smith is the defending winner, having earned his first Xfinity Series trophy there last spring.
Post-race inspection was completed without major issues, confirming Larson’s No. 17 Chevrolet as the winning car. The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driven by Ty Gibbs was found with a single unsecured lug nut in a post-race check, which will likely result in a monetary fine for the team’s crew chief in the midweek penalty report.
| Pos | Driver | Num | Starting Pos | Final Status | Laps Completed | Laps Led | Points |
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 17 | 1 | Running | 50 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Austin Hill | 21 | 11 | Running | 50 | 1 | 40 |
| 3 | John H. Nemechek | 20 | 20 | Running | 50 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Cole Custer | 00 | 8 | Running | 50 | 0 | 42 |
| 5 | Parker Kligerman | 48 | 12 | Running | 50 | 4 | 42 |
| 6 | Jesse Love | 2 | 14 | Running | 50 | 0 | 31 |
| 7 | Austin Green | 32 | 25 | Running | 50 | 0 | 30 |
| 8 | Chandler Smith | 81 | 4 | Running | 50 | 0 | 30 |
| 9 | Sam Mayer | 1 | 10 | Running | 50 | 0 | 28 |
| 10 | Aj Allmendinger | 16 | 5 | Running | 50 | 20 | 38 |
| 11 | Parker Retzlaff | 31 | 17 | Running | 50 | 0 | 33 |
| 12 | Anthony Alfredo | 5 | 30 | Running | 50 | 0 | 25 |
| 13 | Justin Allgaier | 7 | 15 | Running | 50 | 0 | 24 |
| 14 | Ryan Sieg | 39 | 27 | Running | 50 | 0 | 27 |
| 15 | Brennan Poole | 44 | 29 | Running | 50 | 0 | 22 |
| 16 | Brandon Jones | 9 | 18 | Running | 50 | 1 | 21 |
| 17 | Sage Karam | 26 | 6 | Running | 50 | 0 | 28 |
| 18 | Brad Perez | 45 | 31 | Running | 50 | 0 | 19 |
| 19 | Jeremy Clements | 51 | 24 | Running | 50 | 0 | 18 |
| 20 | Leland Honeyman | 42 | 34 | Running | 50 | 0 | 17 |
NASCAR
NASCAR is the largest racing organization in the United States and is most famous for the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Camping World Truck Series. Each year NASCAR sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 48 US states as well as in Canada, Mexico, and Europe.
Circuit of The Americas
Circuit of The Americas is the premier destination for world-class motorsports and entertainment in the United States. Set on 1,500 acres in the rolling hills just outside downtown Austin, Circuit of The Americas has hosted the biggest names in racing, action sports and music since 2012. At its heart is a 3.41-mile racetrack that was designed to challenge the world's most exacting competitors while providing a thrilling spectacle for audiences.
The 20-turn, counterclockwise circuit takes advantage of the naturally undulating landscape, including an intimidating 133-foot hill at Turn 1 that must be seen in person to be believed. It is home to Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, NASCAR EchoPark Texas Grand Prix, and MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, and has played host to ESPN's X Games, the FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Pirelli World Challenge and more.
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