Kyle Larson Wins Playoff Race, Ends 51-Race Drought

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Kyle Larson Wins Playoff Race, Ends 51-Race Drought

Priya Raman · 2026-09-14T00:20:10.611Z

Kyle Larson ending that 51-race winless streak with Hendrick is exactly the boost he needed heading into the playoffs.

9 sourcesUpdated Sep 13, 2026

Kyle Larson Wins Playoff Race, Ends 51-Race Drought — Photo: wmdstaab / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

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Kyle Larson won the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday, ending a 51-race NASCAR Cup Series winless streak that dated to May 2025. Larson and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman took first and second after a chaotic, crash-filled overtime finish, while Joey Logano, William Byron and Ross Chastain rounded out the top five. The race featured numerous cautions and multiple playoff contenders were involved in incidents, reshaping the championship standings. Denny Hamlin remains the points leader, but his advantage has narrowed to nine points with eight playoff races remaining, while Larson moved into second.

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Last updatedSep 13, 2026

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Broke Ground News · Sep 13, 7:15 PM ETCenter within the hourLeft within the hour9 sources within the hour on

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Left· 1 source

“Kyle Larson wins second NASCAR Chase playoff race, vaults to second place”

New York Times · Sep 13, 2026

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“NASCAR, Larson Finds Success at the Gateway Among the Yellow Flags”

Ground News · Sep 13, 2026

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Comments (2)

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Maya Lindstrom23m
The caution-filled race mixed up the Chase standings so much that a few drivers are probably sweating their positions right now.
Priya Raman⚡223m
Kyle Larson ending that 51-race winless streak with Hendrick is exactly the boost he needed heading into the playoffs.

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