Larson shattered a 51-race winless streak with victory in caution-filled NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Kyle Larson driving the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet outlasted a record 18 cautions lasting 87 laps, and held off teammate Alex Bowman and polesitter Joey Logano in double overtime to claim his 33rd career win.
“I had a good feeling,” said Larson after punching his ticket to Victory Lane for the first time since Kansas Speedway in May 2025. “Just proud of my team for working so hard, being so patient through all the tough times, the winless streak, all that.
“How about Hendrick Motorsports. Alex Bowman, can’t ask for a better teammate than him. Gave me the pushes I needed to get clear. Want to dedicate this win to him, and his dog just passed away a couple days ago.”
The event featured 11 lead changes among five different drivers with Logano leading 96 laps, Larson 80, Brad Keselowski 55, Ross Chastain 15 and Josh Berry 1.
Stage 1
Logano led the race from pole but the calm shattered almost immediately when on Lap 4 Daniel Suarez forced Tyler Reddick into the wall entering the frontstretch. The first caution came two laps later when Riley Herbst lost control after contact from Ricky Stenhouse Jr who later spun, triggering a second caution.
The restart on Lap 19 lasted only two turns before a multi-car pileup erupted on the backstretch, collecting Noah Gragson, Suarez, Shane van Gisbergen, Cody Ware and Michael McDowell. Van Gisbergen then suffered a spin on Lap 27 after contact with Ty Dillon, bringing the fourth caution.
Logano went on to claim Stage 1 win after leading all 45 laps, followed by Christopher Bell, Larson, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott.
Stage 2
Brad Keselowski and John Hunter Nemechek found themselves on the front row for the Stage 2 restart on Lap 52 after choosing not to pit with the majority of the field.
Keselowski led off the start, but the action only lasted three laps before Ty Gibbs made contact with Erik Jones, sending the No. 43 Toyota spinning through Turn 1 on Lap 55 for the fifth caution.
When the race resumed on Lap 60, Keselowski fended off Nemechek for the lead but four laps later the yellow was out again as Herbst and Allmendinger got caught up in a spin.
Larson swept past Chastain on Lap 81 to assume the lead and went on to win Stage 2 which was curtailed by a caution with 10 laps to go after Zane Smith crashed into the Turn 1 SAFER barrier due to mechanical failure. Logano, Keselowski, Blaney, Berry and Hamlin rounded out the top five.
Stage 3
A record 10 of 18 cautions unfolded during the final stage and it all began when Bubba Wallace made a daring four-wide dive into Turn 1 on Lap 140 restart and bumped into Briscoe, triggering a spin that also collected William Byron.
Blaney suffered a brake failure moments later which sent his No. 12 Ford scrubbing the wall through the first two turns, ultimately finishing 35th. With 27 laps to go, Elliott also suffered a brake failure entering Turn 1 and collected by Briscoe.
With 20 laps to go, Berry clipped the left rear of Bell entering the backstretch triggering a crash that collected Wallace and Reddick, the latter going airborne. On restart with 13 laps remaining Zilisch and Hocevar hit the wall off Turn 2, collecting Gibbs, Suárez, Allmendinger and Ty Dillon.
When racing resumed with seven laps remaining, Larson defended his lead with Logano breathing down his neck, but Chris Buescher crashed shortly after due to brake failure, forcing overtime.
On first overtime restart Van Gisbergen spun after contact with Hocevar, prompting a second overtime attempt and ultimately Kyle Larson wins chaotic Gateway NASCAR race ahead of Bowman and Logano.
Full Race Results: 2026 NASCAR Cup Gateway Enjoy Illinois 300
