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Jim Utter

NASCAR Cup Phoenix: Byron repeats Las Vegas charge to win again

Kevin Harvick appeared in command on his way to win at Phoenix when a late-race caution for a spin by Harrison Burton sent all the lead-lap cars into the pits.

The top six each took on only two new tyres, but Kyle Larson was first off pitroad, only for another crash shortly after the restart with three laps to go sending the race into a two-lap overtime.

On the ensuing restart, Byron went to the outside of Larson and with a shove from Tyler Reddick, powered into the lead with one lap to go.

Byron then held off Ryan Blaney by 0.330 seconds to secure his second straight NASCAR Cup win and sixth of his career.

“We owe the last couple weeks to him,” Byron said of his crew chief, Rudy Fugle. “He’s done a really good job strategy-wise and execution-wise and we’ve done a good job to put ourselves in those positions on the front row with a shot at the end.

“Thanks to everybody back at Hendrick Motorsports, putting together great cars, doing a great job. This is a big credit to them.”

Race winner William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro (Photo by: John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images)

After his difficult start to the 2023 NASCAR Cup campaign, with 34th in the Daytona 500 and 25th in Fontana, Byron’s consecutive wins pushes him to fourth in the overall drivers’ standings, with Alex Bowman narrowly holding on to the points lead with ninth place at Phoenix.

Reddick ended up third, to see Larson, who led the most laps in the race with 201, miss out on the podium in fourth.

Harvick cut an equally downbeat figure having been the leader before the initial late-race caution period, as he dropped down to fifth place at the chequered flag.

Christopher Bell took sixth place ahead of Chase Briscoe, Kyle Busch and Bowman, as Josh Berry, who was in his second start filling in for the injured Chase Elliott, completed the top 10.

There was further drama on the final lap, when Denny Hamlin appeared to go up the track and into Ross Chastain as both hit the wall. Hamlin was credited with a 23rd place finish and Chastain 24th.

NASCAR Cup - Phoenix race results - 317 laps

Cla Driver Gap Interval
1 United States William Byron    
2 United States Ryan Blaney 0.330 0.330
3 United States Tyler Reddick 0.458 0.128
4 United States Kyle Larson 0.618 0.160
5 United States Kevin Harvick 0.739 0.121
6 United States Christopher Bell 0.969 0.230
7 United States Chase Briscoe 1.057 0.088
8 United States Kyle Busch 1.142 0.085
9 United States Alex Bowman 1.322 0.180
10 Josh Berry 1.353 0.031
11 United States Joey Logano 1.593 0.240
12 United States Ryan Preece 1.642 0.049
13 United States Michael McDowell 1.760 0.118
14 United States Bubba Wallace 1.878 0.118
15 United States Chris Buescher 1.897 0.019
16 United States Austin Dillon 2.065 0.168
17 United States Martin Truex Jr. 2.154 0.089
18 United States Brad Keselowski 2.156 0.002
19 United States Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 2.387 0.231
20 United States A.J. Allmendinger 2.598 0.211
21 United States Erik Jones 2.613 0.015
22 Mexico Daniel Suarez 2.788 0.175
23 United States Denny Hamlin 4.181 1.393
24 United States Ross Chastain 4.479 0.298
25 United States Austin Cindric 1 Lap 1 Lap
26 United States Corey Lajoie 1 Lap 0.203
27 United States Justin Haley 1 Lap 0.100
28 Ty Gibbs 1 Lap 4.839
29 United States Noah Gragson 1 Lap 1.753
30 United States Ty Dillon 2 Laps 1 Lap
31 Zane Smith 2 Laps 0.605
32 United States Todd Gilliland 3 Laps 1 Lap
33 United States Aric Almirola 4 Laps 1 Lap
34 United States Cody Ware 6 Laps 2 Laps
35 United States Harrison Burton 7 Laps 1 Lap
36 United States B.J. McLeod 267 Laps 260 Laps

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