Photo finishes appear to be the theme of the race weekend, as more than 24 hours after Kentucky Derby fans saw one of the closest finishes in recent memory, NASCAR fans got to see something similar at Kansas Speedway on Sunday night.
Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin all came out on top hoping for a big win in the Cup Series. Larson and Buescher were bumping into each other coming out of the final turn.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag over Chris Buescher, driver of the No. 17 Castrol Edge Ford, to win the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 5, 2024 in Kansas City. Kansas. (Logan Reilly/Getty Images)
Kyle Larson, No. 5, crosses the finish line milliseconds ahead of Chris Buescher, No. 17, for the win during a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas, on Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
Buescher kept his composure and looked like he was going to trap Larsson and get the better of him. However, the No. 5 car somehow picked up enough speed to cross the line narrowly ahead of the No. 17 car. Larson won the race by 0.001 second in the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history.
“I have no idea if I won or not,” Larson said. “But honestly I didn’t really care. I was like, ‘Man, that was pretty cool.’
It’s been a little harder for Bucher’s team to accept. Scott Graves, his crew chief, asked to meet NASCAR officials in their truck. He was shown the final image and accepted the result.
“I don’t know what to say now,” Bucher said. “I haven’t seen a replay other than just the photo, and I certainly can’t see in that photo. It’s bad enough that we’re that close.”
Hall of Famer Richard Petty discusses his favorite era of NASCAR racing, and reveals the “best car” he ever drove
Buescher joked on X that he needed to pull a Lightning McQueen to beat Larson.
Kyle Larson, center, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas, on Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
“I think I should have pulled a Lightning McQueen and stuck my tongue out,” he said, referring to the movie “Cars.”
A late caution forced a mad dash to the end. The leaders went to the pits to make adjustments and Larson eventually emerged victorious.
“I mean I’ll always remember this for sure,” Larson said. “Certainly there are wins that you can get lost in the distance a little bit, but when it’s over and it’s the closest finish in Cup Series history, I don’t think you’ll ever forget it, even if it breaks one day, it’s great to be on that side of it.”
Christopher Bell, Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Noah Gragson and Michael McDowell rounded out the top 10 spots.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Larson has two wins this season and leads the drivers’ standings.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital Sports coverage on X And subscribe to Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter.
“Food ninja. Friendly thinker. Explorer. Entrepreneur. Zombie junkie.