NASCAR’s fall race weekend in Dover ended with a first time winner on the Monster Mile.
Kyle Larson took Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series "Drydene 400" at Dover International Speedway.
Larson earned his first Dover victory in his 12th Cup series start on the Monster Mile.
Larson’s sixth career Cup win also ended a long personal drought, snapping his string of 75 Cup series races without a victory.
“I don’t know if I would call it a relief. I don’t even know what to call it really." said Larson. "I feel like we’ve been close to winning now for the last 12 or 13 races. So, it’s been there and then we did it today – and it’s like ’Alright, I knew we could do it’ and now let’s go get some more."
Larson concedes he still learning how to win, and took a step forward Sunday.
“Today, I felt like I was struggling. I was getting frustrated in the early part of the race. Then, [I] took a deep breath, changed up what I was doing behind the wheel, and we also made our car better at the same time," said Larson. "And here we are, with a win.”
Larson’s Dover victory also gives him a leg up in the NASCAR Cup series playoffs. Winning the first Round of 12 race automatically puts Larson into the Round of 8.
NASCAR returns to Dover for next spring for its next race weekend in the First State May 1-3, 2020.
