In a race that was filled with controversy, Matt Kenseth put an end to his rough start to the year and wound up in Victory Lane.

The No. 20 car took the lead after a big crash with 46 laps to go involving 10-time Dover winner, Jimmie Johnson. From there the crafty veteran didn’t look back as he led the final the remaining laps and stamped his name into the Chase.

“At time we were on and at times we were off,” Kenseth said after his victory. “It just kind of depended on track position. We had one good where we were really good and then we never quite got it there again. It was one of those days where everything lined up for us at the end of the race and we were the only one left out there with two [tires]. We got a couple short runs to cycle everyone else’s tires.”

This is Kenseth’s third win at the Monster Mile and his first triumph since the second Chase race in 2015. Joe Gibbs Racing recorded its 135th win as an organization, tying Roush Fenway Racing for third most all-time.

After going a lap down in the first long stint of the event, Kyle Larson rebounded to lead 85 laps, coming up just short of his first career victory. Going back to last week in Kansas, Larson has ran in the top five the majority of both races. Acknowledging that Chip Ganassi Racing has struggled over the last season or so, he believes that the team has begun to turn the corner.

“I wouldn’t say it was a complete 180,” Larson said post-race. “I definitely think we are moving in the right direction. The performances we’ve has the last few weeks have showed. We just got to keep working hard and never get content with where we are. In my third year I’ve learned that a lot.”

With the second-place finish, Larson has now been the runner-up four times in his Cup career without heading to Victory Lane.

For a while it looked like Chase Elliott was going to pass both Kenseth and Larson as they raced hard for the victory. He began to fade in the later stages, but then rebounded to finish a half-second off the top two. The way that the 20-year-old has ran the past month or so it would seem like a victory is right around the corner.

“You hope your close,” Elliott said. “For me I feel like I have a team capable of winning. The way I see it today is we had our shot and had a chance to do it today and I didn’t do it. It’s as simple as that, you either do or you don’t.”

Recording another top-10 finish for the No. 24 team, Elliott now leads Hendrick Motorsports in top 10 finishes in 2016 with eight.

Kasey Kahne rebounded from a car in which hovered around 10th for the majority of the race to finish fourth. It marks his second top-five finish of the year, the other coming at Richmond three weeks ago. Kurt Busch rounded out the top five, picking up his fourth of 2016. 

On Lap 354, the race took a turn when Johnson’s car got stuck in gear. The No. 48 machine was the leader on a restart when there was more than a 10-car pileup. Other drivers in the incident included Kevin Harvick whom led 117 laps early in the race, but finished 15th and Martin Truex, Jr. who was the leader prior to that restart, but after taking four tires under caution restarted fourth, right behind the six-time champion. The No. 78 car came back to finish ninth.

Brad Keselowski finished sixth after having contact with Austin Dillon while running in second on Lap 282. Having to repair the entire right front fender, the No. 2 crew fought back to get it’s seventh top 10 of the season.
 
One of the bigger incidents of the time came with 40 laps to go when Larson tagged the left rear of Carl Edwards sending him into the inside wall on the backstretch. Up to that point of the race, the No. 19 car had been out front for 27 laps, but came home 28th.

The Cup Series heads into it’s All-Star break next week in Charlotte. Through the first 12 events, Harvick has a 21 point lead on Kyle Busch.

Dustin Albino