Larson wins Stage 2 at Dover over Truex and Elliott

Larson topped Martin Truex Jr. by .614-seconds after the first 240 laps in the Apache Warrior 400 on Sunday. Chase Elliott was third followed by Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray and Clint Bowyer. 

Larson led 131 laps in the first two stages.

"The run prior to this one was pretty good, this one I didn’t have as much grip and felt looser faster,” Larson saind. “We’ve been really fast, we struggled in practice, so I’m pretty happy with it.”

The lead lap cars pitted between stages on Lap 124. Kyle Busch was the first driver off of pit road followed by Truex, Keselowski, Larson, Elliott, Harvick, Patrick, Hamlin, Johnson and Stenhouse. Earnhardt, Ragan, Suarez, Kahne, Bowyer, Jones, McMurray, Newman, Logano and Kurt Busch, who took the wave around, completed the top 20 on Lap 128.

Larson grabbed second from Truex on the restart. Keselowski ran fourth followed by Elliott, Hamlin, Johnson, Earnhardt and Suarez. 

After 10 laps, Busch’s lead was .452-seconds over Larson with no movement in the top 10. Bowyer ran 11th followed by Kahne, McMurray, Patrick, Stenhouse, Jones, Logano, Ragan, Newman and Kurt Busch. 

Larson passed Kyle Busch for the lead on lap 142. Harvick advanced by Elliott for fifth. Kenseth, who received a speeding penalty in the pits, moved into the top 20 after restarting 28th. Truex took second from Kyle Busch. 

Harvick and Elliott passed Keselowski, who dropped to sixth on Lap 149. Johnson ran seventh followed by Hamlin, Earnhardt and Suarez. Harvick passed Busch for third on Lap 155. Elliott passed Busch on Lap 158. 

By Lap 160, Larson’s lead was 3.3-seconds over Truex. Harvick, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Keselowski, Johnson, Earnhardt, Hamlin and Suarez rounded out the top 10. 

Larson had nearly a four-second lead over Truex when the fourth caution was called for Reed Sorenson on Lap 166, whose engine blew coming into Turn 4. Harvick ran third followed by Elliott, Kyle Busch, Keselowski, Johnson, Earnhardt, Hamlin, Bowyer, Suarez, Kahne, McMurray, Jones, Patrick, Stenhouse, Joey Logano, Kenseth, Newman, Kurt Busch and Austin Dillon, Blaney dropped to 27th, one lap down. 

Truex took the lead off of pit road followed by Larson, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Harvick, Hamlin, Earnhardt, Johnson, Keselowski, Bowyer, Jones, McMurray, Kahne, Suarez, Stenhouse, Kenseth, Newman, Logano, Kurt Busch, Patrick and Austin Dillon. 

The race returned to green on Lap 174. Larson powered by Truex entering Turn 1. On Lap 175, Kahne passed Suarez for 13th. Larson held a one-second lead over Truex by Lap 181. Elliott remained third followed by Harvick, Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Johnson, Earnharddt, Bowyer and Keselowski. After the first 10 laps, Larson’s advantage was a second-and-a-half running the bottom lane around the Monster Mile. 

By Lap 189 Larson’s lead was two-seconds over Truex. McMurray passed Keselowski for 10th. Jones ran 12th followed by Kahne, Suarez, Stenhouse, Kesenth, Kurt Busch, Logano, Newman and Patrick. 

At halfway in the race, Larson held a 2.211-second advantage over Truex as he fought traffic. Elliott ran third followed by Harvick, Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Johnson, Earnhardt, McMurray and Keselowski. Bowyer, who had been in the top 10, complained the car was getting tight as the sun came out over the track. Keselowski passed McMurray on Lap 205. Kyle Busch advanced to fourth on Lap 209.

With 25 laps remaining in the stage, Larson extended his lead over Truex to two-seconds. Elliott, Kyle Busch, Harvick, Johnson, Hamlin, Earnhardt, Keselowski and McMurray completed the top 10. Harvick lost another position on Lap 216. He finally pitted on Lap 218 with a loose wheel. Crew chief Rodney Childers told the crew to hammer the left rear. Harvick cycled out to 27th, two laps down with 19 laps remaining in the stage.

Larson’s lead was cut to 1.141-seconds with 15 laps left in the stage. Truex, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Johnson, Hamlin, Earnhardt, Keselowski, McMurray and Bowyer completed the top 10. Jones, Kahne, Suarez, Kenseth, Logano, Kurt Busch, Newman, Stenhouse, Patrick and Austin Dillon rounded out the top 20. 

Truex closed to within .594-seconds of Larson with five laps in the segment. Harvick passed Blaney on Lap 233 for 23rd.