Kyle Larson edged out Chris Buescher by one one thousandth of a second in what is officially the closest ever finish to a NASCAR Cup series race.
The pair banged doors through the final corner of the 400 mile ( 643km) race, and were all but inseparable at the finish line.
Electronic scoring showed Buescher as the leader, but upon checking the cameras, officials handed the win to Larson.
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The official margin – 0.001 both – left Buescher both dumbfounded and dejected. He and his team had begun to celebrate before learning he had finished second.
“Look at these guys – crushed,” former driver Clint Bowyer said in commentary as cameras showed images of Buescher’s team.
The dramatic finale came after a caution for Kyle Busch’s spin forced a green-white-chequered finish. Larson pulled behind Buescher on the backstretch of the last lap, then came around him on the outside of the final corner.
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Buescher looked as if he had pulled in front, and even Larson thought he had finished second, before the call came through that he had won.
“That was wild,” Larson – the 2021 series champion – said. “I was thankful for that caution. We were dying pretty bad. I was happy to come out third.”
It was a brilliant start to a busy month of May for Larson, who will attempt to run the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day later in the month. The win was his second of the season, and the 25th of his career.
Buescher was left questioning the grainy images of the photo finish, as the entire Ford contingent — which has yet to win in any of NASCAR’s top three series this year — had to rue the closest miss in its history.
“I don’t know what to say right now,” Buescher said, shaking his head while standing beside his No.17 car. “I haven’t seen a replay other than just the picture, and I sure can’t see in that picture. That sucks to be that close.”
Making it a bigger bummer for Buescher was the fact that he had overcome a big miscue midway through the race. He had just won the second stage and led the field onto pit road when a crew member came over the wall too soon. The penalty sent him to the rear of the field, and he had to spend much of the final stage working his way back to the front.
The series heads to Darlington next for its annual throwback weekend.