As the NASCAR action returned to the Lone Star State, it was the Cup regulars who were the ones calling the shots at Texas Motor Speedway. While Carson Hocevar grabbed Friday’s Craftsman Truck Series win, reigning Cup champion Kyle Larson followed it up on Saturday, edging Justin Allgaier in a thrilling finish to win the Andy’s Frozen Custard 340.
Despite a valiant late charge from Allgaier in his No. 7, Larson did just enough to cross the line just 0.293 seconds ahead of the JR Motorsports ace.
The race began in chaotic fashion. A caution came out within the opening two laps after contact between Taylor Gray and Carson Kvapil. The incident also collected multiple drivers, including Corey Day, who became the first retirement of the race just a week after his Talladega win.
Meanwhile, Allgaier raced unbothered despite the repeated yellows waved. Starting from the pole, he led every lap of Stage 1 despite three cautions interrupting the flow. By Lap 36, he had built a comfortable margin while maintaining the fastest laps of the race.
Stage 2 shifted the narrative. Connor Zilisch emerged as a serious contender, taking the stage win for JR Motorsports and putting himself firmly in the mix. But, behind him, the battle tightened, with Larson, Allgaier, and Brent Crews (Joe Gibbs Racing).
The turning point, however, came around Lap 105. Larson made an aggressive move on Zilisch for the lead, but the moment quickly escalated into a three-wide fight as Crews pushed to the inside. All three cars made contact multiple times through the corners before Larson managed to gather it up and clear both drivers to take control.
From there, the race settled into long green-flag runs mixed with strategic pit cycles. Larson consistently cycled to the front, while Allgaier remained within range. By the final stage, the two had separated themselves from the field.
A late caution on Lap 178 reset the race and set up a sprint to the finish. Larson won the race off pit road, narrowly beating Allgaier and maintaining track position for the restart with just over 20 laps remaining.
In the closing laps, Allgaier mounted a steady charge, gradually cutting into Larson’s lead. By Lap 193, the gap had shrunk to under three-tenths of a second.
However, despite his persistent attempts, including a run to the outside in Turns 1 and 2, he could never quite draw alongside. Larson responded by adjusting his line, denying the No. 7 any space on the outside, putting together a masterclass in defense.
And eventually the Hendrick Motorsports driver held firm to the checkered flag, securing his third career win at TMS and his second victory of the 2026 season in the NOAPS, first coming at Las Vegas. It also followed his earlier success on the Texas dirt track in his High Limit Racing series, completing a strong weekend at the venue.
Behind them, Sam Mayer finished third after climbing from 17th on the grid, while Crews ended his day with a fourth-place finish and the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus. All in all, the race served as a perfect appetizer with seven cautions and 13 lead changes, building up to Sunday’s Cup Series main event.
