O’Reilly: JRM Goes 3 Straight as Kyle Larson Wins in Vegas

What’s Happening?

The checkered flag is out. That does it for the LiUNA! at Las Vegas, the fifth round of the 2026 season for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Early on in this race, it looked like it was a foregone conclusion that Justina Allgaier had the best car and was going to cruise to victory lane. However, as the race wore on, Allgaier’s car got a little too snug for comfort. And, despite adjustments on pit road, it was clear that the No. 7 had faded some in the closing laps of the race.

After the No. 7 faltered, a number of drivers started making a charge for the race lead. Jesse Love led some laps. Sheldon Creed looked fast. Chase Briscoe bounced back. And Corey Day even led a handful of laps. But, despite not really being in contention for the lead for most of the race, it was Kyle Larson who had a great late race restart and rocketed out front to the lead. He managed to hold off the likes of Creed and his JRM teammates Justin Allgaier and Sammy Smith, not to mention his protege Corey Day, to score the second win in a row (three in a row at Vegas) for JR Motorsports in the HendrickCars.Com No. 88 Chevrolet.

This win marked JRM’s 107th victory, their 5th win at Las Vegas, and Larson’s 18th O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win. That also marked their third straight win to kick off 2026. It was a stellar day overall for JR Motorsports. Larson won the race. Justin Allgaier finished 4th. Smith finished 5th. Zilisch finished 7th. And Carson Kvapil brought it home in the 11th position.

.@KyleLarsonRacin gets it done in the 88!

3⃣ straight series victories for @JRMotorsports. pic.twitter.com/hkXq58rHtd

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) March 15, 2026

Race Notes:

• Sam Mayer started the race from the pole position alongside NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson. Mayer went on to lead the opening 14 laps of the race. However, defending winner and last week’s winner at Phoenix, Justin Allgaier, methodically hunted him down and passed him for the race lead. Allgaier went on to handily win the opening stage as it looked likely that he was going to go back-to-back.
• Following pit stops, Jesse Love took the race lead away from Allgaier who had a slow stop. He was slower on pit road a few times during this race, which was abnormal. Love went on to lead a handful of laps to start the second stage, but again, Allgaier chased him down to wrestle the lead away once again. As laps wound down in Stage 2, Chase Briscoe started to reel in the No. 7 but was unable to take the lead in time. During pit stops, Briscoe had issues as a tire left the pit box. This virtually took him out of contention.
• A number of drivers had issues during this race. Most notable was Connor Zilisch, who spun with Jeremy Clements on Lap 2 after the two got loose. Then, series veteran Cole Custer plowed into the rear of Taylor Gray after a bad block, sending the No. 54 into the wall late after a strong day of running solidly in the Top 5. And, a number of drivers went for solo spins. They include Cole Custer, Jermey Clements, Dean Thompson, and Patrick Staropoli.
• The top stage points earners are as follows: Justin Allgaier (20), Taylor Gray (15), Jesse Love (12), Sheldon Creed (11), Sam Mayer (9), Corey Day (7), Austin Hill (2), Carson Kvapil (1), and Brandon Jones (1).
• Sam Mayer clocked the Xfinity Fastest Lap early in the race and maintained it through to the checkered flag.
• While Justin Allgaier dominated the race early on, it was his JRM teammate, Kyle Larson, who stayed on top of the wheel and scratched and clawed his way to the race lead. He led the final several laps of the race on his way to victory.

Caution Tracker

• Lap 2: Zilisch and Clements Tangle
• Lap 14: Cole Custer Spins
• Lap 45: End of Stage 1
• Lap 58: Clements Spins
• Lap 90: End of Stage 2
• Lap 118: Dean Thompson Spins
• Lap 131: Staropoli Spins
• Lap 148: Gray Smacks the Wall

Race Results

Kyle Larson to the lead on the restart! pic.twitter.com/lMFiahUjvB

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) March 14, 2026

Points Standings (5 of 25)

.@jesselovejr1 makes his move and takes the lead in battle between the last two series Champions! pic.twitter.com/pCZ3k7IWM0

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) March 14, 2026

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