In the opening laps of the second stage, Kyle Larson also appeared to be the car to beat. As cars started to peel off for pit road, the No. 5 team decided to roll the dice and split the stage perfectly in half, making it a 1-stop stage. Larson along with a handful of other courageous drivers would stay out for nearly 80 laps before coming down pit road, most of them giving up valuable time on the track.
However, the strategy did not pan out. Just before the group of cars racing with a 2-stop strategy was in need of pitting again, a caution came out as Kyle Busch slapped the outside wall. There was much debate online if the caution was necessary as there was minimal damage to the 8 car and no debris. Regardless, this spoiled the No. 5’s strategy and the whole field came down pit road for fresh rubber.
Restarting with just under 60 laps to go, Larson found himself in 4th with Martin Truex Jr. and the hard-charging Josh Berry running 1-2. After the poorly timed caution, Martin Truex Jr. would go on to win the second stage handily.
The second stage (particularly after Larson’s strategy was spoiled) was the Martin Truex Jr. show. The three-time Richmond winner has a hotrod tonight. Can he keep up with the track as we navigate through the final stage? Hmm…
The top 10 finishers of the second stage were:
Opting to use a different pit strategy, Kyle Larson and his No. 5 HMS Chevy decided to split the second stage (160 laps) down the middle, going for a 1-pit strategy.
With 61 laps remaining in the second stage, a caution was thrown after Kyle Busch bounced off the wall. As you can see in the replay, the No. 8 car just continues going straight smacking the outside SAFER barrier. There didn’t appear to be much damage to the RCR Chevy but overheated breaks may have been the cause of the impact.
During the caution, there were several developments:
Erik Jones in the 17th position was the free pass.
And both Ty Gibbs and Ryan Preece had to go to the rear for too fast entering pit road.
There was also some chatter online as to why Busch smacking the wall brought out a caution in the first place. As explained by Bob Pockrass, it was a quick incident that left no debris and hardly any damage to the 8 car. Curious…
Many fans took to X to criticize NASCAR for throwing a caution for the Busch incident. In their minds, it was minor enough that they could keep going unhitched. Here’s what a few of them had to say.
With Kyle Larson’s strategy not panning out, what wrenches in the track does the No. 5 crew have up their sleeves for the final stretch? Well, we’re about to find out! Two stages down, one to go in Richmond!
