+ A
A -
ap
DOVER, Delaware
Matt Kenseth used some of his veteran experience to edge Kyle Larson and surge to victory on Sunday in the accident-strewn NASCAR race at Dover International Speedway.
"He was all over me," Kenseth said."If he would have snuck inside, it would have been over," Kenseth said of Larson, 21 years his junior.
Kenseth snapped a 17-race winless streak skid with his 37th career victory ” and denied Larson his first Sprint Cup victory.
Larson made Kenseth work for the victory that secured him a spot in the Chase.
But it was third-place finisher Chase Elliott that may have cost Larson as much as Kenseth's late-race manoeuvring. Elliott, the second-generation rookie who replaced Jeff Gordon in the No. 24, made an aggressive run and briefly passed Larson for second. Their battle took enough steam out of Larson's push that Kenseth was able to create a needed gap and become the fourth Joe Gibbs Racing driver to win in 2016.
Larson matched his career-best finish for owner Chip Ganassi. Elliott had the top finish of his first season at Hendrick Motorsports.
Larson refused to bump Kenseth out of his path over the final thrilling laps and wanted a clean pass in the No. 42 to earn the win.
"It doesn't even seem right that he hasn't won yet," Kenseth said."He's got a bunch of victories in front of him, for sure. He's a really, really clean, hard racer, and a fast learner."
The 44-year-old Kenseth is older than the combined ages of Elliott, 20, and the 23-year-old Larson.
