On the final lap of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, Kyle Larson sliced through the field from 11th place to capture victory, though his late-race maneuver immediately sparked intense debate over the sanctioning body’s double yellow line rule.
The Tri-Oval Pass and the Rule in Question
Larson entered Turn 3 deep in the pack before charging forward to snatch the win away from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and William Byron. However, questions immediately arose regarding whether Larson dipped his left-side tires below the double yellow line in the tri-oval while passing Todd Gilliland. Earlier on that same final lap, Austin Hill cut under Larson for the lead at the exit of Turn 2 and similarly went below the yellow line before ultimately fading to the tail-end of the lead lap after losing power near the finish line.
NASCAR’s rulebook explicitly states under Section 8.3.2 that vehicles must race above the double yellow lines around the entire track. The rule specifies that if a vehicle goes beneath the lines to improve its position in the judgment of race control, it will be black-flagged. It also allows for penalties if a driver forces another car below the line to block a pass.
Larson Admitted Taking Hands off Wheel Before Finish Line
Motorsport.com reported that Larson’s crew chief, Cliff Daniels, was initially unaware of the potential infraction until arriving in Victory Lane. Daniels remarked that Larson admitted to celebrating before crossing the stripe, stating, “I had no idea of that until Victory Lane. He’s like, I got to be honest with you, I started cheering before I was even close to the line. I took my hands off the wheel. That’s why I almost went below the line. I was like, ‘bro, are you serious right now?’ I have not seen that replay. I only heard him tell the story he told. I can’t wait to see it. Debrief sheet this week. Don’t celebrate too soon.”
Larson echoed those sentiments regarding his premature celebration and momentum carrying him past Stenhouse. “I knew it was close and I’d have been really pissed at myself if I did go below … To get it called back would have sucked … I knew it was close. I haven’t seen a picture, a video. My momentum was taking me past the 47 [Stenhouse] (and) I was fist-pumping before I ever got to the line. So yeah, that would’ve been embarrassing if we didn’t win,” Larson said.
| Driver | Incident Location | Final Result |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | Tri-Oval (Pass for Win) | Race Winner |
| Austin Hill | Exit of Turn 2 | Tail-end of lead lap |
| Bubba Wallace (Prior Event) | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Penalized to tail-end |
The controversy follows similar enforcement earlier in the season, such as when Bubba Wallace was sent to the tail-end of the lead lap for a yellow-line violation while battling for the win at Atlanta. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also weighed in on social media regarding the widely circulated screenshot from Talladega, keeping the spotlight firmly on how NASCAR applies the rule during chaotic pack-racing finishes.
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KYLE LARSON WINS AT TALLADEGA! What an incredible final lap. pic.twitter.com/CA07npiJ4X
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Kyle Larson wins at Talladega, his first win on a drafting track in his 59th start.He is the 13th different winner in the last 13 Talladega races, tying the record for the most races at a track without a repeat winner (Texas & New Hampshire) pic.twitter.com/aqANTFuxI1
