Kyle Larson collects first checkered flag of 2017 in Auto Club 400 at Fontana

Late restarts, veteran drivers couldnt stop Larson from finally triumphing after several close calls

Gary A. Vasquez—USA Today Sports
NASCAR Cup series driver Kyle Larson (42) celebrates following his win of the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Larson finally got his win this season. And nothing was going to deny him.The No. 42 car took the pole on Friday. Larson then led 21 laps to win the Xfinity Series race on Saturday. He then led nearly the entire first stage from the pole to win another stage for Chevrolet.It was all setting up perfectly for Larson again, then the adversity came. Several cautions came in the final 25 laps — including one between Martin Truex Jr. and Matt Kenseth that sent the No. 20 into the infield wall — and Larson restarted behind both Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin near the end of the race.Even through all that, Larson fought back to win his first race of 2017.”I was staying as calm as I could be, but also frustrated at the same time,” Larson said. “It seems like every time I get to the lead at the end of one of these things, the caution comes out and I’ve got to fight people off on restarts. …”This is just amazing. We have been so good all year long; three seconds in a row. I’ve been watching all the TV like ‘he doesn’t know how to win’, but we knew how to win today, so that was good.”Brad Keselowski finished second after falling through the field and spinning in the opening laps. Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano rounded out the top five.Other than the caution for Keselowski’s spin on lap four, the yellow flag only waved two other times to signal the end of each of the first two 60-lap stages until 21 laps to go in the race’s 200-lap scheduled distance. But four cautions littered the final laps, the last of those sending the race into overtime.When the yellow waved for a Gray Gaulding wreck, Larson gave up the lead to pit for tires. Three drivers — Truex, Denny Hamlin and Jamie McMurray — stayed out.Larson got up to second on the restart and took the lead just before the final caution. McMurray, like Truex, managed to remain in the top 10 on his old tires, finishing sixth. Hamlin, though, wound up 14th at the checkered flag.Here’s a look at the rest of the results from the Auto Club 400:Kyle LarsonBrad KeselowskiClint BowyerMartin Truex Jr.Joey LoganoJamie McMurrayDaniel SuarezKyle BuschRyan BlaneyChase ElliottAustin DillonErik JonesKevin HarvickDenny HamlinRyan NewmanDale Earnhardt Jr.A.J. AllmendingerTy DillonAric AlmirolaKasey KahneJimmie JohnsonRicky Stenhouse Jr.Trevor BayneKurt BuschChris BuescherDanica PatrickLandon CassillPaul MenardMatt DiBenedettoCorey LaJoieDavid RaganCole WhittMichael McDowellReed SorensonTimmy HillMatt KensethGray GauldingDerrike CopeJeffrey Earnhardt