Larson wins at Talladega, extends championship lead

Kyle Larson surged from outside the top 10 on the final lap to win the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, earning his first victory at the track and extending his championship lead to 73 points with two races remaining. Larson crossed the finish line ahead of Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished third. The result followed a late scramble in which Larson recovered after being shuffled back in the pack. He had entered the final lap near the front, dropped as Austin Hill moved ahead, then charged through traffic to take the lead. The finish also raised questions about NASCAR’s yellow-line rule, which bars drivers from going below the double yellow lines to improve their position. The series ruled that Larson’s wheels never went fully below the line during his decisive pass. Larson said he knew the move was close but had not seen a replay after the race. He said a penalty overturning the win would have been frustrating. Larson’s win put him 73 points ahead of Denny Hamlin in the standings. Christopher Bell was 74 points behind Larson and Chase Briscoe 79 points back, according to the reported standings. Two races remained...