CONCORD, N.C. – Kyle Larson’s dominating performance in NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro Speedway left an impression on fans.
SEASON RECAPS: Alex Bowman | Chase Elliott | William Byron | Kyle Larson
Larson’s 2023 All-Star Race win took home "Most Dominant Performance" and "Best Celebration or Burnout" in the inaugural NASCAR Fan Choice Awards, which were announced after a week of voting.
Starting 13th and falling back a bit in the opening laps, crew chief Cliff Daniels took advantage of an early caution on lap 17 and had his driver pit for four tires. Only a handful of cars came down for service and an ensuing pit road penalty sent Larson to the last spot in the field – 24th for the lap 21 restart. Over the next 35 laps, he drove from last to the lead and never really let it go from there. The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 led a race-high 145 laps (and all but one of the last 146 laps) to score the win. The victory was Larson’s third All-Star Race win, which have all come at different tracks (Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2019, Texas Motor Speedway in 2021 and North Wilkesboro in 2023)
Following the win, Larson did a track-long burnout at the 0.625-mile venue, which was hosting its first NASCAR national series event since 1996.
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Larson was also recognized in the "Best Rivalry" selection by fans for his battles with Denny Hamlin. The two had multiple late-race duels throughout the season, most notably at Kansas Speedway in May and Pocono Raceway in July.