Kyle Larson rightfully begets the name Yung Money. Throughout his career, he has displayed incredible tenacity and talent at the helm of a car to keep winning races everywhere he goes. However, one track that had eluded him from a win amidst a glittering record was Darlington Raceway. But mountains are meant to be climbed, right?

Kyle Larson showed the world why he’s considered one of the best drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series modern era at Darlington. Laying off the red carpet for his first win at the track, it couldn’t have come at a better time for Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports.

Kyle Larson uses the Next-Gen car’s durability to his advantage for his first win at Darlington

Coming off a dilemma-filled regular season, some doubts were voiced over Hendrick Motorsports’ ability to produce a champion this season. With a former champion like Chase Elliott missing the playoffs, the Rick Hendrick-owned team faced a psychological battle on top of the intense performance pressure from how things have gone. But Kyle Larson is here to steady the boat and open up the possibilities for his team.

After the win, a jubilant Larson was interviewed by NBC on the trackside. He revealed that one of the many reasons he has been unable to succeed at Darlington previously in his career was due to a destructive dynamic with the walls that caused damage to his car. When asked about where he would put this win on his list of numerous victories, he said,

“It’s definitely in the top-5. It’s been one of my favorite tracks my whole career. Been really, really fast here my whole career. Just… usually getting the wall.”

Applauding NASCAR for their work on the latest generation of vehicles, the first-time Darlington race winner added, “We finally have the Next-Gen cars tough enough to allow me to hit the walls. So we were able to make some mistakes and get a win. Adding this trophy to the collection is gonna be amazing and just such a prestigious race this is.”

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“You know one of three or four crown jewels, and you know, besides the 500, the only one I haven’t won yet. Hopefully, we get to go to the Brickyard next year on the oval and will love to do that one too.”

What a way to celebrate the end of your drought at Darlington!

Kyle Larson beat off competition from Tyler Reddick, who had another strong outing, making him a possible candidate for the final 12 and even the final 8, neck to neck-pushing the former.

Larson ends his woes at Darlington in style and gets home his Darlington bow tie win

Prior to today’s race, Kyle Larson had an average finish of 14.4 at Darlington with no wins to his name. The occasion of the playoffs added more reason and zeal to Kyle Larson, who has been one of the fastest cars of the season. The win also secures the No. 5 a place in the final 12, irrespective of who wins in the next two races of the first round.

The Cook Out Southern 500 witnessed him lead the most crucial 55 laps consistently, which is a great number, especially considering the leads lasted for an elongated period of time at the intermediate track. However, when the No. 5 Chevy started the race from P18, it was difficult to imagine him winning the race. But Kyle Larson is known to defy the odds with his dominant style of racing, as he has from time to time.

The 30-year-old pushed the #5 Camaro into the top five in the second round of green flag stops. This helped him to take advantage of the position that he came out with during pit stops, helping him stay at a considerable distance from the leader.

During his final tussle with 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick, he had to face the haunts of crashing into the wall again. But this time he came on top of the recurring incident and fended off Reddick for the win.

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A great start to the playoffs is also an indicator of many more good things to come. The intense battle for the drivers to make the final 12 continues next weekend as NASCAR arrives in Kansas.