CONCORD, N.C. – Polesitter Kyle Larson cruised to the opening stage victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway during Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, the 62nd edition of the NASCAR Cup Series’ longest race.
Larson led 89 of the first 100 laps at the 1.5-mile quad-oval, taking the green-and-white checkered flag .886 seconds clear of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott.
In doing so, the Elk Grove, Calif., native surpassed 4,000 career laps led in his Cup Series career.
It marked Larson’s series-leading seventh stage win of the season and his 25th overall.
“I think I’m a bit tight over the long run. The first stint, I think I spent a little too much time in the traction compound … so that’s something I’ve learned,” Larson noted. “I think it’s going to get better and I feel like we’re in a good spot; I just have to try and stay ahead of my teammates, it looks like.”
Behind Larson and Elliott, William Byron crossed third to give Hendrick Motorsports an early sweep of the top three positions. Kevin Harvick was fourth and Austin Dillon ran fifth after 100 laps.
Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Alex Bowman rounded out the point-scoring positions in the top 10 at the first of three scheduled stage breaks in Sunday’s 600-mile event.
Stage cautions will also wave after laps 200 and 300 before the field runs to the finish.
The opening quarter of the crown-jewel event was run without a caution, marking the longest green-flag run to open a Coca-Cola 600 in recent memory. The 1996 race went green for the first 141 laps.