There’s nothing quite like a good old-fashioned teammate battle in NASCAR. Sometimes, it ends in fireworks—just ask Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski at Daytona in 2021, when a last-lap push for the win ended with both of them wrecked in a fiery crash. Other times, it’s a breathtaking display of skill, pushing each driver to their limits, like Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon’s legendary door-to-door duels in the mid-2000s.
When two drivers from the same team are racing for the win, the tension skyrockets. Do you let them fight it out or play it safe? At Homestead-Miami, Hendrick Motorsports found itself in that exact situation. With just a handful of laps remaining, Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson were locked in a fierce battle, each searching for an edge. Watching from the pit box, HMS Vice President Jeff Gordon could barely contain himself as the Hendrick teammates dueled for glory.
Jeff Gordon’s perspective on the Homestead-Miami duel
At Homestead-Miami Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson delivered a thrilling battle in the race’s final laps. After a race that saw multiple leaders and the leader for most of the race, Ryan Blaney, suffer an engine failure, things got intense. Bowman was in the lead for 43 laps, his most since 2022, and yet, it wasn’t enough. Larson’s prowess at riding the fence eventually proved too good for Bowman, as the latter bumped into the wall on Lap 261 and yielded first place to his teammate.
Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon observed this intense duel with a mix of excitement and apprehension. He acknowledged the unique challenges posed by the track, noting its multiple racing lanes that can heighten tension during close battles. Gordon told Frontstretch in the post-race presser, “I was just more nervous about a caution coming out than anything else… This track offers multiple different lanes, and so it’s a lot more nerve-wracking if it’s a single-groove racetrack… like what we’re gonna see next weekend at Martinsville”
A caution coming out would have surely added a twist to the tale, but surprisingly, this race saw no cautions for the last 59 laps, allowing Larson, Bowman, and Bubba Wallace to have a crack at full speed under green. The 2025 season has already seen too much drama unfold, on and off-track, in last-lap cautions, right from William Byron’s win at Daytona to Christopher Bell’s green-white-checkered flag victory at Atlanta.
Despite his nerves, Gordon had confidence in both drivers’ abilities to handle the pressure. He praised Bowman and his crew chief, Blake Harris, for their efforts to contend with Kyle Larson throughout the race, saying, “I saw what Alex and Blake did all day long to get themselves in that position.” As the laps dwindled, Gordon closely monitored the evolving dynamics between his drivers.
He observed Kyle Larson’s relentless pursuit and Bowman’s defensive maneuvers, noting, “You just saw Larson coming hard, and at that point, I was like, okay, just one of these guys… two guys bring it home.” With six laps remaining, Larson sped by as Alex Bowman scraped the wall on Turn 4. The #5 managed to keep the lead, eventually finishing 1.205 seconds ahead of Bowman. This was Larson’s second Cup Series win at Homestead and 30th overall career win.
Gordon’s insights into the race reveal the delicate balance team executives must maintain between encouraging healthy competition and ensuring overall team success. “Obviously, no cautions came out. So that was good,” Gordon summarized. His experience as a former driver provides a unique perspective on managing such high-stakes situations, where the thrill of competition intertwines with the complexities of team dynamics.
Kyle Larson falls short of a weekend sweep but eyes another shot
Kyle Larson came close to achieving a rare NASCAR triple-header sweep at Homestead-Miami. He won the Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday after beating Corey Heim despite spinning during the final stage. He then dominated Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, leading over 100 laps and by as much as 14 seconds at one point! However, a late caution and bad restart that saw Sam Mayer shove him at the wrong time led to Justin Allgaier stealing a victory. However, he came back strong to dominate the Cup Series event, ending a streak of heartbreaks at Homestead over the last few years.
Winning all three national series races in one weekend is a feat only a few drivers have managed. Kyle Busch is the most notable, completing the sweep twice. Rowdy did it first at Bristol in 2010 and again in 2017. NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip spoke about Busch’s sweep, saying, “I never in my life thought someone could win three races in a weekend at Bristol, but Kyle Busch has. I don’t know how he physically does it because all those laps in one weekend don’t appear to affect him all that much. Kyle stays up on the wheel and gets the job done.”
Now, in 2025, Kyle Larson has the shot to emulate Busch and dispel his accusations of ‘cherry picking’ races. Larson plans to run all three series again when the sport moves to Bristol for the Food City 500 weekend from April 11-13. The half-mile track suits his aggressive driving style, making it an ideal place to chase history. He has one Cup Series win at the track and adding an Xfinity and Truck victory on the same weekend would be special.
Despite missing out on the sweep this time around, Larson remained upbeat about his performance. His Homestead win was personal, given his past struggles at the track. “Proud of myself. Proud of the team. Just a lot of gritty hard work there today,” Larson said. “Super pumped. One of the coolest wins I think in my Cup career just because of all the heartbreak I’ve had here, the heartbreak yesterday. To just keep my head down and keep digging feels really good,”
Kyle Larson has led over 100 laps three times at Homestead-Miami Speedway, only winning on one of those occasions. His most recent heartbreak came during the 2023 playoff race where he led 96 laps after starting fifth, but couldn’t finish the race as he slammed into the pit road barriers, ending his night with a 34th-place finish.
Now that the Homestead curse is broken and playoff qualification is secured, it’s time for Larson to shift his focus on the triple-header weekend at Bristol to etch his place in NASCAR history. With his speed and determination, another triple-header attempt could be just what he needs to give him that final push toward claiming the championship in November. Do you think Kyle Larson can win the triple-header in Bristol? Let us know in the comments!
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