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NASCAR Gateway winners, losers as Kyle Larson gets back in victory lane

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Kyle Larson is back in victory lane.

Larson broke a 51-race winless streak by winning the Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sept. 13 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

The race took nearly four hours to complete after 18 cautions and a pair of red-flag stoppages for clean up.

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Here are the winners and losers from the NASCAR Gateway race this week.

NASCAR POINTS UPDATED: NASCAR points standings, Cup Series points update after Gateway race, Chase picture

NASCAR Gateway winners and losers

Winner: Kyle Larson

Finally.

Kyle Larson’s 51-race winless streak ended at Gateway, with fresher tires aiding his cause in the final 50 laps.

Larson got off sequence with the rest of the field with about 80 laps to go, staying out while the majority made a stop for tires.

The No. 5 then made a stop while the rest of the field stayed out, forcing Larson to drive through the field in what was a chaotic event.

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He did so, driving inside the top 10 before the final stop and taking four tires with 21 laps to go.

His chief rival for the win was Joey Logano, who took two tires. That advantage helped with several restarts in the final 15 laps.

Larson grabbed the lead for good with six laps to go, then held on during two final OT restarts to claim the win.

Larson leaves Gateway second in points, nine points behind leader Denny Hamlin. And he doesn’t have to answer any winless streak questions anymore.

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Inside NASCAR Gateway race with our best photos from Enjoy Illinois 300

MADISON, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 13: Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever (L) and Carson Hocevar, driver of the #77 Spectrum Chevrolet, talk during the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway on September 13, 2026 in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

(Chris Graythen, Getty Images)

A tribute to Finn Bowman

Alex Bowman pushed Larson on the final overtime restart, helping his Hendrick teammate to the win and earning a second-place finish, his best this season.

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But Bowman was emotional for reasons beyond the race track.

Bowman was in tears during his post-race interview with USA Network, speaking about his dog Finn, who passed away two days ago.

Bowman raced at Gateway this weekend with Finn on his mind and heart.

“It was a really hard weekend just to get on a plane and be here,” Bowman said after this race. “….Yeah, life is hard sometimes. I lost my best friend.”

“I suck (at Gateway), so obviously I had some help.”

It has been an emotional 2026 season for Bowman, including his bout with vertigo in the spring and the announcement of his retirement following the 2027 season. That continued this weekend in Illinois.

Rest easy, Finn.



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