Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, scored the win in the main event on Night 2 of the 2021 Elk Grove Ford Hangtown 100 at Placerville, as he rallied from the seventh starting position in the 30-lap NOG Energy Drink USAC Midget National Championship feature event.
“It was difficult,” Larson said of his drive through the field. “The track was so fast there. I got up to third and I can’t really remember how I got by a couple of cars, I think up top in [turns] three and four. The momentum of the yellows and kind of how they fell really helped me out.”
Emerson Axsom, who finished runner-up, had the lead in the event until Larson made the race-winning pass with nine laps left in the feature.
“I found a line there in three and four before one of the cautions, and I really used that to my advantage with Emerson and Bryant [Wiedeman] running the top. That worked out. Glad I was able to get to the lead. I was thankful Emerson didn’t move down after I showed my nose so many times.”
While Axsom led 14 laps in the feature, most of anyone in the event, Larson was too strong down the stretch as he muscled to a 0.663-second margin of victory in a two-lap dash to the finish after a caution came out for a flip by Cannon McIntosh with two laps remaining.
Bryant Wiedeman rounded out the podium finishers for the event, while Jason McDougal, Buddy Kofoid, Carson Macedo, Zeb Wise, Logan Seavey, Taylor Reimer and Kevin Thomas Jr. rounded out the top-10 in the 26-car feature field.
Here are the highlights from Friday night’s feature event:
HIGHLIGHTS
USAC @NosEnergyDrink National Midgets@pvillespeedway#Hangtown100 Night #2
11/19/2021Watch the full race replay on @FloRacing! pic.twitter.com/rC9VOE8ogO
— USAC Racing (@USACNation) November 20, 2021
With the win, and a sixth-place finish on night one, Larson rockets to the top of the 2021 Hangtown 100 standings. The standings will determine the final starting lineup for Saturday’s $20,000, 100-lap Hangtown 100 main event.
Larson scored a $5,000 payday for his win on Friday night.
2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Chase Elliott is also attempting to make it into the Hangtown 100 Main Event on Saturday night, but he faces an uphill battle as he did not make Friday night’s main event.
Elliott was sixth-fastest of eight in the Flight Six Fatheadz Eyewear Qualifying round. Elliott then finished sixth of eight in the sixth heat race.
Elliott’s final chance to make the main event was in the second Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi race, where the top-three advanced to the feature. Elliott finished 11th in the 15 car field there.
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