Kenseth holds off Larson to win wreck-filled race at Dover

Associated Press

DOVER, DEL.

Matt Kenseth had eluded the wreckage that turned Dover into a junkyard. He never felt he could escape the pressure that Kyle Larson put on him — the anointed future star racing door-to-door with the former champion.

“He was all over me,” Kenseth said. “I think if he would have snuck inside, it would have been over.”

Twenty-one years older that Larson, Kenseth used some of his veteran experience to find the high groove on the mile concrete track and surge to victory Sunday in the wreck-filled race at Dover International Speedway.

Kenseth snapped a 17-race winless streak skid with his 37th career victory — and denied Larson his first Sprint Cup victory.

Larson made Kenseth work for the victory that secured him a spot in the Chase.

But it was third-place finisher Chase Elliott that may have cost Larson as much as Kenseth’s late-race maneuvering. Elliott, the second-generation rookie who replaced Jeff Gordon in the No. 24, made an aggressive run and briefly passed Larson for second. Their brief battle took enough steam out of Larson’s push that Kenseth was able to create a needed gap and become the fourth Joe Gibbs Racing driver to win in 2016.

“I think the last 20 laps is about as good as anybody could drive a racecar,” Gibbs said.

Larson matched his career-best finish for owner Chip Ganassi. Elliott had the top finish of his first season at Hendrick Motorsports.

The Next Generation has to wait for the confetti shower in victory lane.