BRISTOL, Tenn. — Kyle Larson delivered a commanding performance at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 13, 2025, winning the Food City 500 NASCAR Cup Series race by leading 411 of 500 laps. The victory, his second of the season and 31st career win, came with a heartfelt dedication to his late friend and PR representative, Jon Edwards, who passed away earlier that week.
Larson, driving the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, swept both stages and finished 2.250 seconds ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin. Ty Gibbs, also from Joe Gibbs Racing, took third, 6.679 seconds back. The race ran caution-free for the final 235 laps, allowing Larson to showcase his car’s superiority on the 0.533-mile concrete oval.
The win capped a remarkable weekend for Larson, who also claimed the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday and finished second in Friday’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series event. His Bristol dominance reinforced his status as a top contender in the Cup Series.
“This one’s definitely for Jon,” Larson said. “He’s just a great guy. Successful weekend here. Wish he was going to be here with us to celebrate, but I know he’s celebrating with us in spirit. Just a flawless race once again here at Bristol for the 5 team. Really, really good car. That was a lot of fun.”
Larson’s car brushed the wall with five laps remaining but sustained no damage, preserving his lead. Hamlin, who has finished second to Larson in seven 1-2 finishes, applied pressure after the final pit stops but couldn’t close the gap.
“You have to give that team their due—just a dominant performance,” Hamlin said. “It looked like a pretty flawless day for them. It looked pretty easy. It was all I had to try to keep up there. I’m glad we were able to give him a little bit of a run with our Progressive Toyota. But this weekend, we are all thinking about Jon Edwards’ family, Al Pearce, Shige Hattori. We’ve lost a lot of great people in our sport over the last week, so our thoughts are with them.”
Contrary to expectations from Saturday’s practice, tire wear was minimal due to the track rubbering in, altering race strategy. Ryan Blaney, for instance, ran 175 laps on one set of tires before pitting on Lap 440, a move that helped him lead 48 laps and finish fifth. Chase Briscoe secured fourth, while William Byron charged from 26th to sixth. Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell, and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top nine, with Austin Dillon 10th, one lap down.
Pole-sitter Alex Bowman led the first 39 laps but retired on Lap 343 due to engine failure. Larson’s Stage 2 win tied him with Martin Truex Jr. for the most stage victories (66) since 2017, per NASCAR.com.
The race, with an average speed of 100.746 mph, featured three cautions for 40 laps and four lead changes among four drivers. Larson’s 411 laps led dwarfed Blaney’s 48 and Bowman’s 39. Carson Hocevar briefly led two laps during a pit cycle.
The event marked Larson’s second consecutive Bristol Cup Series win, solidifying his mastery of the high-banked short track. According to ESPN, Larson’s performance underscored Hendrick Motorsports’ strength early in the 2025 season. The racing community also mourned recent losses, including Edwards, journalist Al Pearce, and team owner Shige Hattori, adding emotional weight to the weekend.
Larson’s victory moves him forward in the championship hunt, while Hamlin and Gibbs aim to build on their strong Bristol showings in upcoming races.
