That is how you execute a masterclass in pack racing. As Motorsport.com reports, Chevrolet completely took over Talladega by locking out the entire top six positions in a display of sheer manufacturer dominance not witnessed in nearly 13 years.
Kyle Larson led the charge, claiming his very first superspeedway victory. That win did wonders for his championship standings, turning a slender five-point advantage into a massive +73-point cushion. But the real story is how the bowtie brand carved through the chaos. Entering the final lap at the white flag, seven Chevrolets sat inside the first nine spots. By the time the machines hit Turn 3, madness struck. Two drivers who eventually cracked the top six weren't even inside the top ten moments prior—including Larson himself.
When the dust settled on a frantic finish, Todd Gilliland found himself completely stranded as the lone Ford in a sea of Chevrolets, dropping from second all the way down to seventh in the closing seconds. In total, eight Chevrolets finished inside the top ten, leaving Denny Hamlin's Toyota in eighth as the only other non-Chevy survivor alongside Gilliland.
What makes this sweep so utterly wild is the spread of the teams. Five different race teams contributed to the six cars at the front: Hendrick Motorsports with Kyle Larson and William Byron; Hyak Motorsports with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.; Trackhouse Racing with Ross Chastain; Haas Factory Team with Cole Custer; and Spire Motorsports with Carson Hocevar.
Chevrolet hasn't pulled off a 1st through 6th lockout in a Cup race since November 2013 at Phoenix Raceway. Back on that day at Phoenix, the golden bowtie machine was represented by Kevin Harvick for Richard Childress Racing, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for Hendrick Motorsports, Kurt Busch for Furniture Row Racing, and Juan Pablo Montoya for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Only Hendrick Motorsports has managed to anchor both of these historic 1-6 results across the decades, though the 2013 lockout leaned on just three different teams compared to this latest multi-team masterpiece.
