Larson Holds Off Allgaier in Thrilling JRM 1-2 at Texas

May 2, 2026

Race 12 of 33: Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 at Texas Motor Speedway
Track Specs: 1.5-mile quad-oval / 200 laps
Race Winner: Kyle Larson
Allgaier’s finish: 2nd
Kvapil’s finish: 11th
Smith’s finish: 13th
Zilisch’s finish: 21st

Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson delivered a strong performance Saturday in the Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 at Texas Motor Speedway, driving the No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet to victory in the 200-lap event. Starting third, Larson stayed near the front all race despite battling handling issues, reporting a tight condition early before the team made adjustments after finishing third in Stage One.

In Stage Two, Larson briefly led on lap 54 but continued to fight an inconsistent balance, ultimately finishing fourth. After key adjustments by crew chief Mardy Lindley, he charged back to the front in the final stage, reclaiming the lead by lap 104. Larson controlled the race through green-flag pit stops and executed a flawless restart following a late caution on lap 178, holding off the field in the closing laps to secure the victory.

“Yeah, that was a tough race all day. We were fighting the balance pretty much every run-tight early and then it would kind of free up on us-but Mardy (Lindley) and the whole No. 88 team did an awesome job sticking with it and making the right calls. Those adjustments there in the final stage really brought the car to life. I can’t thank everyone at JR Motorsports enough, and HendrickCars.com and Hendrick Engine Shop for giving us a fast piece. It means a lot to get this one in Victory Lane.”

Justin Allgaier

Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 Roto-Rooter Chevrolet, scored his seventh top-three finish of the season on Saturday afternoon in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at Texas Motor Speedway, taking the checkered flag in the runner-up position. Allgaier, who qualified on the pole with a blistering lap Friday evening, led 54 laps throughout the day and scored a Stage One win in dominating fashion, leading wire-to-wire to secure the 10 valuable stage points. In the third and final stage, Allgaier battled with JR Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson for the victory before coming up just short in the closing laps, crossing the finish line for the final time in second. With the result, Allgaier extends his lead in the championship standings to 121 points as the NOAPS heads to Watkins Glen International next weekend.

“Our Roto-Rooter Chevrolet was really strong today. Andrew (Overstreet, crew chief) and all the guys on this team gave me a great car from the moment we unloaded. I wish we could have had a couple more laps there at the end, but it’s great to have a JR Motorsports Chevrolet back in Victory Lane. It was a solid points day for us and we can build off this as we head to a road course next weekend.”

Carson Kvapil

Carson Kvapil, driver of the No. 9 Arby’s Chevrolet, started in the 14th position for the Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon. Kvapil fought a loose-handling race car from the start and finished the first stage in 20th position. After a round of pit stops and adjustments, the No. 9 Arby’s Chevrolet’s handling was improved. When the green-and-white-checkered flag waved at the end of Stage Two, Kvapil was scored in the 11th position. During the final stage, the JR Motorsports driver quickly surged into the top 10 and was running seventh when a late-race caution came out. In the end, Kvapil crossed the finish line the final time in 11th position.

“Today was a solid showing for the No. 9 Arby’s team. Phillip (Bell, crew chief) and the entire No. 9 team improved the car all afternoon. We didn’t get the finish we wanted, but we will get back to work and start preparing for Watkins Glen next weekend.”

Sammy Smith

Sammy Smith, driver of the No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet, closed out the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at Texas Motor Speedway in 13th position on Saturday afternoon.

Smith showed speed in the Friday afternoon practice session and ended up 15th in the board following qualifying. The NOAPS field took the green for the Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 and immediately fell under caution within the first lap, and two more waved over the first 17 laps. Smith reported a lack of grip and rode out Stage One before he could come to pit road for adjustments. The JR Motorsports driver finished 21st in the first stage and after an efficient pit stop, started Stage Two in 15th. The changes from crew chief Cory Shea gave Smith much more grip in the second stage, but Smith called that he needed front turn. He came to pit road again at the end of the stage, taking four fresh tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment before lining up for the final 110-lap stage.

After starting 11th for the final segment, Smith quickly broke into the top 10. The No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet held that position until his scheduled green-flag pit stop at lap 142, blending back onto the track in 14th. By lap 150, Smith was back in the top 10 and hung there for nearly 30 laps until his Pilot Chevrolet started getting tight. Doing all he could to keep his track position, Smith ultimately crossed the finish line in 13th.

“Today was tough. We battled finding grip most of the day. Cory (Shea, crew chief) got me to a good spot in the second stage and it started to fall back towards the end of the race. We learned a lot throughout the day and feel like we are making a lot of gains. I’m looking forward to the switch-up next weekend heading back to a road course.”

Connor Zilisch

Connor Zilisch’s chances for a good finish ended early in the final stage of Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 at Texas Motor Speedway. Zilisch started fourth and finished second in the opening 45-lap stage, thanks in large part to a three-wide pass following a restart on lap 24 that moved him from fifth to second in the running order. Stage Two was dominated by the driver of the Truck Club/Registix Chevrolet with Zilisch leading 37 of 45 laps and winning the stage, his first stage victory of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season. He restarted as the race leader with the final stage went green on lap 97. Zilisch was dicing for the lead with Kyle Larson and Brent Crews on lap 105 when he relayed to his team that the balance on the Truck Club/Registix Chevrolet was really tight and he was chattering the front tires. On lap 136, a cut right front tire forced Zilisch to make an unscheduled pit stop under green for four tires, ruining his strong run. He was officially credited with a 21st-place finish in the final rundown.

“It’s just unfortunate. I feel like we had a really good shot to finish in the top five. Stuff like that happens. I don’t know how we didn’t wreck when we were three-wide there. All of us were kind of running up the track and running into each other. I’m glad we didn’t end each other’s day doing that. It was wild and so cool to see the JRM cars up front. WE had a good day in our Truck Club/Registix Chevrolet until it went south. Thanks to everyone at Truck Club, Registix and JR Motorsports for the opportunity.”