Stage 2 recap
Kyle Larson won Stage 2 of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (live on USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Joey Logano finished second, followed by Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and Josh Berry. Denny Hamlin, Ryan Preece, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe and Bubba Wallace completed the top 10 and points earners.
RELATED: Live leaderboard | At-track photos
After Stage 1’s conclusion, all but 12 lead-lap cars pitted. Among those staying out were Daniel Suárez, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Austin Cindric and Chris Buescher, all Chase presented by Mobil 1 drivers who came for service at least once during the opening frame.
Just four laps under green-flag conditions in Stage 2, Ty Gibbs contacted Erik Jones battling for 18th, sending the No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota spinning. Gibbs had trouble passing Jones for multiple laps before the bump and slide.
MORE: Full Stage 2 results
The race restarted on Lap 60, but it took just four laps until the next yellow. Riley Herbst cut across Shane van Gisbergen’s bumper after Buescher checked up following contact from Carson Hocevar in front of them, spinning across AJ Allmendinger.
A majority of Chase drivers came down pit road, where many teams took two fresh Goodyear Eagles. Hamlin won the race off pit road, and he restarted fourth on Lap 69 with Ross Chastain in the lead.
On Lap 81, Kyle Larson passed Chastain for the top spot to lead laps in the second consecutive race. Chastain pitted during the stage break and banked on a caution later in Stage 2 to refuel. But with 12 to go amid the longest run of the race, he surrendered his fourth-place running position for fuel.
But as Chastain blended back onto the racing surface, Zane Smith suffered an issue entering Turn 1, pounding the outside SAFER barrier. That caution came with exactly 10 laps to go, ending Stage 2 prematurely.
Stage 1 recap
Joey Logano won a chaotic Stage 1 of the NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, leading all 45 laps.
Christopher Bell finished second despite a late charge for max points, followed by Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott. Carson Hocevar, Chase Briscoe, Alex Bowman, Ty Gibbs and Brad Keselowski completed the top 10 in the second race of The Chase presented by Mobil 1.
MORE: Full Stage 1 results | Watch Logano clinch Stage 1 win
It didn’t take long for the first Chase drivers to have issues. Exiting Turn 4 and heading into Lap 4, the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet of Daniel Suárez wiggled and made contact with Tyler Reddick, forcing the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota into the wall. The Chase drivers were battling for a spot inside the top 15.
Two laps later, Riley Herbst spun in the same spot after contact from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Herbst slid into the inside wall, suffering front-end and right-side damage on his No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota for the first caution of the afternoon, allowing teammate Reddick to come down pit road for repairs and dropping outside the top 30.
The race restarted on Lap 10, and just five circuits later, Stenhouse went around exiting Turn 2, with the single-car incident resulting in the second yellow of the day. Reddick pitted a second time, and Suárez came for service as well, allowing his team to investigate for potential damage.
On the ensuing restart, another crash broke out toward the back of the field. Michael McDowell got squeezed into the wall by Shane van Gisbergen while racing four-wide, resulting in an incident that also sent Noah Gragson spinning in his No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford. The wreck happened in front of Suárez, who suffered minor front and rear damage. He again visited pit road for repairs.
On Lap 28, van Gisbergen washed up the track in Turns 1 and 2, contacting Ty Dillon before spinning himself around for the fourth caution. Under that yellow, a handful of Chase drivers made their first scheduled pit stops, including points leader Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Austin Cindric, Ryan Preece and Chris Buescher.
The rest of Stage 1 remained green at Logano earned the wire-to-wire victory.
This story will be updated.