The 2024 NASCAR season will be remembered for hosting three of the top seven tightest finishes in the sport’s storied history. The drama began at Atlanta, where Daniel Suarez barely clung to the lead, edging out Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch by mere thousandths of a second — 0.003 and 0.007 respectively — making it the fourth closest finish in Cup Series history.
Advertisement
The suspense intensified at Talladega with the season’s third-tightest finish. JTG Daugherty Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. seized victory from Brad Keselowski by a scant 0.006 seconds in the second race of the Round of 12.
However, the season’s crown of close calls occurred in May, when Kyle Larson edged out Chris Buescher by just 0.001 seconds, marking the narrowest finish ever recorded in NASCAR.
The finish was so close that, despite the assistance of the FinishLynx software and its high-precision camera technology, officials painstakingly reviewed the footage multiple times to confirm the victor and ascertain which car first broke the plane of the start/finish line.
The decision provoked controversy, fueled by claims that the start/finish line was unevenly positioned, favoring Larson slightly over Buescher.
Recently, NASCAR reignited the controversy surrounding the Kansas finish when it humorously posted a meme video on its X handle, captioned, “Us racing to be the first to open up presents.”
It prompted fans to revisit the contentious ending. One fan lamented Buescher‘s loss, exclaiming, “Damn the #17 got robbed so hard on this!!! Typical nascar manipulation! I wanna see a new series that isn’t nascar.”
Us racing to be the first to open up presents. pic.twitter.com/VEjQy5daMG
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) December 23, 2024
Echoing this, another spectator accused, “Another win stolen from Chris Buescher by the nascar democrats Fk kyle larson.”
Meanwhile, another critique focused on the start/finish line, pointing out, “That white line thickness is extremely questionable Any race that ends in a virtual tie like this should never go to 1 individual.”
However, the confusion was soon clarified by The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck, who with video proof explained that the visible white finish line isn’t the official marker. Instead, a high-speed camera superimposes a digital line to precisely determine the sequence of cars crossing.
Gluck further illustrated his point by sharing a photo of the cameras employed to finalize the results, comparing the technology to that used in determining close finishes at the Kentucky Derby.
What went down at Kansas Speedway?
At Kansas Speedway, the race was a hotbed of activity, featuring 27 lead changes among 10 drivers and seven caution flags over just 43 laps. The track remained clear of incidents, save for stage breaks, until Lap 176 when Corey LaJoie’s Chevy clipped Jimmie Johnson, causing a spin that tangled three cars and brought the race to a seven-lap pause.
Subsequently, the race tempo intensified with three rapid cautions, compelling the drivers to switch gears in their strategies. Denny Hamlin, adept at conserving fuel, briefly dominated the lead. However, a spin by Kyle Busch at Lap 261 shuffled the deck anew.
In the next overtime, Hamlin surged ahead, but Buescher was hot on his trail, pressing from the outside. Larson, seizing an opportunity, darted through on the inside in a three-wide maneuver as they roared into Turn 1. Coming off Turn 4, Larson edged alongside Buescher, and their cars clashed twice in a dash to the finish line.
Larson’s #5 Chevrolet Camaro nosed ahead in the final stretch, marking the closest victory that left RFK Racing scrutinizing the finish line’s exactitude. Climbing from fourth to first, Larson celebrated his second triumph of the season amidst controversy and rush at Kansas Speedway.
