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Larson passes Allgaier on last lap to win Toyota Care 250 at Richmond

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Kyle Larson led just 10 laps in the race, but led the one that counts to claim his second Xfinity Series win of the season.

Kyle Larson was in the right place at the right time when the yellow caution flag came out in overtime to win Saturday’s Toyota Care 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond International Raceway.

Larson passed Justin Allgaier just before reaching the overtime line on the final lap on the back straightaway, just before a mid-pack wreck brought out the seventh and final caution flag, which the race finished under.

While Allgaier was the most dominant driver in the race, leading 157 laps, Larson led just 10 laps in the race. It was his second Xfinity win this season.

“I’m surprised I cleared Justin (Allgaier) on two,” Larson told Fox Sports 1 of the final lap. “I thought he would hang on my outside or pass me.

“Thankfully we were able to clear him, then had the caution and I got the overtime win. We didn’t have the best car at all, Justin was by far the best.

“I’m not good at this place so to get a win is pretty neat.”

MORE: Race results from Toyota Care 250 Xfinity Series race at Richmond

MORE: Sadler remains No. 1 in Xfinity standings; Allgaier climbs to 2nd, Byron drops to 3rd

The race was scheduled for 250 laps; it went four extra laps before Larson was awarded the win in the extended 254-lap race.

Even though Allgaier was disappointed that he finished second, he could take some comfort in winning his second of the first three 2017 Xfinity Dash 4 Cash races and the $100,000 bonus.

“To win $100,000 is something we set out to do when we got here this weekend,” Allgaier told Fox Sports 1. “Unfortunately there at the end, the best car doesn’t always win the race.

“It’s just really disappointing. These guys deserved (a win). It’s very bittersweet, I’m very dejected, I’m not going to lie to you. This one hurts and it’s going to hurt for a long time.”

After the 1-2 Larson-Allgaier finish, pole-sitter Daniel Hemric finished third, followed by Ryan Blaney, Darrell Wallace Jr., Elliott Sadler, Michael Annett, Casey Mears and Spencer Gallagher.

Austin Dillon won Stage 1, while Allgaier won Stage 2 before the final 100-lap sprint to the checkered flag.

This is the third of four Xfinity Dash 4 Cash races. The final race will be at Dover International Speedway on Saturday, June 3.

The first two Dash 4 Cash winners this season have been Allgaier (Phoenix) and Daniel Hemric (last week at Bristol).

Kyle Benjamin, who made his Xfinity Series debut Saturday, had a decent race going until he was involved in a late-race crash with five laps to go in regulation that also included Brennan Poole, William Byron, Harrison Rhodes and Daniel Suarez.

The race was red-flagged for about five minutes to remove cars from the track as well as clean up the damage.

HOW LARSON WON: Larson admitted Allgaier had the best car in the field, but got a break on the final restart, fortuitously passed Allgaier in Turn 2, and passed the overtime line just in time before the field was frozen due to a mid-pack wreck that resulted in Larson taking the win.

WHO ELSE HAD A GOOD RACE: Allgaier won his second $100,000 Xfinity Dash 4 Cash bonus, but lamented that he did not win the race. … Daniel Hemric continues to improve and show great promise. Not only did he start from the pole, he finished third.

WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Kyle Benjamin looked like he would have a decent top-20 finish in his first career Xfinity start, but was involved in a multi-car wreck late in the race and finished 32nd. ... Also having a rough day was Brendan Gaughan, who finished 35th.

NOTABLE: Darrell Wallace Jr. has now finished sixth in six of his last seven races.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’m not good at this place so to get a win is pretty neat.” – Race-winner Kyle Larson

WHAT’S NEXT: Sparks Energy 300 at Talladega Superspeedway, Saturday, May 6 at 1 p.m. ET.

Follow @JerryBonkowski