NASCAR Barometer: Larson Wins Third Consecutive Michigan Race

Kyle Larson became the first driver since Bill Elliott to win three consecutive races at Michigan on Sunday when he used a late-race restart to thread the needle between Furniture Row Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones. The Toyota pair started the overtime restart on the front row, but Larson timed the green flag to perfection and moved into the lead for the final two laps. The win was Larson's third of the season and came on the back of three straight finishes outside of the top 20.

Sunday's top finishers included a number of drivers not normally at the front of the order at a race finish. Erik Jones scored his top finish in the series with a third-place effort, while Trevor Bayne and Chris Buescher had some of their best finishes of the season, too. There are just three races remaining for those drivers and any others still searching for a way into the championship playoffs, and this week the venue will be the short oval at Bristol Motor Speedway. Larson started from pole and led 202 laps the last time we were there, but it was Jimmie Johnson who won that afternoon.

UPGRADE

Kyle Larson – Larson made a whale of a restart in Sunday's overtime finish to move from the second row to the lead by the exit of turn 2. It was a commanding move to score three consecutive Michigan wins. It had been an up and down day for the driver seeking to end his recent slump, and he did so emphatically with his third win of the season. This Michigan victory was different from the others as he didn't have the fastest car, but he put himself solidly in the top five in the final laps, which opened the door for him to literally force his way into the lead. He started from pole and led 202 laps last time out at Bristol, which is next in his sights.

Martin Truex Jr. – Truex picked up his 15th stage win this season in the second of Michigan's race sections. The No. 78 Toyota had been fast all weekend, and he remained in contention and pounced during pit stops to gain an unassailable lead heading into the final segment of Sunday's race. He looked ready to cruise to another win, but late-race restarts foiled what could have given him yet another 2017 victory. Sometimes the fastest car doesn't win, and Truex knows that all too well after experiencing it again on Sunday. Truex has only scored three top-10 finishes from 23 career Bristol starts, but that total likely will increase. He led 116 laps there in the spring and finished eighth.

Erik Jones – Jones performed extremely well at his home track on Sunday. The rookie driver nearly equaled teammate Truex's pace throughout the afternoon in a mature and composed effort to scored a third-place finish with a shot at the win. Jones is going to have to score that win in order to make it into the playoffs in his first try, but continued performances like Sunday's will make sure that happens soon for the young rookie. Jones has only been to Bristol once in Cup equipment and finished 17th after starting just inside the top 15. He's rapidly becoming a driver fantasy owners should consider on a regular basis with his consistent and calm approach.

Brad Keselowski – Keselowski scored the pole position at his home track and dominated the first stage on Sunday. It was his fourth stage win of the season, but he wasn't able to continue that momentum through to the finish. Keselowski's pace faded compared to the other leaders, and the team tried a two-tire stop to gain track position for the final laps. That move didn't get the job done, and Keselowski was swallowed by the pack on the final restart without the grip four tires would have given him. It was a gamble the team was forced to take as they swung for the victory. Despite consecutive Bristol finishes worse than 30th, Keselowski should still be a viable option for fantasy owners.

Ryan Newman – Much of the season has ticked by since Newman scored his playoff-entry win in Phoenix, but the team is beginning to pick up the pace as the playoffs approach. Newman finished fourth at Michigan on Sunday, a track that truly separates contenders from pretenders, but needed a bit of luck to move further forward. The finish was his second top-five in the last four races and third in the last seven. With five top-fives and eight top-10s so far this season Newman should be capable of advancing out of at least the first round of championship playoffs. The team is improving and that gives fantasy owners one more option to consider starting each week.

DOWNGRADE

Ryan Blaney – Slight contact early in the third stage forced Blaney to pit road and behind the leaders at a terrible time. It's always a challenge to overcome problems that happen late in the race, and Sunday's race having so few cautions meant there weren't many opportunities for him to gain ground. The overtime finish did allow him to work his way into a 15th-place finish, but it wasn't a top-10 that he should have been aiming for. He will have to wait for next week, where in four Bristol starts Blaney's best finish is 11th. That came in the spring race last season, and no other races at the track have produced even a top-20 result.

Daniel Suarez – Contact with Kasey Kahne ended what could have been another high point for Suarez's rookie season. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had a fast car throughout the afternoon but connected with Kahne, and ended up hitting both the outside and inside walls despite trying to lift and avoid the situation. The incident wasn't the rookie's fault and came on a day where he could have picked up his second top-five of the season and move closer to making it into the playoffs. With Sunday's crash, he now faces a must-win scenario in order to make that championship fight a reality. Suarez finished 18th at Bristol earlier this season, and fantasy players should wait to see what speeds he shows in practice before consideration.

Kasey Kahne – Despite making it into the season-ending playoffs, Kahne was released from his Hendrick Motorsports contract for 2018. William Byron is taking his ride, and performances like Sunday's in Michigan are evidence why. The veteran failed to fully clear Suarez and took both of the machines out of the race. Kahne had been aiming for his fifth top-10 of the season, but more should be expected from a driver in Hendrick equipment. Kahne started 17th and finished 20th in Bristol earlier this season. He has one win at the short track but hasn't finished inside the top 10 there since the spring of 2014. Kahne will need to improve his finishes as he auditions for a new ride in 2018.

Clint Bowyer – Front-end damage knocked Bowyer out of contention for a respectable finish with less than 50 laps remaining in Sunday's race. The driver of the No. 14 wasn't having the best day after being caught for speeding on pit road, and he made things even worse with the stop for repairs. He fell far behind the leaders with the unscheduled stop, which was a tough pill to swallow as he fights to get his way into the championship playoffs. He was just outside of the playoff spots heading to Michigan but has more ground to cover as he heads to Bristol. He scored four top-10 finishes in the last five races at that track but hasn't led a lap there since the spring of 2014.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Trevor Bayne – Despite sliding back to fifth place at the finish, Bayne was one of the drivers working to capitalize on the late-race restarts at Michigan. The Roush Fenway Racing driver worked hard throughout Sunday afternoon to maintain contact with the leaders, and his team made the right calls on pit road that gave him the track position he needed to take a shot at the win. He launched himself into the runner-up spot but overcooked the entry into turn 3 in the penultimate lap. Still, he walked away with a top-five, which was his first of the season. He had two top-10s this season prior to last weekend but gave fantasy owners who gambled on him a tremendous showing proving his upside potential can be a difference maker.