The Latest: Larson pushed to victory at NASCAR All-Star Race


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CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on the NASCAR All-Star Race (all times local):

10:20 p.m.

Kyle Larson got a push to the front from Kevin Harvick in the final stage, then held off the defending champion to win the NASCAR All-Star Race on Saturday night.

Larson advanced into the prime-time spectacle by winning the Monster Energy Open earlier at Charlotte Motor Speedway, then kept near the top until the next-to-last restart when he was in sixth position. That's when Larson slipped between Kyle Busch and Joey Logano before Harvick pushed him hard to the front.

Larson earned the $1 million first prize and got a measure of success in a season best remembered for his going airborne and barrel rolling a half-dozen times in a scary, last-lap crash at Talladega Superspeedway last month.

Harvick was second, Busch third, Logano fourth and Bubba Wallace fifth.

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9:30 p.m.

Kevin Harvick is out front and seeking his second straight win in the NASCAR All-Star Race with two stages and 35 laps left.

Harvick moved past Kyle Busch early in the second stage and drove off to a large and easy lead over defending series champion Joey Logano. Ryan Blaney was third, William Byron fourth and Kyle Larson fifth.

Harvick won the non-points spectacle at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2007 and again a year ago. If he can hold on, Harvick would join Jeff Gordon and the late Dale Earnhardt as three-time All-Star winners.

Jimmie Johnson is the all-time All-Star champion with four victories.

The third stage will go 20 laps before a 15-lap sprint to the $1 million top prize.

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8:50 p.m.

We're rolling at the NASCAR All-Star Race.

There will be no points at the end, just $1 million for the winner.

Clint Bowyer led the 19 contenders to the green flag, with 2017 All-Star winner Kyle Busch right alongside.

Kevin Harvick, a past All-Star winner, quickly moved past Bowyer to take the very early lead.

The opening stage is 30 laps, then a pair of 20-lap segments before a 15-lap race to the finish.

Earlier, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace and William Byron advanced from the Monster Energy Open. Alex Bowman gave owner Rick Hendrick four All-Stars when he won the NASCAR fan vote to get the final berth.

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7:30 p.m.

Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace have won their way into the NASCAR All-Star Race.

Alex Bowman also won the NASCAR fan vote, giving him the final spot in the main event at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

Larson won the Monster Energy Open to advance while Wallace won the race's second stage in overtime. William Byron needed a green-white-checkered finish to win the opening stage and get the chance to race for the $1 million first prize.

Clint Bowyer, making his 10th career All-Star appearance, will lead the field. Alongside will be 2017 All-Star winner Kyle Busch, who got his time at Charlotte started strongly with a win in the truck series on Friday night.

This is the start of two weeks of Charlotte racing with NASCAR's longest event, the Coca-Cola 600, taking place here on May 26.

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6:50 p.m.

William Byron is an All-Star.

Byron outlasted Bubba Wallace in overtime of the 20-lap first stage of the Monster Energy Open to advance into the All-Star Race later Saturday night.

Two more drivers will move into the All-Star Race from the Open, the leader of the 20-lap second stage and the winner after a final stage of 10 laps. One final driver will make the field from a vote of NASCAR fans.

NASCAR Cup Series rookie Daniel Hemric appeared to have the stage won with a big lead much of the way. But things came down to a green-white-checkered finish where Byron's No. 24 car moved from fourth to the front and prevailed over Wallace by a few feet.

Clint Bowyer will start the All-Star Race up front with Kyle Busch, the 2017 All-Star winner, alongside.

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Clint Bowyer will start up front as he looks to win his first NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

It won't be easy, though, with Kyle Busch right alongside.

Bowyer has only had one top-10 finish in this non-points race in his nine previous trips. He says he's excited to try for the win — and the $1 million prize that goes to the champion.

Busch got the weekend off to a strong start with a victory in the truck series race on Friday night. Busch won this event two years ago.

NASCAR will experiment with a setup that reduces engine temperatures. The hope is to find a usable setup package when NASCAR rolls out its Gen 7 car in 2021.

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More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP\_Sports

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