Kyle Larson races to his 1st Brickyard 400 victory, making a late charge through the field

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kyle Larson left Indianapolis in May in the middle of one of the most agonizing days of his racing career.

In his return Sunday, Larson finished one of the most memorable races of his career with one of sports' more revered celebrations — kissing the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The 31-year-old Californian overcame an early, unscheduled pit stop by charging from 12th place into the lead over the final 32 laps. He won battles for the lead off the final two restarts and barely avoiding a third overtime to win his first Brickyard 400 under caution.

“Today was definitely meant to be for us with the way the strategy was working out and all that fell into place,” Larson said after jumping on the roof of his car and climbing through the fence to thank the roaring fans. “I just can’t believe it. It’s just surreal to win here.”

Perhaps it will help Larson forget just how miserable he was Memorial Day weekend when rain in Indianapolis and Charlotte, North Carolina, washed away his shot at completing the full 1,100 miles of the two races. He didn't even turn a lap in the Coca-Cola 600 after scrambling to fly in.

On Sunday, though, he rebounded with brilliant tactical racing and, yes, some good luck.

Larson was running third in the paint scheme he was supposed to have for the 600 when race leader Brad Keselowski ran out of fuel and pulled off the track just before the second-to-last restart. That put Larson in position to pull into the shorter inside lane, next to Ryan Blaney's second-place car, and Larson easily leapfrogged Blaney — just ahead of a five-car crash that brought a red flag and a second overtime.

This time, after needing an assist to get his No. 5 Chevrolet refired, Larson again beat Blaney on the inside and reached the finish line before another caution flag came out.

“I don't know what was driving him today other than he wanted to win the Brickyard 400,” said Jeff Gordon, who won five Brickyard 400s before rejoining the Hendricks team as an executive. “You could tell he was driving for a purpose.”

Pole winner Tyler Reddick wound up second as Blaney dropped to third.

Larson has now won three of NASCAR's four crown jewel races, all but the Daytona 500, and this one came in the first Cup race held on Indy's historic 2.5-mile since 2020. The last three covered 200 miles on the track's 14-turn road course.

His fourth win of the season also put him atop the Cup standings, ahead of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, with four races left before the playoff begins.

The thrilling finish didn't come by happenstance, though.

Keselowski gambled he could run the final 59 laps without pitting for fuel — and he essentially did. What he didn't count on was the race going an extra seven laps. And Blaney had been trying to fend off the hard-charging Larson for several laps, even blocking his low line once, to stay in front.

“That’s a heartbreaker. We did everything right today,” said Blaney, who finished third after the fateful twist. “He was in prime position to win, and it just didn’t work out for us.”

But with most drivers in fuel-saving mode, Larson just kept pushing hard — making team owner and pace car driver Rick Hendrick nervous.

“He was coming through the field like a rocket," Hendrick said. "It was hard to pass, but he made it look a little bit easier to pass. Then I was worried when he got up to second or third, I started worrying about fuel. They said we had enough for one overtime, but we were holding our breath. But he put on a show. That's Kyle Larson.”

And now, even though Hendrick didn't give his approval Sunday, Larson told the crowd he wants to make amends for what happened in May by trying it all again.

“I wish we could have done both,” Larson said. “But, I think everything comes full circle and everything's meant to be.”

Denny Hamlin won the first stage, his first ever at Indianapolis, and Bubba Wallace took the second stage, giving him 10 points as he tries to make the playoffs. It was Wallace's first stage win since 2022 and he finished fifth. Elliott wound up fourth.

The race was scheduled to be broadcast on NBC, but viewers who tuned into the network found something else — breaking news about President Joe Biden withdrawing from the presidential race.

NBC made the decision to briefly switch the telecast to USA Network, which also covered some of the weekend's festivities then went back to Cup coverage at the start of the race. The race also finished on USA Network after the red flag stoppage, again because of the breaking news.

Before the race, speedway owner Roger Penske and PPG announced they have extended and expanded their partnership for both the Cup and IndyCar Series.

PPG will continue to serve as the presenting sponsor of the Brickyard 400, as the paint and finishing supplier for the speedway and as a sponsor for all six Team Penske drivers — Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden and Will Power on the IndyCar side as well as Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric and Joey Logano on the Cup side.

The partnership between PPG and Penske began in 1984.

NASCAR takes next two weeks off as part of its Olympics break. The first of the final six races will be held Aug. 11 at Richmond, with a new tire compound.

AP NASCAR: https://apnews.com/hub/nascar-racing

Kyle Larson drives out of a turn during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Kyle Larson celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Kyle Larson celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

From left to right, Jeff Gordon, Cliff Daniels, Kyle Larson and Rick Hendrick celebrate after Larson won a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Kyle Larson celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

John Hunter Nemechek drives out of a turn during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Michael McDowell drives into a turn during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Joey Logano, front, drives into a turn during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. drives out of a turn during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Kyle Larson makes a pit stop during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Kyle Larson celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Kyle Larson, front left, walks with Rick Hendric, front right, after Larson won a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Kyle Larson takes the checkered flag to win a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

From left to right, Katelyn Larson, Kyle Larson and Rick Hendrick kiss the bricks after Kyle won a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Kyle Larson holds the trophy after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

VENICE, Italy (AP) — The 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival came to a close Saturday, with the world premiere of Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2” and the awards ceremony.

Vincent Lindon won the best actor award for the French drama “The Quiet Son,” in which he plays a single father whose son is radicalized by the far right.

There was no real consensus pick for the top prize going into the evening, and eyes were focused on what the Isabelle Huppert-led jury would bestow prizes upon this year. Many of the 21 titles playing in competition have been divisive, with passionate supporters and detractors.

“I have good news for you,” Huppert said at the ceremony. “Cinema is in great shape.”

Among the highest profile of the films up for the top prize included: Todd Phillips’ “Joker: Folie à Deux,” the not-a-musical-musical with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga ; Pablo Larraín’s Maria Callas film “Maria,” starring Angelina Jolie as the famed soprano; the erotic thriller “Babygirl” in which Nicole Kidman gets entangled in a complicated affair with an intern, played by Harris Dickinson; Luca Guadagnino’s William S. Burroughs adaptation “Queer,” with Daniel Craig as a junkie expat obsessed with a young student; Brady Corbet’s 215-minute post-war epic about an architect and a Holocaust survivor rebuilding a life in America, “The Brutalist,” starring Adrien Brody; and Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language mediation on death and friendship, “The Room Next Door,” starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton.

Five years ago, the Venice jury surprised the film world by giving the Golden Lion to “Joker,” which went on to win a best actor Oscar for Phoenix. Last year the top award went to “Poor Things” and the year before, the documentary “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.”

The Luigi De Laurentiis award for a debut film went to Sarah Friedland’s “Familiar Touch,” about an octogenarian’s transition to life in assisted living as she grapples with her age, her memory and her relationship to her caregivers. Friedland also won the director prize in the horizons section and her star, Kathleen Chalfant, won the actress prize.

Though always a player in the international festival scene, Venice has cemented its reputation as a major launching pad for awards campaigns over the past 12 years. Since 2014, they’ve hosted four best picture winners (“Birdman,” “Spotlight,” “The Shape of Water” and “Nomadland”) and 19 nominees. And buzz is already swirling about possible best actress nominations for Kidman and Jolie, actor for Craig and supporting actress for Gaga, as the fall film season kicks into full gear.

The festival this year marked a return to form with true A-listers back on the Lido to celebrate films both in and out of competition after last year’s strike addled outing. In addition to the names above, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Sigourney Weaver were all lending their star power to the event.

And many rose to the occasion with their fashion. Gaga’s Christian Dior gown paired with a vintage lace Philip Treacy headpiece made for a major red-carpet moment. As was Kidman’s body hugging Schiaparelli, Blanchett’s Armani Privé with strands of pearls cascading down her back, and Jolie with her fur stole. Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig also played the power couple, with her in a glittery blue Versace gown and him in a cream Loewe suit. The “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” cast did also did a spin on the movie’s aesthetic with their wares.

The last major film premiering, out of competition, was the second part of Kevin Costner’s self-financed passion project. The first installment had a glitzy premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, but after that fizzled at the box office earlier this summer, the August release of “Chapter Two” was delayed. Instead, it would go the festival route as well.

For more coverage of the 2024 Venice Film Festival, visit https://apnews.com/hub/venice-film-festival.

Vincent Lindon poses for photographers upon arrival at the closing ceremony of the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024(Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Alejandro Edda, left, and Kevin Costner pose for photographers upon arrival at the closing ceremony of the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024(Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Pedro Almodovar poses for photographers upon arrival at the closing ceremony of the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Isabelle Fuhrman, from left, Kevin Costner and Georgia MacPhail pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Horizon: An American Saga (Chapter 2)' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Kevin Costner poses for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Horizon: An American Saga (Chapter 2)' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Angelina Jolie poses for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Maria' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Angelina Jolie poses for photographers upon arrival for the premiere of the film 'Maria' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Angelina Jolie poses for photographers upon her arrival for the premiere of the film 'Maria' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Aug. 29, 2024. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Nicole Kidman poses for photographers upon arrival for the premiere of the film 'Babygirl' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

George Clooney, left, and Brad Pitt upon arrival for the press conference of the film 'Wolfs' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

George Clooney signs autographs upon arrival for the premiere of the film 'Wolfs' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Julianne Moore poses for photographers at the photo call for the film 'The Room Next Door' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Julianne Moore, left, and Tilda Swinton pose for photographers upon arrival for the premiere of the film 'The Room Next Door' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Daniel Craig poses for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Queer' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Tilda Swinton takes a selfie upon arrival for the premiere of the film 'Queer' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Tilda Swinton, left, and Pedro Almodovar pose for photographers upon arrival for the premiere of the film 'Queer' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Venice Film Festival Artistic Director Alberto Barbera, from left, Lady Gaga and Pietrangelo Buttafuoco pose for photographers upon arrival for the premiere of the film 'Joker: Folie A Deux' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)