Kenseth Picked Up Wreck-Filled Sprint Cup Race

Matt Kenseth held off Kyle Larson in a thrilling run down the stretch to win a wreck-filled Sprint Cup race Sunday at Dover International Speedway.

Kenseth snapped a 17-race winless skid in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism with his 37th career victory, denying Larson his first win.

"I got digging the best I could and tried to hold him off," Kenseth said.

Kenseth and Larson battled door-to-door for part of the final five laps, and the 2003 NASCAR champion picked all the right lines and pulled away at the end. Chase Elliott made a late push and finished third in the No. 24 Chevrolet. Larson matched his career-best finish and Elliott had the top finish of his rookie season.

Kenseth joined his three Joe Gibbs Racing teammates in Victory Lane for 2016. The 44-year-old Kenseth is older than the combined ages of Elliott, 20, and the 23-year-old Larson. Larson said he had too much respect for Kenseth to try to bump out of the way when they closed within a few inches of each other.

"I was trying to do all you could do to get by him without getting into him," Larson said.

Kenseth, Larson and Elliott were among the survivors after Jimmie Johnson triggered a late-race crash that eliminated several contenders.

He was responsible for a pileup straight out of the Talladega highlight reel that knocked out a slew of drivers who raced up front all race and brought it to a halt with fewer than 50 laps left.