This is what the tightest finish in NASCAR series history looks like. The winner was decided by 0.001 seconds

In the end, the second Chris Buescher and his team rejoiced only for a moment. This was followed by a bitter look at the timer and a literal “photo finish”.

The European audience is not exactly the target group of the American racing series NASCAR Cup Series. The final moment from the last race of the top championship, however, will undoubtedly interest any motorsport fan, no matter where they come from. The race management itself is talking about the tightest finish in the history of the series.

Last Sunday at Kansas Speedway, the last lap of the AdventHealth 400 saw a very close match between two drivers. Kyle Larson in the blue Chevrolet Camaro (#5) and Chris Buescher in the black Ford Mustang (#17) fought until the very last moment and crossed the finish line literally side by side. Momentary confusion and celebration by Buescher’s team followed.

The commentators of the race could hear uncertainty as to which of the pilots had won. Regardless of the momentary mention of an immeasurable difference, however, after checking the footage from the finish line and the timer, the official result came in – just 0.001 seconds in Larson’s favor. The 31-year-old pilot won the race by a few millimeters ahead of the splitter on the front of the car.

The decisive one-thousandth of a second broke the previous record finish in the NASCAR Cup Series championship. In the 2003 and 2011 seasons, fans witnessed races where the difference between first and second place was just 0.002 seconds.