WINNERS:
Kyle Larson: Larson dominated Kansas, leading 64 laps, which was the second-highest among all Cup drivers. He barely edged out Chris Buescher in a dramatic photo finish, securing his second win of the season and the 25th of his career. Larson has been at the top of the Cup standings for five straight weeks now.
Chase Elliott: Elliott had a strong showing at Kansas, finishing third, which was his best result at the track since 2021. He’s been consistent, placing fifth or better in five of his last six races this season. This performance moves him up to third in the Cup standings.
Noah Gragson: Gragson is finding his stride with Stewart-Haas Racing, with five top-10 finishes in his first 12 races. He’s on a career-best streak, having placed in the top 10 for the last three races in a row. After a penalty post-Atlanta, which left him with negative six points, he’s worked his way back up to 19th in the standings.
Michael McDowell and Chris Buescher: McDowell had never finished in the top 10 at Kansas, but he managed it this time, taking 10th. Buescher, who usually performs well at Kansas but struggles on other 1.5-mile tracks, finished second, a career-best at this track.
LOSERS:
Jimmie Johnson: Johnson’s race ended in disaster after checking up on Lap 176, leading to a collision with Corey LaJoie, which sent him spinning into the outside wall. He finished 38th, and it’s the fourth time in seven races in the Next Gen car that he hasn’t finished. His best result so far is 28th, at both Daytona and Dover.
Bubba Wallace: Wallace’s day took a turn for the worse when Austin Cindric hit the outside wall, bounced back, and took out Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota. Though he managed to continue racing, he ended up 17th, marking his third consecutive finish outside the top 15.
Austin Cindric: Cindric’s crash in the final stage came after getting caught in four-wide racing, sending him to a 37th-place finish. His season hasn’t been the best, with his only top-10 result being a fourth-place finish at Atlanta back in February.
William Byron: Byron’s troubles began in Saturday’s qualifying session when he hit the wall, forcing him to start 36th. This setback caused him to miss out on stage points, and he ultimately finished 23rd after getting bogged down in traffic.
