Elliott capitalizes on battle between Hamlin and Wallace to win in Kansas and advance in NASCAR Playoffs

Chase Elliott secured his second win of 2025 this Sunday at Kansas Speedway by capitalizing on a chaotic finish in the Hollywood Casino 400 in the NASCAR Cup Series. The No. 9 from Hendrick Motorsports started eighth on the final two-lap restart and found the perfect line when Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace got locked in a battle for the lead.

Elliott gained momentum in turns 1 and 2, received a key push from Brad Keselowski, and took advantage of Hamlin and Wallace fighting each other to dive to the inside. In turn 4, Elliott made contact with Hamlin as he tried to block the move and crossed the finish line first.

"I wasn't lifting, so I didn't know what was going to happen," Elliott explained in a press conference. "We were both wide open off the corner. Wherever it ended up, it ended up. At that point, we were all committed."

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Hamlin loses power steering after leading 159 laps

Denny Hamlin dominated most of the race on Sunday at Kansas. He won the first two stages, led 159 of 273 laps, and seemed on track for his 60th career Cup Series win. A low voltage issue took away his power steering in the final segment.

"Super disappointing," commented Hamlin. "I wanted that one bad. Would have been 60 for me. The team did an amazing job with the car, really fast. Gave me everything I needed. Got the restart I needed. Just couldn't finish it off in the last corner."

Hamlin finished second but increased his lead above the elimination line to 48 points heading into Charlotte Roval. Barring disaster, his spot in the Round of 8 is virtually secure.

Wallace criticizes Hamlin after battling for the win

Bubba Wallace was leading as he approached the white flag in the first overtime, but a four-car accident in turn 3 brought out another caution. On the final restart, Wallace started first but finished fifth after making contact with Hamlin on the last lap.

"Two years ago I'd probably say something dumb," stated Wallace about Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing alongside Michael Jordan. "He's a moron for that move. I don't care if he's my boss or not. But we're fighting for the win. I hate that we gave it to Chevrolet there."

Wallace leaves Kansas in tenth position in the Playoffs, 26 points below the elimination line. He will need a strong weekend at Charlotte Roval to stay alive in the postseason.

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Smith flips over in accident caused by Nemechek

John Hunter Nemechek pushed Zane Smith's Ford into the outside wall in turn 3 on lap 267, causing the accident that triggered the second overtime. The impact turned Smith's car on its side, sliding on the driver's side before flipping over several times.

"It was a wild ride, for sure," explained Smith. "Before I knew it, I had a good restart and just the 42 destroys me. He just runs straight through me and then I was sliding on the wall. I was mad because that's what really hurt, flipping down the track."

Christopher Bell finished third, followed by Chase Briscoe, who had won the pole position. Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick finished sixth and seventh respectively, but with opposite situations in the standings. Larson has a 54-point lead over Ross Chastain in ninth, while Reddick is 11th, 29 points below the cutline.

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Cindric faces near-certain elimination after multi-car accident

Austin Cindric was involved in an 11-car collision in turn 1 on lap 217. He is now 48 points below the elimination line and will almost certainly need a win at Charlotte Roval to advance to the next round.

William Byron struggled with a difficult-to-handle car for most of the 273 laps, but his Chevrolet No. 24 improved in the final stint and finished ninth. Brad Keselowski finished eighth after providing the crucial push that propelled Elliott to victory.

Shane van Gisbergen achieved his first top-10 finish on a NASCAR Cup Series oval despite serving a drive-through penalty on the first lap for a pre-race inspection failure. He finished tenth, following Byron.

This is Elliott's second win at Kansas and the 21st of his Cup Series career.

Hollywood Casino 400 Results from Kansas Speedway

NASCAR Cup Series - Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN BET
Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas
Sunday, September 28, 2025
273 Laps Completed