Kyle Larson secured a springtime Kansas Speedway victory again Sunday afternoon, but this time with a more comfortable margin than last year’s 0.001-second squeaker. Larson scurried away with a dominant victory in the AdventHealth 400, leading 221 of 267 laps to prevail for this third time this year.
RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Kansas
For the rest of the field, some drivers will be leaving the Sunflower State on an upbeat note, while still others have some ground to make up after a Kansas day that didn’t yield the desired results. No points will be on the table in next weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race, but here’s a half-dozen drivers with mixed fortunes from this weekend before the circuit heads to North Wilkesboro Speedway (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with a $1 million prize on the line.
THREE UP ⬆️
1.Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Started: 3rd
Finished: 2nd
What happened: Bell notched a career-best Kansas Speedway result, something he said he needed after finishing the previous three races outside of the top five, including a crash-related 35th at Talladega last month. He wound up just 0.712 seconds behind at the checkered flag, and he moved up three spots to third place in the Cup Series standings.
What’s next: Bell is prepping for his fifth All-Star Race main event, and he’ll be looking for his first top-five finish in the non-points special. After that, Bell will be aiming to defend his crown in the Coca-Cola 600 when the Cup Series schedule resumes its points-paying ways.
2.Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Started: 10th
Finished: 3rd
What happened: Blaney made his Cup Series debut at Kansas back in 2014, and he matched his best finish there Sunday. He didn’t lead a lap in this most recent 400-miler, but the 31-year-old driver now possesses a solid string of four top-five results in his last five races.
What’s next: The 2022 All-Star Race winner has been consistent in the two editions of the event at North Wilkesboro, finishing sixth (2023) and fifth (2024). He also has a Coca-Cola 600 win, taming NASCAR’s longest race in 2023 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
3.Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota
Started: 28th
Finished: 13th
What happened: The Craftsman Truck Series regular made his first Cup Series start of the season — and just his fourth overall — Sunday at Kansas. The rookie kept things relatively clean, getting back on the lead lap with a Lap 199 wave-around and pressing on after contact that triggered a multicar crash 14 laps later. The career-best finish was actually the day’s strongest for 23XI Racing, topping teammates Tyler Reddick (17th), Riley Herbst (27th) and Bubba Wallace (33rd).
What’s next: Heim said Saturday that the next start on his part-time Cup Series schedule is slated for June 1 at Nashville Superspeedway. In the meantime, he’ll be back at it when the Truck Series resumes for a Saturday showdown at North Wilkesboro, where he’ll aim to extend his lead in that tour’s point standings.
THREE DOWN ⬇️
1.William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Started: 7th
Finished: 24th
What happened: A rocky end to Stage 1 put the 27-year-old driver in a catch-up situation. A flat right-rear tire caused the No. 24 Chevy to scrape the outside retaining wall through Turns 3 and 4 in the 66th lap. Byron lost control with a lazy slide as he tried to bring the car to pit road, and he fell to 32nd in the exchange. He clawed back into the top 25, but was still one lap down at the checkered flag — a result that dropped him from the Cup Series points lead, passed by Larson, his teammate.
What’s next: Byron will be in the All-Star feature’s field for the seventh consecutive year, but he’s still searching for his first top-five result in the invitational event. Beyond that, he’ll be going for his third straight top five in the Coca-Cola 600 at month’s end on his home track of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
2.Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Started: 14th
Finished: 36th
What happened: Hamlin finished in the points at the end of both stages, but a clutch issue hindered the No. 11 Toyota team, slowing the veteran driver as he tried to leave his pit stall after stops for service. A Lap 127 stop was especially painful — trouble on the right-front with an errant wheel fastener cost him time, and his crew had to push-start him. Hamlin’s car stalled again in a final-stage pit stop, and his team pushed the No. 11 to the garage with terminal damage.
What’s next: Hamlin started the springtime stretch with four consecutive top-five finishes, a span that included two wins. He heads into North Wilkesboro on a downswing with two straight DNFs. He has a history of strong All-Star performances, winning the 2015 edition and coming home second in last year’s race at the 0.625-mile oval.
3. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Started: 33rd
Finished: 38th
What happened: The No. 16 team’s race day in Kansas lasted just six laps when their Chevrolet went up in smoke, with engine failure the culprit. Allmendinger had scored top-10 finishes on two other 1.5-mile tracks (Las Vegas, Homestead) this season, but he sounded off with a salvo of fiery frustration on the team radio after his second consecutive DNF.
What’s next: Allmendinger was in the All-Star main event last year thanks to his Charlotte Roval win in the 2023 campaign. This year, he’ll have to race his way in or rely on the Fan Vote, but he’s transferred in before as a two-time winner of the All-Star Open last-chance race (2008, 2018).
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