Winners and losers from the NASCAR weekend at Kansas

Kansas Speedway tends to be one of the more exciting races on the NASCAR schedule, but Kyle Larson did his best to prove otherwise on Sunday, dominating the race from start to finish. It was a very different ending to the Truck race on Saturday, which saw two drivers sliding sideways and hitting the wall in a thrilling battle for the win. But like most weekends in racing, there was one driver very happy and a lot of drivers somewhere between annoyed and irate.

With that being said, let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers from NASCAR in Kansas:

WINNER: Larson for simply being unstoppable…and getting his pedal car

Larson had a perfect weekend at Kansas. He earned pole position, won both Stage 1 and Stage 2, secured the fastest lap bonus point, and captured the race win while leading 221 of 267 laps. This showing also vaulted him to the very top of the championship standings. It was the definition of dominance, coming just before he embarks on the rare Indy 500/Coke 600 ‘Double’ over the next two weeks. He also really wanted that pedal car given to Kansas pole winners, and was perhaps more excited about that than when he won the race on Sunday!

LOSER: Brad Keselowski because he can’t catch a break

It’s been a nightmarish season for the RFK Racing driver/co-owner. Through 12 races, Keselowski has zero top tens, five DNFs, and sits buried 32nd in the championship standings. But at Kansas, there was a glimmer of hope as he drove from the very back of the field to challenge for the race lead at the start of the final stage. But while running second, the right-rear tire blew out and he slammed the wall, ending his day. It was just the latest chapter in a dismal season — the worst start we’ve ever seen out of the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion.

WINNER: Josh Berry, carrying that #21 to new heights

Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford

Photo by: Jamie Squire / Getty Images

It’s beginning to look possible that the Wood Brothers Racing group — NASCAR’s oldest team — could win multiple races this season. To put that in perspective haven’t done that in 44 years. Berry crashed while leading at Texas last weekend, but showed up to Kansas with another hot rod. He easily had top-five pace, but a speeding penalty proved costly with just under 100 laps to go. Even still, Berry clawed his way back through the field, finishing sixth in the end. The No. 21 was last in points just one year ago, so this is a huge step forward with Berry behind the wheel.

LOSER: Denny Hamlin after back-to-back DNFs

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

For the first time in nearly 12 years, Hamlin has recorded back-to-back DNFs. And what makes it frustrating for the veteran driver is that both were outside of his control. Two mechanical issues, defined by a dramatic oil fire at Texas and a misbehaving clutch that broke the transaxle during the final round of pit stops at Kansas. He seemed to be at a loss for words after the latest issue, and who can blame him?

WINNER: Corey Heim leads the way for 23XI

Corey Heim, Toyota, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

23XI Racing entered four cars into the Cup race at Kansas, placing Truck Series regular Corey Heim in the extra ‘open’ entry. Despite it being just his fourth-ever Cup race, Heim piloted that bright yellow No. 67 very well throughout the day. There was a restart where he pushed up in a four-wide situation, triggering a multi-car wreck. But despite that mistake, he was smooth for most of the day and ended up being the highest-running driver in the entire 23XI fleet. He finished 13th, with Tyler Reddick in 17th being his closest teammate.

LOSER: Chase Elliott’s pit crew and their costly error

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Elliott started the final stage in control of the race and set sail, but his time out front didn’t last. During the final pit stop of the race, the jack dropped before the right-rear tire was secured. The slow stop dropped him from the lead, free-falling outside of the top 15. He never recovered, finishing 15th at the end of the day as his winless streak now extends beyond a year.

WINNER: Hocevar/Riggs for not wrecking in the fight for the Truck win 

Watch: Hocevar: ‘Just thought I’d make it entertaining’ in wild Kansas finish

In a moment somewhat reminiscent of the famous Ron Hornaday/Johnny Sauter battle from 2010, Carson Hocevar and Layne Riggs got into each other while battling for the Truck Series win at Kansas. It wasn’t as dramatic of a slide as the Hornaday and Sauter deal, but both Trucks started spinning before being caught by the outside wall. They continued on like nothing happened for the remainder of the white flag lap, finishing 1-2 (until Riggs was later disqualified for failing post-race inspection). Hocevar also showed Riggs that he was ‘number one’ as they raced across the finish line.

LOSER: Allmendinger’s blown engine compromises his points position 

AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

AJ Allmendinger has been doing an impressive job of collecting points for his No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet this year. He has been consistent and remains within striking distance of the cut-off line for the playoffs. But all of his hard work went up in a plume of white smoke at Kansas, just six laps into the race. The blown engine left him with a single point and he was livid on the radio. Allmendinger can be heard calling out the ECR engines under the hood, and even after unplugging the radio, expletives flew from inside the race car. This also comes one week after an early wreck at Texas, which also left him with a single point. He was averaging about 22 points per week before these latest issues. It’s also his second engine failure of the year, also losing a motor in the Daytona 500.