Bubba Wallace aims to rekindle his success at Kansas Speedway as the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs approach this Sunday. Having shown promise early in the Next Gen era, Wallace and his 23XI Racing team excelled on the 1.5-mile track, but recent results have been disappointing. Wallace’s connection to Kansas Speedway remains pivotal as he tries to climb the playoff standings and advance further.
In 2022, 23XI Racing quickly established dominance at Kansas, with Kurt Busch securing the final victory of his NASCAR Cup career in the first Gen 7 race at this track. Later that year, Wallace impressed by winning the Playoff race despite not being a playoff driver himself. In 2023, victories by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin in May and Tyler Reddick’s win for 23XI Racing further underlined the team’s early strength at Kansas. Toyota captured four consecutive wins at the track during this stretch.
However, momentum shifted as Chevrolet drivers took control in the last three races. Kyle Larson won both spring races, while Ross Chastain claimed the victory in the previous season’s Playoff event. These outcomes have made Wallace’s quest to regain his previous success more challenging ahead of the critical Hollywood Casino 400 race.
Wallace’s Quest to Regain Competitiveness in Playoffs
Wallace admitted the recent results at Kansas have fallen short of expectations.
“Kansas—we haven’t had much to brag about the last few times we’ve been there,”
he said, reflecting on his average finish of 24.75 over his last four starts at the venue.
“We’ve got to find our mojo back there,”
Wallace added, emphasizing the urgency ahead of Sunday’s race, which will be broadcast on USA Network, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
After a positive start to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Wallace finds himself 12th in the standings following the points reset, trailing the Round of 8 cutoff by 27 points after a disappointing 26th-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His teammate Tyler Reddick is similarly feeling the pressure, positioned 11th and 23 points shy of advancing after a 21st-place finish in Loudon. Both drivers need standout performances on Sunday at Kansas to maintain realistic chances of moving deeper into the playoffs.
Kyle Larson’s Dominance and Team Strengths at Kansas
Kyle Larson has been the dominant force at Kansas Speedway recently. His May victory was historic as he led 221 laps, the most laps led in a 400-mile race on a 1.5-mile track in NASCAR Cup Series history. Larson, driving the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, believes Kansas suits his team’s strengths.
“Kansas is probably statistically one of our strongest tracks as a team,”
Larson noted.
“We got a win there earlier this year, which is great, so we have a great setup for those mile-and-a-half tracks. It’s a great track, it wears the tires out, so I feel like you really have to manage your tires.”
He explained the racing style at Kansas, saying,
“For the most part, everyone runs the top, but I feel like at the end of the run you can kind of move around and find some grip. It’s probably our best track for Next Gen racing because of the options.”
Larson is the sole repeat winner in the last 10 races at Kansas, with three victories to his name during that period. Currently, he is third in the playoff points standings behind Ryan Blaney and teammate William Byron, adding further momentum to Hendrick Motorsports’ strong showing.
Key Contenders and Playoff Implications at Kansas
Ryan Blaney holds the top playoff position and is the only driver locked into the Round of 8, an interesting development given that no Ford driver has won at Kansas since Joey Logano’s 2020 victory. Logano himself enters the race strong, sitting sixth in standings with a streak of three consecutive top-five finishes—his best run since 2019.
Christopher Bell, fourth in points, has an impressive streak as well, having led laps in seven consecutive races at Kansas, matching the longest streak ever at this venue. Success at this track often comes from strong qualifying efforts, as 10 of the last 11 Kansas winners began races in the top 10, with six of those starting in the top five.
Denny Hamlin, a four-time winner at Kansas, highlighted this aspect, observing,
“It seems like when an organization has horsepower and downforce, it works for one lap, and it works for 20, 30 laps in a run. If you’ve got speed, you’ll have it the whole time.”
Changing Track Conditions and Racing Strategies
Since a repave in 2012, Kansas Speedway’s width has increased, allowing multiple racing lanes and creating new opportunities and challenges for drivers. One of the most aggressive lines is the high-speed groove near the outer wall, which demands precision and courage.
Hamlin commented on the difficulty of mastering this lane, saying,
“There are certainly guys that are better at it than others, and we’re going to see that. There are just guys like Larson who know how to run the top lane there as good as anyone, and they can carry a car better than most drivers.”
Outlook for Wallace and the Playoff Battle
With the playoffs tightening, valuable points and strong finishes at Kansas Speedway could determine who advances. Bubba Wallace’s efforts to rediscover his form and “mojo” at this track will be closely watched, as his team’s ability to perform under pressure could shape his postseason fate. Meanwhile, the continued strength of contenders like Larson, Blaney, and Byron sets the stage for an intense and competitive race in Wyandotte County.
Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 promises to be a decisive moment for drivers vying to extend their playoff runs, underscoring Kansas Speedway’s role as a critical battleground in the NASCAR Cup Series.
