KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Chase Elliott captured a thrilling overtime victory Sunday at Kansas Speedway, snapping Toyota’s recent dominance in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The No. 9 driver from Hendrick Motorsports surged from 10th to first during the final laps of the Hollywood Casino 400, delivering a crucial win that reshapes the playoff landscape.
Elliott’s powder-blue Chevrolet crossed the finish line first on the 1.5-mile track after a fierce battle with strong Toyota contenders, ending their sweep of the top five positions. This Chase Elliott Kansas victory not only earned him vital playoff points but also highlighted his precision and leadership on one of NASCAR’s most competitive circuits.
Victory Lane Traditions and Local Flavor Celebrate Success
In the afternoon sun at Kansas Speedway, Elliott and track president Pat Warren shared a celebratory serving of barbecue ribs, a growing tradition at the venue courtesy of the renowned Jack Stack barbecue establishment. This local touch emphasized the connection between the community and the race day experience for drivers and teams alike.
T.J. Semke, the No. 9 team’s jackman and a Kansas City native, expressed how significant the barbecue celebration was both culturally and personally. As a former Kansas University football walk-on and lifelong fan of Kansas City’s sports, Semke relished sharing a taste of home with his teammates and others from outside the region.
“You know, bottles and barbecue is a great combo,”
Semke said.
“But you tell these guys from North Carolina, from wherever they’re from about this Kansas City barbecue, and they … just … don’t … get it. So I was excited that they got to have a big slab of ribs in their face, sauce all over, doing it right in Kansas City.”
— T.J. Semke, No. 9 Jackman
Bubba Wallace’s Recovery Displays Resilience Amid Playoff Pressure
Bubba Wallace came into Sunday’s race as a former Kansas winner but was reeling from a 26th-place finish the previous week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. That result left him 27 points behind the playoff cutoff ahead of Kansas. Despite his initial disappointment, Wallace refocused quickly and approached the weekend with calm determination.
He acknowledged that in past seasons, such a setback might have overwhelmed him, but his mindset has shifted notably, comparing the experience to watching even top professionals make mistakes.
“So the next thing we’ve got to do is walk back up to the tee box and get ready to swing again,
Wallace said Saturday.
So today is our tee box.”
— Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Driver
During the race, Wallace demonstrated this resilience with a late surge, ultimately leading the field as the control car for overtime. Motivated by spirited radio communication, he strove to claim a victory that would have rendered his points deficit irrelevant.
“You tell that (expletive) I’m talking about MJ from the free-throw line slam.”
— Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Driver
Teammate Rivalry and Intense Battle Among Toyota Drivers
While Wallace led the charge for 23XI Racing, a familiar rivalry replayed between Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs. This time, Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota challenged Wallace’s No. 23 towards the race’s climax, igniting the ongoing storyline of balancing teamwork and competition within the same alliance.
The five top positions remained occupied by Toyotas throughout much of the event, a situation the team brass aimed to maintain amicably. However, on the final laps, Hamlin executed a bold move, forcing Wallace up against the Turn 3 wall and slowing both their cars just enough for Elliott to power past down the low lane and cross the finish line first.
Wallace expressed frustration at being closed out by Hamlin, the teammate who also shares ownership ties with the No. 23 team through NBA legend Michael Jordan.
“We race hard every week. Toyota drivers race really hard every week, but we respect each other,”
Wallace said.
“And there’s a fine line that sometimes gets crossed, and you have to understand that.”
— Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Driver
Despite the contact and heat of competition, Wallace and Hamlin showed sportsmanship post-race as Wallace congratulated Hamlin privately and the two eased any tensions away from the cameras.
Denny Hamlin’s Attempt at a Career Milestone Overshadowed
Hamlin, aiming for his 60th career win at the Kansas track where he debuted in the Cup Series in 2005, faced setbacks that impacted his chances. A nearly complete loss of power steering and a misstep during his final pit stop hindered his late-race performance. These factors added complexity to his role balancing driver duties and team ownership responsibilities.
Chris Gabehart, JGR’s competition director and Hamlin’s former crew chief, commented on the difficult position Hamlin faces in managing both aspects of his NASCAR career:
“If the 23 knocks him out, if the 23 wins, Joe Gibbs Racing is in a lot worse points scenario, let alone the 11. There’s a 20-some-point swing there, and Joe Gibbs Racing built his legacy as a driver,”
Gabehart said.
“And so I’m just … I hate it for the 23, but I’m so proud of Denny for giving it all he had. I think he’s in a tough spot here as the owner and driver on every given Sunday, because that microscope’s on him, and today he passed the test. I don’t know how else you look at it. As a driver of our cars — set aside the emotions of an alliance — as a driver of our cars, I don’t want anything less than what I just saw.”
— Chris Gabehart, JGR Competition Director
Strategic Pit Selection and Crew Precision Key to No. 9’s Victory
At Kansas Speedway, pit stall 41 sits last by number but is the first drivers encounter when entering pit road, offering an unblocked path for service. Elliott’s team regained this coveted stall position thanks to his fourth-place qualifying on Saturday, a choice loaded with significance.
Semke recalled the painful experience from the spring race where a poor stop from that same pit stall cost them victory, fueling a desire for redemption this weekend.
“Coming here in the spring, we were in the same exact pit stall,”
Semke said.
“We had a bad stop that ultimately cost us the race, and I told Alan earlier this week, if we get a chance to get that same stall, I want some redemption. We got the exact same stall, got what we wanted, we laid down a great race and came out with the victory. So, damn it feels good.”
— T.J. Semke, No. 9 Jackman
The No. 9 crew consistently executed pit stops in the nine-second range, topping the pit road rankings and maintaining their season-long lead, according to NASCAR Insights data. Crew chief Alan Gustafson made a decisive call during the last caution at lap 255, opting for four new Goodyear tires instead of two, sacrificing track position but setting Elliott up for success in overtime.
Though Elliott dropped from fourth to eighth exiting pits, his team was first off pit road with this strategy, giving him a fresh grip advantage for the final laps.
“I think the key is we just all stick together and work through it, and those guys are performing at a super, super high level,”
Gustafson said.
“… Yeah, do I think it was in the back of everybody’s mind that we wanted to atone for that? Sure. But I think the bigger picture, we’re focusing on the bigger picture and we want to try to win every week. Yeah, super proud of those guys. They deserve a lot of credit. They don’t get the credit they deserve. They’ve done an amazing job.
I don’t know where they rank — everybody’s got a different metric — but they’re really high on the sheet every week, and I’m proud of them. They were, in my opinion, the best crew on pit road all day today and a huge part of our win.”
— Alan Gustafson, No. 9 Crew Chief
Elliott’s Performance Underlines the Unpredictability of Playoffs
Prior to the playoffs, Elliott had emphasized that while consistency is valuable, it was not the ultimate goal going forward. His approach was reflected in his strategic communication during the final restart, where he dismissed concerns about the playoff elimination bubble to focus fully on securing the victory itself, regardless of starting position.
He reiterated a mantra he shared during media day weeks earlier about the length and volatility of the playoff stretch.
“What did I tell you? Playoffs is a long time. A lot can happen in 10 weeks,”
Elliott said following his Kansas triumph.
“That can be the difference in somebody being mediocre to potentially getting on a hot streak or even a team collectively getting better throughout that course of time. So it’s all about buying yourself more time. If you’re not where you want to be, you’re just trying to buy yourself more time. Fortunately, we bought ourself three more weeks, and we’ll fight like hell until they tell us to not.”
— Chase Elliott, No. 9 Driver
Elliott’s Kansas victory not only prolongs his postseason eligibility but also signals a competitive rebalancing in the manufacturer battle. After Toyota’s dominant early playoff run, Chevrolet intercepted with Elliott’s win, intensifying the contest for the championship as the season progresses.
