Chase Elliott, driving the #9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet, secured a dramatic win at the NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 on September 28, 2025, in Kansas City, Kansas. His unexpected triumph in the Round of 12 playoff race disrupted Toyota’s dominance and earned him an automatic spot in the Round of 8.
Despite Toyota’s strong presence, the Camry drivers failed to convert their advantage into victory during the overtime finish. Elliott’s win, achieved amid a chaotic final restart, highlighted the unpredictable nature of NASCAR’s playoff battles and intensified tensions within the Toyota camp.
Toyota’s Strong Performance Falls Short in Final Moments
Toyota drivers Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell, and pole sitter Chase Briscoe controlled much of the race, leading 234 of 273 laps combined. Yet none led when it counted most at the race’s conclusion. Wallace, who had led the field to green on the second overtime restart, was determined to win to keep his championship hopes alive, alongside teammate Tyler Reddick, who started just behind Wallace.
Denny Hamlin, chasing a milestone 60th career victory and aiming to move into the top 10 on NASCAR’s all-time win list, restarted on the outside of the third row but faced intense pressure in the closing laps. Meanwhile, Elliott, who had fresher tires, started eighth but chose the top lane on the final restart from the outside of the fifth row.
Chaos Unfolds During Final Overtime Restart
Once the green flag dropped for the final overtime, Toyota’s chances began to unravel quickly. Reddick’s push to Wallace gave his teammate an initial advantage, but Reddick fell back, finishing seventh. On the restart lap, Wallace and Bell battled side-by-side through the first two turns, with Bell briefly taking the lead on the backstretch.
The duel intensified as Wallace reclaimed the lead on the inside entering Turn 3, forcing Bell up the track and losing momentum against challengers Hamlin, Briscoe, and Elliott. At the white flag, Wallace led by a car length, fending off Hamlin’s surge from the top lane.
Crucial Final Lap Incident Decides the Race Outcome
Approaching Turn 3 on the last lap, Hamlin moved inside Wallace’s Camry. When Wallace countered on the outside, Hamlin’s car drifted up the track and pushed Wallace into the outside wall at Turn 4. This move disrupted Wallace’s momentum, allowing Elliott, running on the bottom line, to accelerate past both cars.
Elliott’s Chevrolet barely touched Hamlin’s Camry as he crossed the finish line first, with Hamlin, Bell, Briscoe, and Wallace filling the remaining top-five spots. The outcome left Toyota drivers frustrated and searching for answers.
Toyota Drivers React to the Controversial Finish
Christopher Bell expressed his disappointment with the aggressive racing tactics that unfolded late in the race.
“It went about how we thought it would,”
Bell said.
“Just people trying to fight for everything they can get and every inch on the race track. It was just pretty much copy/paste. The 23 (Wallace) ran me up, and then Denny ran him up, and the 9 car (Elliott) drove by all of us.”
He added,
“Obviously, it’s disappointing from a manufacturer’s standpoint. I don’t know what more you can do. We’ve got to race each other with respect, and that’s why we didn’t win tonight.”
Bubba Wallace, facing elimination pressure and running 26 points below the cut line, was critical of Hamlin’s final move:
“Hard racing, and boundaries got crossed, and got to figure it out,”
Wallace said. His frustration underscored the tense atmosphere among Toyota teammates after losing a probable victory.
Denny Hamlin, racing without power steering in the closing stages, defended his actions on social media following criticism. Posting on X, he wrote, “Give me a break,” and explained,
I was off the gas 100yds before the 23 let off. I was turning as hard as I could given the aero situation. 11 team deserved that race. It didn’t work out.
The razor-thin margin between aggressive driving and costly mistakes was captured powerfully by Elliott’s win, as one NASCAR commentator famously quoted from “Unforgiven,”
“Deserves got nothing to do with it.”
Playoff Implications and Next Challenges for the Drivers
Elliott’s unexpected Kansas victory propels him safely into the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, giving his Chevrolet team a confidence boost amid fierce manufacturer competition. Conversely, Toyota drivers Wallace and Reddick face mounting pressure to perform at the upcoming Charlotte Roval, with Wallace desperately needing points to avoid elimination.
Hamlin, who once again demonstrated speed by leading the majority of laps and winning the first two stages, must reconcile his aggressive strategy’s repercussions. Meanwhile, other playoff contenders like Bell and Briscoe will aim to recover from this disappointing finish as the season reaches its critical phase.
This race underscored the unpredictable intensity of playoff racing, where teamwork often clashes with individual ambitions, and split-second decisions can dramatically alter championship hopes. The fallout from Kansas will continue to impact team dynamics and strategies in the lead-up to NASCAR’s next elimination round.
