Chase Elliott secured a dramatic win at Kansas, showcasing skill and determination during the race’s intense finale. This Chase Elliott Kansas win highlighted his ability to maintain momentum through crucial corners and withstand fierce competition in the race’s closing moments.
Reflecting on the victory, Elliott explained how the race unfolded:
“Everything worked out perfect for me. Had a great push through one and two. That kind of all started with the 6. Big run off of two. Seas kind of parted and just was able to keep my momentum up. That was really it. Obviously, we still had pretty good tires compared to those guys, but what a crazy finish. Hope you all enjoyed that. I certainly did. Really proud of our team. Had a really solid weekend, win or no win. Really nice to qualify really well. We’ll certainly enjoy this, man. This is pretty cool. Just never take this stuff for granted because they’re hard to come by. Learned that the hard way. Always enjoy it. Always appreciate it. … I wasn’t going to lift, so I didn’t know what was going to happen. I figured at the end of the day, it was what it was at that point. We were both wide open corner exit. Wherever I ended up, I ended up. At that point, we were all committed. Yeah, really cool just to be restart and somehow win on a green-and-white checkered. Pretty neat.”
– Chase Elliott, Winner
Denny Hamlin Expresses Frustration After Narrow Second-Place Finish
Denny Hamlin finished just behind Elliott in second place, struggling with mechanical issues that hampered his performance in the final moments. Despite having one of the fastest cars on the track, Hamlin was unable to convert his speed into a win, leaving him visibly disappointed.
He shared his thoughts after the race:
“Just super disappointing. I wanted it bad. It would have been 60 (wins) for me. The team just did an amazing job with the car, just really, really fast. Gave me everything I needed. Got the restart I needed. Just couldn’t finish it there on the last corner. Obviously got really, really tight with the 23, and it just got real tight and we let the 9 win. Yeah, just mechanical failures and different things have really hindered us in years past, and we had no power steering that last run. Low voltage. Just a lot of things and just couldn’t — just disappointing because I don’t think I’ve ever had a car that good to the competition. Man, I wanted it for my dad. I wanted it for everybody. Just wanted it a little too hard.”
– Denny Hamlin, Second Place
Bubba Wallace’s Strong Performance Earns Third Despite Tough Start
Bubba Wallace, who began the race with challenges, managed to climb back into contention and finish third. His drive demonstrated resilience and praised his team for their efforts amidst a competitive field dominated by faster Toyotas.
Wallace described his mindset during the race:
“To even have a shot at the win with the way we started, you could have fooled me. We were not good. We missed it on the fire-off speed. I just really appreciate the team. Two years ago I’d probably say something dumb (about Hamlin like) ‘He’s a dumbass for that move. I don’t care if he’s my boss or not.’ But we’re going for the win. I hate that we gave it to Chevrolet there. Toyotas were super fast, and proud to be driving one. I thought it was meant to be, and then it wasn’t. All in all, the positives, though, we were minus 26 coming in — or minus 27 coming in. We’re minus 26 leaving. We gained a point.”
– Bubba Wallace, Third Place
Chase Briscoe Reflects on Challenging Race and Strategic Restarts
Finishing fourth, Chase Briscoe faced a difficult and unpredictable race filled with fast-paced restarts and split-second decisions. His strategy was impacted by a late incident on the track, which disrupted his momentum and his chances to contend for the win.
Briscoe remarked,
“It was tough. I’ve never really been in a situation like that, where I needed really anybody but Bubba to win in that situation, but I wanted to still put it in a position where I could still win the race, too. It was just tough with those restarts. They’re so circumstantial. One thing goes your way, and you can end up winning the race. One bad thing goes your way, and you end up running fifth to seventh. Just crazy, the runs and how fast they develop. I thought I was going to, honestly, still have a really good shot to win the race, and when Bell got in the fence off of four, I had to all but stop, and it just ruined my momentum. Scrappy day for our Toyota. Would have loved to be obviously a little bit better today. Crazy, I think we’re averaging a top-five finish in the playoffs, and we’re only 20 points above. Never feel safe at the Roval, but go there and try to do our job. Our road course stuff is pretty good there. See what we can do. … That second-to-last restart, I had a huge run out of the back straightaway, and I thought I could clear, potentially. So I tried to make it three wide, but looking back on it, maybe it would have been better to hit the 20 as hard as I could and try to get him to the lead. But it is so crazy on those restarts. You’re making split-second decisions. One variable can change, and what you thought was the right move is the wrong move. Crazy race. I’m sure it was fun to watch and go on to the next one.”
– Chase Briscoe, Fourth Place
Tyler Reddick Discusses Efforts to Support Teammate and Pit Road Challenges
Tyler Reddick ended the race in seventh, focusing on aiding teammate Bubba Wallace during crucial moments with strategic pushing on restarts. While satisfied with his car’s speed, Reddick noted difficulties on pit road that affected overall race results.
He explained,
“I just tried to give (Wallace) the best push I could. I was really fortunate the previous restart that he was able to hold the lead. I don’t know, I tried to push him, and we just got separated. Obviously I want to push him out, try to help him win, and then obviously keep the gap closed up to try to be in second and have a shot at it myself. It was a tough day. I really thought our beast Toyota Camry was really fast. We just had struggles on pit road. That’s part of racing. It’s tough. Yeah, obviously there’s only one thing we can do at Charlotte, and that’s what we’ll be focused on.”
– Tyler Reddick, Seventh Place
Implications of the Kansas Race on the Playoff Battle and Team Strategies
This closely contested race at Kansas has significant implications for the NASCAR playoff standings, with several drivers moving in and out of key scoring positions. The mix of mechanical issues, split-second choices during restarts, and strong strategic performance by teams could influence approaches for upcoming races, particularly as attention shifts to the challenging road course at Charlotte.
With competitors like Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin pushing the limits, and teammates collaborating in critical moments, the Kansas event has set the stage for a heated playoff showdown. Teams will likely assess their performances here closely while focusing on maximizing opportunities in the races ahead.
