Kyle Larson may have started the AdventHealth 400 on pole, but by the time he crossed the finish line nearly three hours later, his grip on the top spot felt less like racing and more like routine.
Chris Buescher lined up on the outside—ironic considering Larson edged out Buescher in this very race last year via a photo finish.
Before the green flag even dropped, several drivers were forced to drop to the rear due to pre-race issues: Brad Keselowski, Ty Dillon, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, Shane van Gisbergen, and Zane Smith. Once the race began, Larson launched well from the inside lane, immediately asserting control over the field.
The first caution came early on Lap 7 when AJ Allmendinger’s #16 car went up in smoke, ending his day prematurely. Several teams took the opportunity to grab fresh tires, anticipating Kansas’s notorious tire wear.
Green-flag pit stops kicked off around Lap 36, and the usual mix of strategy and penalties followed. Bubba Wallace (equipment interference), Jesse Love (driving through too many pit boxes), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (crew over the wall too soon), and Ty Gibbs (commitment line violation) were all flagged during service. Meanwhile, Larson cycled back to the lead without missing a beat.
Despite a close call for William Byron, who cut a tire on Lap 66 but managed to avoid a caution, Stage 1 went cleanly to Larson. Chase Elliott was second, followed by Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, and Austin Cindric rounding out the Top 5.
Stage 2 opened with a team duel between Larson and Elliott, both fighting hard. Larson eventually held off Elliott and later blocked him on the apron in the closing laps to narrowly capture the stage win by one tenth of a second. Bell once again flirted with second but couldn’t hold off Elliott for long. Meanwhile, pit road saw more issues—Josh Berry was caught speeding, and Cindric earned a penalty for an uncontrolled tire.
Elliott came off pit road first and led the field to green on Lap 175. He quickly cleared Larson and began pulling away, showing the kind of speed that had been lacking in recent weeks. Brad Keselowski appeared to be the only car that could match Elliott’s pace, but his hard charge ended with a blown tire and contact into the wall—taking him out of contention.
The caution brought Elliott’s nightmare to life. His crew suffered a disastrous right-rear tire change on pit road, costing him the lead and dropping him to 13th. From there, the race unraveled into a string of cautions:
- Lap 201: Cody Ware, Ty Dillon, and Daniel Suárez tangled.
- Lap 206: Kyle Busch got caught in a four-wide battle and spun down the backstretch.
- Lap 212: Corey Heim drifted up into Justin Haley, triggering a wreck that collected Wallace, Erik Jones, and Austin Dillon. Jones was done for the day.
With 46 laps to go, Larson cleared Bell on a restart and never looked back. He took the checkered flag ahead of Bell, Blaney, Briscoe, and Bowman.
Top 10 Finishers:
- Kyle Larson – No. 5, Hendrick Motorsports
- Christopher Bell – No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Ryan Blaney – No. 12, Team Penske
- Chase Briscoe – No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Alex Bowman – No. 48, Hendrick Motorsports
- Josh Berry – No. 21, Wood Brothers Racing
- Ryan Preece – No. 60, RFK Racing
- Chris Buescher – No. 17, RFK Racing
- Joey Logano – No. 22, Team Penske
- John Hunter Nemechek – No. 42, Legacy Motor Club
Larson’s Kansas win adds to an already impressive season, but for many fans, it’s beginning to feel repetitive. Online frustration began as soon as he secured the pole and continued to grow throughout the race. The #5 car’s dominance, while a testament to Hendrick horsepower and Larson’s undeniable skill, is creating a growing sense of predictability—and that predictability is starting to wear thin with a seemingly increasing contingent of race fans who want to see something different.
Photo Credit: KANSAS CITY, KANSAS – MAY 11: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, poses with the winner sticker on his car in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 11, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)