Larson dominates Kansas for second NASCAR Chase win and extends points lead
Kyle Larson led 235 of 267 laps at Kansas Speedway for his second win in three NASCAR Cup Chase races and a bigger lead in the standings.
Kyle Larson is building a strong case for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series title. The Hendrick Motorsports driver dominated at Kansas Speedway on Sunday 27 September (Monday morning in Malaysia). He led 235 of the 267 laps and took his second win in the first three races of the Chase, NASCAR's end-of-season title playoff.
How the race unfolded
Larson, in the No. 5 Chevrolet, won both Stage 1 and Stage 2 and set the fastest lap of the race, a 30.076-second lap on lap 2. He took the maximum 76 points available on the day.
It still came down to a late pass. Larson finished 0.565 seconds ahead of Austin Cindric, who produced one of his best drives of the season.
"When he got in front of me, I could see he started getting really loose. That was fun," Larson said of the closing laps.
Cindric was left wondering what might have been. "When you only lose by half a second, I wish I would have had at least a shot at it," he said.
Chase Briscoe finished fourth after contending for the win. "Just went really, really loose," he said, adding that it "felt like I had a win there to stay in contention."
Top 10 at Kansas
- Kyle Larson
- Austin Cindric
- Denny Hamlin
- Chase Briscoe
- Ryan Blaney
- Christopher Bell
- William Byron
- Chase Elliott
- Bubba Wallace
- Ryan Preece
A milestone win
The victory was the 34th of Larson's Cup career. According to NASCAR, that ties him with Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. for 26th on the all-time list.
The Chase standings
Larson now leads the Chase standings by 26 points from Denny Hamlin, according to NASCAR. The rest of the top five are:
- Christopher Bell – 50 points behind
- Joey Logano – 67 points behind
- Ryan Blaney – 91 points behind
That is a big gap this early in the playoffs. Larson has won two of the three Chase races so far, and his rivals will need to start closing it soon. The series moves on to Las Vegas next.
Why Malaysian fans should watch
NASCAR races in the United States usually finish in the early hours of Monday in Malaysia, so most fans here catch highlights over breakfast. This Chase is worth following. Larson is a former Cup champion and was dominant at Kansas, while Hamlin and Bell are still within reach going into the next races.
Key takeaways
- Larson won at Kansas by 0.565s from Cindric after leading 235 of 267 laps.
- He won both stages and scored the maximum 76 points.
- It is his second win in three Chase races and the 34th of his Cup career.
- He leads the Chase standings by 26 points from Hamlin.
FAQ
Who finished second at Kansas? Austin Cindric, 0.565 seconds behind Larson.
How big is Larson's lead in the Chase? Larson leads Denny Hamlin by 26 points, with Christopher Bell 50 points back.
Where does NASCAR race next? The Chase continues at Las Vegas.
Sources: NASCAR.com, Speedway Digest