The NASCAR Cup Series championship battle took another major turn Sunday at Kansas Speedway.
Kyle Larson dominated the Hollywood Casino 400, leading 235 of 267 laps and earning a maximum 76-point day. The victory gave Larson his second win in the first four races of the Chase and significantly expanded his lead in the championship standings.
With six races remaining in the Chase, Larson now sits 26 points ahead of Denny Hamlin.
Updated Chase Standings
Here is where the 16 playoff drivers stand after Kansas:
- Kyle Larson — 2,282 points
- Denny Hamlin — 2,256
- Christopher Bell — 2,232
- Joey Logano — 2,215
- Ryan Blaney — 2,191
- Ty Gibbs — 2,188
- Tyler Reddick — 2,171
- Chase Briscoe — 2,159
- Austin Cindric — 2,142
- Bubba Wallace — 2,142
- Carson Hocevar — 2,132
- William Byron — 2,124
- Chase Elliott — 2,121
- Ryan Preece — 2,109
- Chris Buescher — 2,096
- Daniel Suarez — 2,095
Larson Opens Up the Gap
Larson entered Kansas only one point ahead of Hamlin after taking the Chase lead at Bristol.
That changed dramatically after his performance Sunday.
Larson swept both stages, led the most laps and picked up the fastest-lap bonus before passing Chase Briscoe with seven laps remaining to secure the victory.
Hamlin finished third and collected important stage points, but still lost significant ground to Larson because of the No. 5 team’s dominant performance.
Battle Behind Larson
Christopher Bell remains third, 50 points behind Larson, while Joey Logano sits fourth.
Ryan Blaney and Ty Gibbs are separated by just three points in fifth and sixth, while Tyler Reddick sits seventh.
The middle of the standings remains extremely tight. Austin Cindric and Bubba Wallace are tied at 2,142 points, while only eight points separate Carson Hocevar in 11th from Chase Briscoe in eighth.
At the bottom, Daniel Suarez is 16th at 2,095 points, just one point behind Chris Buescher.
Six Races Remain
Kansas marked the fourth race of the 10 race Chase, meaning six races remain before the championship is decided.
The next stop will be the Charlotte Roval, where the playoff field will have another opportunity to change the standings.
With Larson now holding a 26-point advantage and momentum coming off a dominant Kansas victory, the championship battle is entering another important stretch.
There is still plenty of racing left, and the points can change quickly as the Chase continues.