Kyle Larson left little doubt Sunday afternoon at Kansas Speedway. The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion and driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet led a track-record 235 laps, swept both race stages, and recorded the fastest lap on the way to his second victory of 2026 and second win of The Chase.
The dominant performance completed a maximum-points day of 76 points and extended the No. 5 team’s points lead heading into the fifth race of The Chase.
Race Recap
With qualifying canceled due to weather, the starting lineup was set according to the NASCAR rule book, placing Larson and the No. 5 team in the second position. Once the green flag waved, Larson wasted little time powering to the front. He took the lead on the opening lap and quickly built an advantage over the field.
By lap 20, Larson had stretched his lead to six seconds as the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet showed strong speed throughout the opening run. Larson maintained control before a scheduled competition caution brought the field back together. The No. 5 team executed a four-tire and fuel stop with a small air-pressure adjustment, sending Larson back onto the track in first. He remained in the lead through the end of the opening stage to secure his seventh stage victory of the season.
Larson and the No. 5 team continued to set the pace through the middle portion of the race, but changing conditions presented a new challenge as the sun began to break through the clouds and the track evolved. After another pit stop and restart with 40 laps remaining in the second stage, Larson quickly cleared the field from the bottom lane and began rebuilding his advantage.
As the stage wound down, Larson adjusted his line and moved higher on the track, where he found additional comfort near the wall. He went on to capture his second stage victory of the day and eighth of the season. At the halfway point, Larson had led all but two laps, and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team had consistently executed flawless pit stops to keep him out front.
“It takes a team, and our pit crew has been on it all year,” said Larson following the race. “They have been ranked towards the top all season. It was a great day on pit road and hopefully they’re leading again. Huge thank you to them.”
Larson remained in the lead through the first half of the final stage, repeatedly fending off the competition and navigating lap traffic. After making a green-flag pit stop on lap 217, Larson cycled back to the lead and surpassed his previous Kansas Speedway record of 221 laps led.
The race tightened over the final 30 laps as Larson’s advantage began to shrink. He eventually lost the lead but stayed within striking distance, working to build runs as the leader navigated traffic.
With seven laps remaining, Larson made his move on the backstretch to reclaim the lead. He stayed out front through the final laps to secure his fourth career victory at Kansas Speedway and second win in the last three races.
Larson finished the afternoon with six separate stints as the race leader and a track-record 235 laps led. Combined with the two stages victories and fastest lap, the winning performance resulted in the maximum 76 points available and extended his lead in The Chase to 26 points.
This victory at Kansas Speedway also came as Hendrick Automotive Group celebrates its 50th anniversary, a milestone Larson recognized following the race.
“Congratulations to everybody at Hendrick Automotive Group too, celebrating their 50th anniversary. We’ve gotten a couple special wins here for Mr. H, and I’m glad to do this one for all the 10,000 plus employees at Hendrick.”
Up Next
Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team turn their attention to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the South Point 400 on Sunday, Oct. 4 (5:30 p.m. ET on USA).
The weekend will carry additional significance as Larson drives the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet with a special tribute paint scheme honoring the late Kyle Busch. The scheme will make its on-track debut at Las Vegas, Busch’s home track, as Larson looks to carry his momentum with six races remaining in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase.
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