Kyle Larson delivered a statement performance at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, dominating the NASCAR Cup Series race from start to finish in a near-flawless display that saw him lead a record 221 laps en route to his third victory of the 2025 season.
While the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was untouchable up front, it was a far more turbulent day for Trackhouse Racing’s trio of drivers — Shane van Gisbergen, Daniel Suárez, and Ross Chastain — each of whom encountered adversity on a long, chaotic afternoon in the Midwest.
Larson started from pole position after topping qualifying ahead of Chris Buescher, and quickly made his intentions clear. After building a healthy gap over Christopher Bell in the early laps, Larson briefly surrendered the lead on a Lap 11 restart but wasted no time reclaiming the top spot.
He steadily grew his margin over the field from there, even as pit cycles and strategy shuffled the order. Larson would go on to win Stage 1 with a comfortable four-second lead, lapping over half the field in the process.
The opening laps were far more difficult for New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen, who qualified to start 34th on the grid after a flat tyre cut his practice short and left his team scrambling to make setup changes for both qualifying and the race.
Van Gisbergen dropped a lap down early and remained mired at the rear of the field, running 29th and later falling two laps behind during the second stage.
His teammate Suárez also endured a frustrating drop down the order. After qualifying strongly in P8, he lost ground in the opening laps and struggled to recover.
Chastain, the strongest of the Trackhouse group early on, made up eleven positions in the first 15 laps and climbed to 13th from 24th on the grid.
As Larson cruised out front, chaos unfolded further back. A blown engine from AJ Allmendinger on Lap 6 brought out the race’s first caution, setting the tone for a race marked by attrition.
A string of green-flag runs followed, but as the laps ticked by, penalties and incidents began reshuffling the pack.
Austin Cindric was hit with a drive-through for an uncontrolled tire, while Ty Gibbs received a penalty for a commitment line violation under green.
William Byron, another early contender, suffered a puncture and brushed the wall, damaging his race.
Despite nearly spinning after a close call with Todd Gilliland at Turn 4, Van Gisbergen kept his car intact. He benefited from a key moment with 61 laps remaining when Kyle Busch had an off-track excursion triggered a caution.
SVG received the free pass and rejoined the lead lap, restarting in 20th place with 50 laps to go — the highest he had run all day. He held position during the final stint and ultimately finished 20th, the last car on the lead lap, salvaging a result that had looked unlikely for most of the afternoon.
Suárez was less fortunate. A multi-car collision with Cody Ware and Ty Dillon ended his charge with 66 laps remaining, dropping him a lap down and effectively ending his hopes of a strong finish.
He crossed the line 21st, one lap behind. Chastain, meanwhile, remained consistent throughout and finished 18th. He avoided major drama but never quite found the pace to move forward in the closing laps.
Back at the front, Larson continued his relentless pace. Even when Bell closed the gap in the closing laps, with some worrying tyre wear visible on the No. 5 Chevrolet, the Californian held on.
Bell finished seven-tenths behind, with Ryan Blaney rounding out the podium in third.
Larson’s win wasn’t just dominant; it was historic. His 221 laps led set a new single-race record at Kansas Speedway and also set a personal record for Larson, surpassing 10,000 laps led in his career.
Briscoe, Bowman, Berry, Preece, Buescher, Logano, and Nemechek rounded out the top ten.
Only 22 cars finished on the lead lap after a bruising afternoon that saw multiple crashes and mechanical failures, including the retirements of Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski.
For Trackhouse Racing, Kansas was another race of mixed fortunes and more questions than answers. Van Gisbergen showed flashes of racecraft and determination but continues to battle the steep learning curve of the Cup Series.
“That was a decent finish, based on how it felt. My SafetyCulture Chevrolet definitely got better there at the end. The team made adjustments that helped me get more comfortable with the car. Just going to keep learning and making progress on the ovals,” said Van Gisbergen
Suárez remains plagued by inconsistency despite his strong qualifying form, and Chastain, while solid, hasn’t quite rediscovered the front-running speed he’s shown in previous seasons.
The NASCAR Cup Series now heads to North Carolina for the prestigious All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro — a short-track showdown where $1 million is up for grabs and points take a backseat to pride. The annual exhibition race is a non-championship round scheduled for Monday, 19 May at 12 PM NZT.
The next championship round is at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the race is scheduled to start on Monday, 26 May at 10 AM NZT.
For Larson, it’s another opportunity to extend his reign. For Trackhouse, it’s a chance to regroup and reset before the season hits its summer stride.
Header Image: Jamie Squire / Getty Images
