The NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Kansas Speedway on Saturday brought déjà vu for fans—and especially for Chris Buescher. Nearly a year after losing by 0.001 seconds to Kyle Larson in a photo-finish spring race at the 1.5-mile oval, Buescher once again found himself on the wrong side of Larson’s speed. Only this time, the heartbreak came during time trials.
Larson, the last driver to hit the track, ripped off a lightning-fast lap of 29.391 seconds (183.730 mph) to take the pole for Sunday’s AdventHealth 400. It was enough to bump Buescher (183.374 mph) to second on the grid by a margin of 0.057 seconds. For Larson, it was a moment of perfection behind the wheel—and a symbolic repeat of his Kansas dominance.
Kyle Larson Nails His Marks in a “Perfect-Feeling” Lap
Qualifying laps at intermediate tracks like Kansas Speedway are often about who can flirt closest with perfection. For Larson, who thrives at high-speed venues, that challenge was met head-on.
“The qualifying lap felt really good,” Larson said. “You’re watching SMT data, and you can see drivers starting to hold it wide open through 1 and 2. In 3 and 4, it gets trickier with how tight it can get.”
Larson explained that he had a plan heading into Turn 3—one that required threading the line and nailing throttle timing. It worked.
“My balance felt really good. I hit my marks, came up to speed clean through 3 and 4. Honestly, it felt like a perfect-feeling lap,” Larson added.
The effort not only earned him his first Busch Light Pole Award of the 2025 season, but also marked his first career pole at Kansas and the 22nd of his Cup career.
Chris Buescher Stung by Kansas Speed Again
If there’s anyone who can claim to be snakebitten by Larson’s Kansas performance, it’s Chris Buescher. Last spring’s finish still stings for the RFK Racing driver, and Saturday’s qualifying session didn’t help ease the pain.
After laying down what looked to be a pole-worthy lap, Buescher watched from pit road as Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet knocked him from the top spot.
“It’s ironic and really cool,” Larson admitted post-qualifying. “It adds to the story of what happened last year. I’m not thinking about it during cautions or anything, but yeah—it’s funny, cool, and a little ironic.”
Buescher, who’s quietly enjoyed a strong start to 2025, will now have to start Sunday’s race from second. While that puts him in good position, there’s no denying the ongoing Kansas rivalry between him and Larson is one of the sport’s emerging storylines.
Toyota Contenders Lurk in the Top Five
Behind Larson and Buescher, the battle among Toyota’s top contenders kept things interesting. Christopher Bell, fresh off three consecutive poles at Kansas Speedway, fell just short of making it four in a row. His lap of 183.268 mph earned him third on the grid.
Right behind him, Tyler Reddick clocked in at 183.150 mph, continuing his strong qualifying form. And rounding out the top five is Joey Logano, the 2025 Texas race winner, who will start from fifth after posting a lap of 182.871 mph.
These drivers represent a range of threats for Sunday’s 400-mile contest, especially Bell, who’s built a reputation as one of the strongest qualifiers on intermediate tracks.
Cup Veterans Stumble, Surprises in the Top 10
Further down the grid, the drama continued as Kyle Busch and Josh Berry both made heavy contact with the outside wall during their qualifying attempts. Busch will roll off 35th, while Berry will have an even tougher climb from 38th. Both incidents raise concerns about setup decisions heading into Sunday.
In contrast, some pleasant surprises emerged among the top 10. Ty Gibbs continued his breakout sophomore season with a sixth-place effort. William Byron, another Hendrick Motorsports threat, secured seventh. Daniel Suárez, Chase Elliott, and Ryan Blaney rounded out positions eight through ten.
With such a stacked top 10, Sunday’s race promises to be a tightly packed and unpredictable contest—especially on restarts, where Kansas has been known for late-race fireworks.
News in Brief: Kyle Larson Steals Kansas Pole
As NASCAR returns to Kansas Speedway for the spring event, the Larson-Buescher saga writes another chapter. Larson may not have had this one circled on the calendar, but the irony of denying Buescher yet again didn’t escape him—or fans still buzzing from last year’s .001-second finish.
The pole sets Larson up to control the early stages of Sunday’s AdventHealth 400, but with Buescher right beside him and hungry for redemption, and fast Toyotas lurking just behind, the path to victory won’t come easy.
Whether this ends in another photo finish—or another ironic heartbreak—one thing is certain: Kansas Speedway always delivers drama, and this year’s Cup race is already off to a thrilling start.
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