Hendrick Motorsports has positioned its roster as leading Rick Hendrick NASCAR playoff favorites heading into the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. This vital playoff event, taking place this weekend, sees drivers Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and William Byron each seeking to lock in a coveted place in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8.
Chase Elliott, piloting the #9 Chevrolet Camaro, holds the best average finish at Kansas among his peers, marking a consistent 10.4 over his career. Elliott’s standout moment at this venue came in 2018 when he captured victory, a feat achieved during just his third full NASCAR Cup Series campaign.
Kyle Larson, behind the wheel of the #5 Chevrolet Camaro, is tied with fellow contender Christopher Bell in average finish at the track, both boasting a 12.4 mark. Larson, however, has claimed the checkered flag in Kansas three times, besting not only Bell but also most of the playoff grid with his success in The Sunflower State.
William Byron, driving the #24 Chevrolet, sits seventh among active competitors for average finish at Kansas, recording a 14.5 across his 15 career starts. Despite this, Byron has yet to claim his first victory at Kansas, striving to change that narrative during this crucial playoff round.
HMS Dominates Kansas Speedway Statistics
Collectively, Hendrick Motorsports stands atop the statistics for Kansas Speedway with an impressive 10 Cup Series wins on the 1.5-mile tri-oval. The Chevy-powered squad holds additional all-time records in the venue’s history, racking up seven pole positions, an astonishing 49 top-five finishes, and 90 top-tens. Their dominance is further underlined by 2,462 laps led and 11 stage wins, underscoring both longevity and recent form at one of the playoffs’ most unpredictable stops.
Byron and Larson currently occupy second and third in the playoff standings, providing a comfortable margin above the cutline—with Byron enjoying a 47-point buffer and Larson close behind at 41 points. Their main rival on the leaderboard is Ryan Blaney, who secured his place in the Round of 8 by winning the previous playoff event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Chase Elliott, who captured the 2020 NASCAR championship, finds himself in seventh with a 14-point advantage over the playoff drop zone. Immediately behind him is Chase Briscoe, holding a 12-point advantage, while the racers below the cutline—Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Tyler Reddick, and Bubba Wallace—face greater deficits and rising pressure to deliver a breakthrough in Kansas.
Upcoming Races and Playoff Stakes at Kansas
The Hollywood Casino 400 will take place on September 28 at 3:00 p.m. ET, marking the second race in the critical Round of 12. After Kansas, the playoff series shifts to the Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a race with high elimination stakes as four playoff drivers will see their championship runs come to an end.
Kyle Larson Reflects on Recent Performance at New Hampshire
Kyle Larson has made his ambitions clear as he continues his playoff campaign for Hendrick Motorsports. Though the team produced a strong effort at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Larson was dissatisfied, aiming for an even stronger result as the field heads to Kansas Speedway.
“I thought it was a good day for the #5 Chevrolet team. At times, I thought we were the third- or fourth-best car, and then just on cycled tires and right-sides, I just wasn’t as good on those runs. We’ll just look at that and see what we can learn from it.”
– Kyle Larson, 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion
“But all-in-all, it was a great day. It was a great points day with getting points in both stages. We want more, but it was a pretty solid day and start to the Round of 12,”
he added. – Kyle Larson, 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion
In the race at New Hampshire, Ryan Blaney captured the win, clinching his advancement in the playoffs. Josh Berry finished as runner-up. William Byron finished third, followed by Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, and Christopher Bell. Larson finished in seventh position, with Michael McDowell, Ross Chastain, and Chase Briscoe rounding out the top ten finishers.
Significance for the Playoff Picture and What Comes Next
The success of Hendrick Motorsports at Kansas Speedway stands to influence who moves forward in the Cup Series championship hunt. With Rick Hendrick’s NASCAR playoff favorites well-placed above the cutline and boasting a deep track record of Kansas success, the team and its drivers—Elliott, Larson, and Byron—are under pressure to capitalize on this pivotal race.
Meanwhile, key competitors like Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Tyler Reddick, and Bubba Wallace need standout performances to continue their championship aspirations. As the season narrows and the stakes intensify, all eyes remain fixed on Kansas, where history and recent form suggest Hendrick Motorsports’ leading trio is well-equipped for another defining playoff chapter.
