Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports claimed a razor-thin victory at the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, while Rick Ware Racing NASCAR Kansas weekend ended in disappointment after Cody Ware suffered an early crash. The intense race marked Elliott’s 21st career NASCAR Cup Series win and underscored the persistent challenges faced by Rick Ware Racing in this demanding season.
Elliott’s Narrow Victory and Strong Competition
The Hollywood Casino 400 concluded with Chase Elliott seizing the win by just .069 seconds over Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing, highlighting an intensely competitive battle. Hamlin demonstrated formidable pace, leading a race-high 159 laps and winning both Stage 1 and Stage 2. Despite this, Elliott’s resilience in the final moments allowed him to edge out his rival for his second win this season and second at Kansas Speedway, adding another achievement to his impressive record with Hendrick Motorsports.
Rick Ware Racing’s Early Exit Amid High Hopes
For Rick Ware Racing, the day turned sour when Cody Ware, driving the Evel Knievel Museum Ford Mustang Dark Horse, was involved in an accident after only 52 laps. Starting 34th, Ware exited the race in 37th place after contact with the outside wall.
“We had had a little bit of a slow pit stop and some issues there, and going into turn one, the wheel was loose, the tire got cut, and that just sent us into the outside wall. So, super frustrating. We didn’t fire off with the speed we wanted, but we had a really good long-run car and was looking forward to making some gains in the race but, you know, we didn’t even get a chance to tune on the car. I was already happy with the long-run pace. We just needed to get a little more fire-off speed for the Evel Knievel Museum Ford Mustang. Definitely a frustrating way to get eliminated from the race.”
– Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Evel Knievel Museum Ford Mustang Dark Horse
With this result, Ware remains 36th in the points standings with 209 points, reflecting the persistent hurdles Rick Ware Racing continues to face in the competitive NASCAR Cup Series environment. Out of 37 drivers, 24 finished on the lead lap, and the race featured nine caution periods spanning 48 laps, emphasizing the challenging nature of the event for all teams involved.
Looking Ahead to the Charlotte Roval
The NASCAR Cup Series will continue with the Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on Sunday, October 5. This race marks the sixth event in the 10-race NASCAR Playoffs, with coverage available on USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Rick Ware Racing will aim to regroup and focus on making improvements after their setback in Kansas, as Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin look to carry their momentum into the next high-stakes playoff challenge.
