At Kansas Speedway, the Denny Hamlin Kansas setback unfolded dramatically as the veteran dominated most of the race, only to lose his grip on victory during the final lap, allowing Chase Elliott to seize the win. Hamlin, leading for 159 laps, saw a misstep and earlier penalty penalties catch up to his No. 11 team in a tense finale that shifted the course of the NASCAR playoffs.
Final-Lap Turmoil Ends Hamlin’s Lead
The closing moments at Kansas Speedway delivered unexpected heartbreak for Denny Hamlin and the Joe Gibbs Racing crew. After Chase Briscoe led the field from the pole, Hamlin appeared unstoppable for most of the 400-mile race. However, after a series of late cautions and restarts reshuffled the running order, everything changed as the finish line approached.
During the high-stress overtime finish, Hamlin attempted to force his way past Bubba Wallace, who was driving the No. 23 Toyota for 23XI Racing. The aggressive move caused Wallace to scrape the outside wall, costing both drivers momentum and leaving an opening for Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet to surge ahead for the win. That split-second shift not only lost Hamlin his shot at the win, but also drastically impacted Wallace’s playoff position, leaving him finishing fifth and outside the playoff cutoff by 26 points.
Critical Error and Recent Penalties Prove Costly
Post-race analysis by The Teardown podcast team, including Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck, centered around the critical error that derailed Hamlin’s dominant run. A key moment came on pit road, compounded by penalties the team had faced in recent weeks. The No. 11 crew had been penalized earlier for a wheel coming off during a previous race, resulting in the suspension of two crew members—an absence that proved costly at Kansas.
“If you want to pinpoint something where the race got away from them (Denny Hamlin and the No. 11), it was on pit road, which let’s not forget by the way, this is because of a penalty that this team had a few weeks ago, where they had a wheel that came off the car and now they’ve lost two of their crew members.”
— Jordan Bianchi, Reporter
“This opened up the door, Hamlin lost control of the race, and now he is on his back foot and now he’s going to have to play catch-up.”
— Jordan Bianchi, Reporter
These pit road issues, combined with the absence of the suspended crew members, left Hamlin struggling to maintain his lead during the crucial restarts. The result put him on the defensive instead of in command, turning what seemed destined for another Toyota celebration into personal disappointment.
Long-Term Impact and Emotional Toll
Beyond the immediate outcome, the Denny Hamlin Kansas setback carried additional weight for the team and its driver. A win would have provided critical advancement in the playoff standings and allowed Hamlin to dedicate the triumph to his father, adding a layer of personal heartbreak to the competitive setback.
Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace, also affected by the incident, fell to tenth in the points—his own playoff hopes diminished by the loss of position on the final lap. For Chase Elliott, opportunism on the inside line during the last scramble clinched his place in the Round of 8 and upended the expected race narrative.
With their playoff ambitions now more uncertain, Hamlin and his team must regroup after Kansas, seeking to recover from the recent penalties and the missed chance for a crucial postseason victory. The lessons from Kansas underline just how quickly fortunes can shift in NASCAR’s high-risk, high-reward environment.
