Team Penske struggles at Kansas became a defining story of the most recent Cup Series Playoffs race, as Joey Logano faced significant setbacks while the playoff field heads into a crucial elimination round. As the series prepares for next week’s pivotal event at the Charlotte Roval in North Carolina, the intensity and unpredictability of the postseason are at their peak.
High Drama and Overtime Finish Shape Playoff Picture
The playoff race at Kansas Speedway delivered a charged and emotional contest, with the stakes raised as drivers fought to secure their positions ahead of the next elimination. After a strong day by several competitors, a dramatic overtime finish rearranged the standings and left some favorites—like Team Penske—needing a rally to stay in contention for the championship.
Chase Elliott, representing Hendrick Motorsports, pulled off a remarkable turnaround during the final laps. A strategic decision to change four tires on his last pit stop left the 2020 series champion in the middle of the leading pack. Following another caution and double-overtime, Elliott surged through a cluster of Toyotas, making decisive contact with Denny Hamlin to earn his second win in the 2025 playoffs. This victory guaranteed Elliott, as well as Ryan Blaney, a place in the Round of 8, allowing them to approach the Charlotte Roval with their playoff hopes intact.
Key Contenders Face Their Own Challenges
Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing appeared positioned for a decisive victory at Kansas, having led the field for 159 laps and swept both stages. Yet, competitive pressure from other drivers and technical issues late in the race, including steering troubles and pit stop difficulties, marred his performance. Despite Hamlin’s efforts to hold on during the final lap, his car became tight in Turns 3 and 4, causing him to brush the wall and lose the win to Elliott by just 0.069 seconds.
Just mechanical failures and different things have really hindered us in years past. We had no power steering on the last run and low voltage, just a lot of things. I’m just disappointed because I’ve never had a car that good to the competition. I wanted it for my dad, I wanted it for everybody. I wanted it a little too hard.
— Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, on the difficulty of solving Kansas.
Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing nearly capitalized on an improved car and pit crew adjustments but fell just short in the final corner, ending the day with a top-five finish but still outside a comfortable position to make the next playoff round. Wallace now faces a daunting 26-point deficit going into the Roval, making it a near must-win situation to advance.
William Byron, the Regular Season Champion from Hendrick Motorsports, also experienced a difficult outing, running outside the top twenty for much of the race before a series of late cautions salvaged a ninth-place result. Despite this, Byron goes to the next race with a 40-point advantage, having performed well in previous Roval appearances.
Team Penske’s Setbacks Overshadow Playoff Hopes
Joey Logano, representing Team Penske Ford, faced a challenging Kansas weekend from the outset. Poor results on Saturday appeared to set the stage for disappointment, but a tactical move by crew chief Paul Wolfe—opting for two tires on a late Stage 1 restart—helped Logano collect valuable stage points. However, his race unraveled after a multi-car crash on Lap 218, resulting in a 21st-place finish and shrinking his playoff margin to just 13 points above the cutline. Despite his experience and an average finish of 8.6 at the Roval, Logano’s season hangs in the balance, with another setback threatening to eliminate him from championship contention.
Bubble Positions Create Intense Elimination Battle
As the cutline approaches, the tension among playoff drivers intensifies. The updated standings show Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, William Byron, and Chase Briscoe above the line, but only by varying margins. Logano’s narrow cushion proves especially precarious, with Ross Chastain just 13 points behind, followed by Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Austin Cindric at widening deficits. Their hopes now hinge on next weekend’s high-pressure race.
Tyler Reddick’s performance at Kansas serves as a case study in overcoming adversity; despite his No. 45 pit crew’s struggles that repeatedly forced him to restart at the rear, Reddick clawed back to finish seventh. Entering the Roval, however, he trails the cutline by 29 points and will likely need to win to advance, making flawless execution on pit road more critical than ever.
Roval Looms as Decisive Moment in Playoff Chase
Attention now turns to the Charlotte Roval as the 2025 Cup Series Playoffs reach their next elimination point. The challenging combination of road course and oval has frequently produced unpredictable results and dramatic upsets. Notably, Shane van Gisbergen, fresh from a Kansas top-10 finish, and AJ Allmendinger, winner of last year’s Roval race, are positioned as potential spoilers for those above the cutline. Of the playoff drivers not yet locked into the next round, only Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell claim previous Roval victories, adding another element of unpredictability as championship hopes hang in the balance.
The struggles faced by Team Penske at Kansas highlight how quickly fortunes can change in the Cup Series Playoffs and raise pressing questions about whether Joey Logano and his team can regroup in time. As tension mounts and elimination looms, the Charlotte Roval promises more drama, with every point and pit stop likely to determine the fate of NASCAR‘s top teams and contenders this season.
