AdventHealth 400: Kyle Larson dominates Kansas, scores third Cup Series win of 2025

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson put on a dominant performance, leading 221 of 267 laps in the AdventHealth 400 to pick up his third win of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season at Kansas Speedway.

Although Larson was the favorite from the moment the green flag dropped, he had some weaknesses in the race at the 1.5-mile track that ended with him visiting Victory Lane for the third time at Kansas. The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet struggled with the car in the closing laps.

“Yeah, it was tough,” Larson said. “I could get out to a good lead, and I could kind of manage my tires. But Chase (Elliott) was really good at the end of the long runs. We decided to take control of the race, and we kind of lost it a little bit there. We had some restarts work out in our favor, and that last run just played out well enough to get the win. I wasn’t very good again at the end of the run, but I am just proud of my team and proud of this HendrickCars.com Chevy team. It’s just been an awesome day.”

Larson’s dominant day by the numbers:

• Surpassed 10,000 career laps led in the Cup Series.
• Broke the record for most laps ever led in a race at Kansas (221).
• Broke the record for most laps led in a Next Gen intermediate track race (221).
• Swept the stages and won the race, which made him the first driver to ever do that at Kansas.
• Earned eight race wins while also winning Stage 1 and Stage 2, which sets the record for most wins in that manner.
• Scored 61 points, which is the most you can score in a NASCAR event, not counting the Coca-Cola 600, where there is an extra stage.

Fortunately for him, Christopher Bell, the runner-up finisher, also struggled a little bit, which allowed Larson to maintain the lead.

Bell led just three laps, but with top-five finishes in both stages, he left Kansas with his best finish at the track (second) and 49 points scored. After the race, Bell was asked what more he needed to catch Larson.

“Yeah, I don’t know,” Bell said. “I didn’t feel like we were very good today. We qualified well, had good pit stops – never really had any issues to set us back, but on the track, we were constantly going the wrong direction instead of going forward, but everyone fought hard on this Reser’s Camry and got us a good finish. I don’t know. I’m sure I will be a lot happier about it tomorrow and later in the week, but just didn’t feel like we were very good, and we were still right there, so I think that is a testament to how good this team is.”

Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney also had a great day on track. By finishing in the top four in both stages and finishing third in the race, the 2023 Cup Series champion also earned 49 points like Bell.

“Yeah, overall good day,” Blaney said. “Honestly, we were kind of running those guys down quick there at the end, the last handful of laps. I just kind of restarted too far back and had to make up a lot of ground. It took a lot for my car to come in. I think five more laps, I think I probably would have scared the 5 (Larson) a little bit at least.

“But no, really proud of the 12 boys today. Appreciate the Würth Group being on board for it, Menard’s, Bodyarmor, Dex Imaging, everybody. Really good last couple of weeks bringing fast race cars. Hopefully we can continue to do that, keep learning and move forward, but overall a really good weekend.”

Results from the 2025 AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway are listed below:

Other Race Facts

23XI Racing and Toyota Racing Development driver Corey Heim made his fourth career NASCAR Cup Series start and earned a 13th-place finish, which was the best of his young career. The current Craftsman Truck Series points leader made his first of multiple Cup Series starts this year and was the highest finishing 23XI driver.

“I think from the very beginning I was trying to settle in,” Heim said. “Such a different experience than my Truck Series regular style driving. Such a different approach with aero balance and trying to find clean air and trying to get grip. It is tough. We are at the top level, and I had to settle in. It has been about a year since I drove one of these things. First stage was messy to say the least. I went a lap down, but the team stuck with me and made really good adjustments, and we climbed back through the field all day.

“We kind of just made consistent steps forward. I’m super proud of everyone at 23XI, Toyota — very thankful for Robinhood for coming on board. The Robin Neon looked great out there, running top 15 at the end. Just proud of the consistent progress, and team definitely stuck with me in the first stage. It wasn’t pretty on my part, but grateful for everyone believing in me and grateful for the opportunity.”

Both Ryan Preece (seventh) and John Hunter Nemechek (10th) earned top-10 finishes. Both drivers are having incredible starts to the 2025 season after their disappointing campaigns last year.

Brad Keselowski was having his best race of the 2025 season until he had a tire go down while running in second place. After Kansas, Keselowski sits 33rd in the standings and has yet to finish a race inside the top 10 this season.

While earning stage points in both stages, this marks Keselowski’s first stage points since Darlington and his first time earning stage points in both stages this season, according to Dustin Long.

Chase Briscoe earned his fourth top-five finish of the season after starting in the back, due to unapproved adjustments. In his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, Briscoe currently sits 13th in the standings.

“We just started in the back, so it made it tough to know what we needed,” Briscoe said. “Even that first stage, we had a terrible pit stop during the green flag pit cycle and we came out about three-quarters of a straightway behind the 5 (Larson) car and we were able to run him down and pass him and get back on the lead lap, then in the second stage, we kind just lost our magic, I felt like, and then finally the third stage, we kind of found it back and our car started going forward again and was able to go from 17th or 18th back up to fourth. I would have loved to have track position all day — that is the name of the game half of the time, but overall great Bass Pro Shops Toyota. We needed just a good solid run like this, so that helps.”

Kyle Larson was the first driver to win a Cup Series race this season from pole position.

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