KANSAS CITY, Kan., May 12, 2025 — Kyle Larson dominated the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, leading 221 of 267 laps to secure his third victory of the 2025 season. Driving the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Larson started from the pole and finished 0.712 seconds ahead of runner-up Christopher Bell, a stark contrast to last year’s record-setting 0.001-second win at the same track.
“Great car, great execution today, too, for our team,” said Larson, who now leads the series standings by 35 points over teammate William Byron. “Glad to not win by an inch right here this time and a little bit safer gap. But thanks again to the team. Congrats to all of Hendrick Motorsports, the engine shop, everybody there.”
Larson’s third Kansas win tied him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett for 29th on the career wins list with 32 victories. He swept both stages, earning a record eight stage wins in the first 12 races of 2025, and surpassed 10,000 career laps led, trailing only Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin among active drivers. His 221 laps led marked a commanding performance at the 1.5-mile track.
The race’s final 49-lap green-flag run tested Larson’s tire management, as his lead over Bell shrank from two seconds to under one. “I was trying really hard to pace myself, because I believe that was our longest run of the day,” Larson said. “I was starting to lose a lot of grip, and then I was vibrating really bad, so I was afraid a right rear or something would let go.”
Bell, driving the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, expressed mixed feelings about his second-place finish. “I didn’t feel like we were very good today,” Bell said. “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.”
Ryan Blaney finished third, 0.832 seconds behind Larson, followed by Chase Briscoe and Alex Bowman. Josh Berry, Ryan Preece, Chris Buescher, Joey Logano, and John Hunter Nemechek rounded out the top 10. The race saw seven cautions for 37 laps, with 15 lead changes among nine drivers, though Larson and Chase Elliott, who led 29 laps, accounted for most of the race’s front-running.
A pivotal moment came when Brad Keselowski, running second after a strong pit stop, blew a right-front tire on Lap 195, crashing into the wall and finishing 37th. “I hit pretty hard, so I doubt it’s fixable, but we’ll see,” Keselowski radioed. The incident handed Larson the lead, while Elliott, who led early in the final stage, fell to 15th after a slow pit stop under the resulting caution.
William Byron, the points leader entering the race, struggled after a flat tire in Stage 1, finishing 24th. Other notable incidents included Denny Hamlin’s drivetrain failure on Lap 196 and Bubba Wallace’s crash on Lap 212. The race, averaging 129.74 mph, concluded in 3 hours, 5 minutes, and 13 seconds.
Larson’s victory, his fastest three-win season start, positions him as a favorite heading into the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18, followed by his Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double attempt later this month.
