The playoffs have reached their zenith once again at Kansas Speedway. Notably, the Toyotas managed to secure prominent positions, both at the end of the stages and during the final restart. However, it’s intriguing to observe that the race’s ultimate victor, Tyler Reddick, led for just two laps throughout the entire event. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott appeared nearly unstoppable during the race.

Kyle Larson exhibited remarkable speed, clinching victory in stage one. However, the narrative took a bitter turn during stage two. Interestingly, Denny Hamlin dissected the twists and turns of Kyle Larson’s journey during a podcast called “Actions Detrimental,” shedding light on a major setback Larson faced in Stage 2. In contrast, Denny Hamlin praised Chase Elliott for displaying a unique quality that set him apart during their time at Kansas Speedway.

Denny Hamlin scrutinized Kyle Larson and HMS

At a pivotal moment in the Hollywood Casino 400, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson engaged in a heated battle for the lead, both securing top-six finishes at Kansas Speedway. Chase Elliott, starting from 4th position, exhibited a strong performance by taking the lead during stage 2.

However, the race took an unexpected turn for his teammate, Kyle Larson, after the 6th caution. Although Larson initially led the pack on the restart, a significant issue at turn 2 caused him to lose speed and drop multiple positions. By lap 148, Larson found himself in 20th place, and it wasn’t until the final stage that he managed to recover those lost positions. During a podcast, Denny Hamlin shed light on and critiqued the #5 crew chief’s decision to keep Larson out.

He said, “I would love to see us kind of racing up front straight up we kinda got off sequence those guys when Cliff made the decision to keep him out that one restart. I’m actually very surprised he fell back as far as he did though I guess once you lose one spot it’s just you lose a ton. but man Chase Elliott was able to make that strategy work he started out and got the lead and held it really to the last couple of laps before the stage and Larson dropped like a rock. So Kyle was really good up front. “

Denny lauded Chase Elliott and the #9 team for their strategy. In fact, the late restart issue involving Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott added further drama and intrigue to the race.

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Kyle Larson opens up about the late-stage incident

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After losing positions earlier in the race, Kyle Larson was determined to make a comeback. A late restart provided him with an opportunity to regain some of those lost positions. However, a pit road incident involving contact with Chase Elliott stirred controversy.

During the post-race interview, Kyle Larson addressed the issue and said, “Obviously, I made contact with him but I felt like if I didn’t, I was gonna clobber the #6 in the right front. I thought the safest bet for all of us was to squeeze out a little bit. So, I understand why he’s mad or was mad in the moment”

Kyle Larson’s explanation during the post-race interview suggests that he was in a difficult position and made contact with Elliott to avoid a more significant collision with the #6 car. But Chase Elliott’s frustration and retaliation on the pit road indicate that he wasn’t pleased with the contact. What do you think?

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