Why Rick Hendrick’s 3 playoff stars are firm favorites for the upcoming NASCAR playoff race at Kansas 

Hendrick Motorsports is a favorite to show up big time in NASCAR's stop at Kansas Speedway this weekend. The race is a crucial one, especially for its three playoff drivers—Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and William Byron—who are still looking to secure a spot in the Round of 8.

Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 Chevrolet Camaro, is entering the Hollywood Casino 400 with the best average finish among active drivers of 10.4. His best result was a first-place finish in 2018, his third season in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Kyle Larson, meanwhile, is tied with fellow NASCAR playoff contender Christopher Bell in second on the list with an average finish of 12.4. However, he edged out the Joe Gibbs Racing driver after taking the #5 Chevy to victory lane at The Sunflower State three times.

Kyle Larson won NASCAR's 2025 AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway - Source: Imagn

As for William Byron, the #24 driver is seventh on the list—behind teammate Alex Bowman, who was eliminated after the Round of 16—with an average finish of 14.5. He has yet to score his first win after posting 15 starts.

Overall, HMS leads the field in wins on the 1.5-mile tri-oval with 10 victories. The Chevy team also holds other all-time records, including seven pole positions, 49 top-5s, 90 top-10s, 2,462 laps led, and 11 stage wins.

Byron and Larson are second and third on the playoff standings with a 47- and 41-point cushion above the cutline, respectively. They are behind Ryan Blaney, who clinched a Round of 8 appearance after winning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend.

Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR champion, sits closer to the cutline in seventh with a 14-point buffer. Behind him is Chase Briscoe (+12), followed by drivers below the cutline, including Ross Chastain (-12), Austin Cindric (-19), Tyler Reddick (-23), and Bubba Wallace (-27).

The Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas is set on September 28 at 3:00 p.m. ET. It is the second race of the Round of 12, preceding the Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway road course, where four drivers will be eliminated from the playoffs.

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“We want more”: Veteran NASCAR driver Kyle Larson on seventh-place finish at New Hampshire

While Hendrick Motorsports had strong results at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend, Kyle Larson wanted more. He was optimistic about the performance of the #5 Chevrolet Camaro, but the car fell off towards the latter stages.

Speaking about his race, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion said:

“I thought it was a good day for the #5 Chevrolet team. At times, I thought we were the third- or fourth-best car, and then just on cycled tires and right-sides, I just wasn’t as good on those runs. We’ll just look at that and see what we can learn from it.” “But all-in-all, it was a great day. It was a great points day with getting points in both stages. We want more, but it was a pretty solid day and start to the Round of 12,” he added.

As mentioned, Ryan Blaney won the race. Josh Berry came home in second, followed by William Byron, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, and Christopher Bell. Larson finished in seventh, with Michael McDowell, Ross Chastain, and Chase Briscoe completing the top 10.

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Edited by Zarec Sanchez