NASCAR at Kansas final results, highlights: Denny Hamlin steals win from Kyle Larson with daring last-lap pass

David Suggs

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Kevin Skiver

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NASCAR at Kansas final results, highlights: Denny Hamlin steals win from Kyle Larson with daring last-lap pass image

It was gripping. It was emotional. It was fast.

But come the end of day, only one racer stood amid the tempest of rainbow-colored paper that descended on Kansas Speedway. After a daring last-lap pass, it was Denny Hamlin atop the podium, rollicking in his first victory since last year's Coca-Cola 600.

It wasn't the easiest ride for Hamlin, who faced a formidable foe in Hendrick Motorsports stud Kyle Larson. The latter took control of the 1.5-mile track, rambling down the straightaways at speeds exceeding 180 miles per hour. He was just as precise on the turns, putting himself in position to capture a dramatic third win of the year.

But Hamlin turned on the afterburners on Lap 267, with a few Larson wobbles giving him a shot. In the end, it was Hamlin's aggression, coupled with some looseness from Larson, that carried the Joe Gibbs Racing star to the victory. Good ole' hard racing.

It made for an all-time spectacle. And yet the hysterics of the finale may have been exceeded by the post-race exchange between Ross Chastain and Noah Gragson. The pair traded fisticuffs ... sort of. Chastain put on his best Marvin Hagler impression, showcasing the art of the sweet science after Gragson grabbed a fistful of his uniform. The rookie was peeved with Chastain's antics after the No. 1 "fenced" him in before sending him spiraling earlier in Stage 3.

Hard to say that he got the last laugh in — not when Chastain is throwing shots like this.

MORE: Watch NASCAR Cup Series races live with Fubo (free trial)

All in all, it made for quite a day at Kansas Speedway. Can't imagine fans will be able to scrub this race from their memories any time soon. One way or another, this one will be in the record books.

The Sporting News tracked live updates and highlights from this year's AdventHealth 400. Scroll below to see all the action as it happened from a wild day in America's Heartland.

NASCAR at Kansas final results

(Results are unofficial)

Place Driver Car No. Team
1 Denny Hamlin 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
2 Kyle Larson 5 Hendrick Motorsports
3 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
4 Bubba Wallace 23 23XI Racing
5 Ross Chastain 1 Trackhouse Racing
6 Joey Logano 22 Team Penske
7 Chase Elliott 9 Hendrick Motorsports
8 Martin Truex Jr. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
9 Tyler Reddick 45 23XI Racing
10 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing

NASCAR at Kansas live updates, highlights from 2023 race

(All times Eastern)

6:38 p.m.: White flag in the air. Hamlin wins it, sending Larson into the wall with the slightest of touches. Will be interesting to see how Larson reacts. What a final stage!

6:37 p.m.: Lap traffic sends Larson up the track. Larson gave himself a little space through there, though. Lead back up to .35 seconds. Four laps left!

6:36 p.m.: Larson is loose. Hamlin might make something shake. Six laps to go! Larson holds a .25-second lead!

6:31 p.m.: Larson holds the slightest of edges over Hamlin. Edge of your seat stuff with 13 laps remaining. Byron and Wallace in a distant P3 and P4, respectively.

6:28 p.m.: Hendrick Motorsports out in front, just as they were to start. Hamlin and Wallace pushing hard as well. Really strong showing by the two Ford drivers.

6:20 p.m.: 33 laps to go from Kansas. Larson and Byron sit in P1 and P2, respectively. They're being trailed by Hamlin, Chastain and Wallace. Everything to race for.

6:06 p.m.: CAUTION! Jones goes spiraling into the infield! Caution flag No. 11. Been one messy race at Kansas thus far. Not the easiest watch, but oh well.

6:05 p.m.: Byron takes the lead on the restart! Incredible rally!

6:00 p.m.: Byron has somehow got himself back in contention. From two laps down to just outside the Top-5. What a display by the No. 24 team thus far.

5:58 p.m.: CAUTION! Yet another canary flag waved after Gragson spins into the wall. Caution No. 10.

5:54 p.m.: Wallace and Reddick charging back into the Top-10. Meanwhile, Chastain and Gragson get into a war of...bumpers? A little altercation between the two roughriders as they tango on the track. They might be calling each other terms that haven't even been invented yet.

5:51 p.m.: Truex and Dillon sit atop the totem pole. However, they're riding on old tires; folks like Larson, Elliott and Hamlin got fresh ones out the plastic. It's only a matter of time before they get passed...as long as there's no caution. You never know in this race.

5:49 p.m.: All sorts of shaking up in the field. Truex in P1 as we go to green. However, Austin Dillon, Logano, Noah Grayson and Todd Gilliland all sit in the Top-5. Who would've thought...

5:43 p.m.: CAUTION! Harrison Burton spins after nearly wrecking into Chris Buescher. Salvages the major wreck, but that's gonna send us back to yellow.

5:41 p.m.: Restart proves far more orderly than over the past few times. Elliott has somehow thrust himself into the front of the pack. The Hendrick Motorsports star needs a win to get in. Could he get it today?

5:29 p.m.: CAUTION! Gibbs wiggles on the corner exit. Nearly saved himself, but almost doesn't count unless it's horseshoes or hand grenades. Two flats for the No. 54 and he's stuck in the infield. Unlucky for the youngster, who has been really good in his rookie year. Pushed a bit too hard on his teammate Truex and it bit him in the behind.

5:27 p.m.: Elliott is in the mix as well. He could really use a win here. He still can qualify for the playoffs, but his best route back is courtesy of a victory.

5:26 p.m.: Black to green for one more stage at Kansas! Larson, Hamlin and Wallace jostling for first.

5:14 p.m.: CAUTION! Busch rumbles into the inside wall on the restart. Preece gets into his rear and the No. 8 car has no chance. That should bring the stage to an end. Logano somehow gets the stage victory after not being too involved in the action. Take it as it comes.

5:08 p.m.: Busch got no type of time for Chastain's aggressive driving. Check it out:

5:06 p.m.: CAUTION! Bell into the inside wall! He's done for the day. Took a real serious shot there. Jeez Louise!

5:04 p.m.: Some great racing here at Kansas! Larson, Wallace, Hamlin and Truex all working hard to get a seat at the table. With nine laps remaining in the stage, it's Larson out by a hair in front of Wallace.

4:56 p.m.: CAUTION! Looks like some sort of collision between Josh Berry and Christopher Bell. Sends the No. 48 down the race track. Erik Jones gets a little collateral damage as well. Ooh, and Busch gives Chastain a little bit of a bump under caution. Oh the drama!

4:54 p.m.: Bubba is playing aggressively! You love to see it! The No. 23 slips past Chastain on the outside to get himself into the Top-5.

4:49 p.m.: Larson gains some serious track position courtesy of a lightning-fast pit stop. 9.2 seconds and his four wheels are pristine as ever. He'll climb to the front. Gibbs saves himself from a penalty, stopping just short of the exit line after realizing one of his wheels wasn't secured properly. However, he's gonna experience something of a precipitous drop as a result of the malady.

4:45 p.m.: CAUTION! It's Aric Almirola who loses his grip on Turn 2. Sends him whirling into the apron. He was at P13. Right front is flapping about, a withering leaf in the blustery Kansas wind.

4:43 p.m.: Hamlin back in P3, grabbing the spot from his beloved driver Wallace. He's shown some real ferocious speed on the straightaway throughout this weekend, so not too much of a surprise to see him up at the top of the pack. Truex still holds the lead, although Larson has pulled the deficit to less than a second.

4:34 p.m.: Truex recaptures the lead from Wallace. Larson is back in contention, as well. That No. 5 car has some serious heat on it. Good battle here for P2.

4:32 p.m.: Feeling green with envy! Wallace makes his way up to the front courtesy of a push by Truex, his Toyota compatriot. Plenty of clean air in front of Wallace.

4:27 p.m.: Bubba the fastest out the gate from pit road. He's running a really clean race through the opening two stages. Could another trip to the Kansas victory lane be in cards for the burgeoning talent?

4:24 p.m.: CAUTION! Austin Cindric felled by a tire flat approaching Turn 1. His wheel quite literally fell off the side of his car. Must've not been locked in. What an image.

4:17 p.m.: Good little battle between Chastain, Wallace, Gibbs and Chase Elliott for P3. All within about a second of each other. Currently, it's Wallace who holds third place, but things can change on the turns.

4:13 p.m.: Let's get ready to rumble! Stage 2 is a go! Suarez drops eight places after nearly getting turned around on the restart. It got super wide, with cars jostling back and forth for position. In the end, it's Truex and Hamlin sitting at the top of the totem pole.

4:01 p.m.: It's Denny who takes Stage 1 here at Kansas! Perhaps more impressively, though: the fact that Larson got himself back into the Top-10. That car is absolutely rapid.

3:58 p.m.: Another frustrating moment for Byron, who slips and slides into the barrier after getting loose. Not the best of races for the Hendrick Motorsports star.

3:52 p.m.: Toyota showing out in the opening 60 or so laps. Truex, Hamlin, Reddick, Wallace, Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell all sit in the top-ten, while Brad Keselowski is in P11.

3:49 p.m.: Chase Briscoe loses a tire on pit road. Not ideal, by any means. But he'll be docked a pass-through penalty, far better conditions than was the case last year, when a spinning tire would park members of Briscoe's pit crew for four weeks.

3:42 p.m.: Michael McDowell and Corey LaJoie out in front at the moment. Cars streaming in and out of pit road, though, so expect that to change quite quickly.

3:38 p.m.: Byron to the rear after getting caught speeding on pit road. From bad to worse for Hendrick Motorsports thus far.

3:33 p.m.: Through 30 laps, it's Martin Truex Jr. out in front. He's hoping to nab his second straight win after going nearly two full seasons without a victory. Fellow Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin not too far behind, nor is Reddick.

3:17 p.m.: CAUTION! Reddick gets in the back of Larson after trying to block off Chastain. That sends Larson flying. Completely accidental move by Reddick, but can't imagine Larson will be too pleased. Fortunately for the field, Larson kept his composure, limiting his movement to the bottom of the track. That made it easy for other drivers to avoid him. So a costly bump by Reddick, but it could have been a whole lot worse.

3:16 p.m.: Byron drops off! Looks like he got caught in the apron and got a little loose, falling downtime field. Tyler Reddick trying his darndest to get himself up the field.

3:14 p.m.: And we're off! Byron and Larson out in front, followed by Ross Chastain in P3.

3:13 p.m.: Blistering temperature at the race track today. Asphalt will be cloaked in sunlight and baking heat, with temps already sitting around 90 degrees. Should make for a challenging atmosphere to maneuver around.

3:04 p.m.: We're about five minutes from the waving of the green flag. Chiefs Hall of Famer Neil Smith delivering the commands. What a moment for the two-time Super Bowl champion.

2:57 p.m.: National anthem loading here at Kansas Speedway. Needs more 808s and synths, in my opinion. Song don't slap at all at the moment. Perhaps KGoLive's services need to be enlisted...

2:30 p.m.: Not sure if I'd take Noah Gragson's advice on hair. Nevertheless, NASCAR has sure had some s— coiffures over the years.

2:25 p.m.: More accolades lined up for a trio of Cup Series icons, per Bob Pockrass.

2:15 p.m.: Hendrick Motorsports is hoping to make a statement today. William Byron and Kyle Larson sit on the front row and are hoping to flex their strength a la 23XI Racing last year.

What channel is the NASCAR race on today?

  • TV channel: FS1 (U.S.) | TSN5 (Canada)
  • Live stream: FoxSports.com, Fubo

The AdventHealth 400 will be broadcast on FS1 in the United States. Canadian viewers can follow the action on TSN5.

Veteran broadcaster Mike Joy will call the lap-by-lap action. He'll be joined in the booth by Clint Bowyer and NASCAR's Kurt Busch.

What time does the NASCAR race start today?

  • Date: Sunday, May 7
  • Time: 3 p.m. ET

The listed start time for the AdventhHealth 400 is 3 p.m. ET, but pre-race festivities are expected to push the waving of the green flag to 3:10 p.m. ET.

AdventHealth 400 starting lineup 2023

Starting pos. Driver Car No. Team
1 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
2 Kyle Larson 5 Hendrick Motorsports
3 Ross Chastain 1 Trackhouse Racing
4 Martin Truex Jr. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
5 Tyler Reddick 45 23XI Racing
6 Joey Logano 22 Team Penske
7 Ty Gibbs 54 Joe Gibbs Racing
8 Denny Hamlin 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
9 Daniel Suarez 99 Trackhouse Racing
10 Ryan Blaney 12 Team Penske
11 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing
12 Christopher Bell 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
13 Kevin Harvick 4 Stewart-Haas Racing
14 Chris Buescher 17 RFK Racing
15 Austin Cindric 2 Team Penske
16 Kyle Busch 8 Richard Childress Racing
17 Bubba Wallace 23 23XI Racing
18 Aric Almirola 10 Stewart-Haas Racing
19 Erik Jones 43 Legacy Motor Club
20 Brad Keselowski 6 RFK Racing
21 Chase Elliott 9 Hendrick Motorsports
22 Noah Gragson 42 Legacy Motor Club
23 Michael McDowell 34 Front Row Motorsports
24 Corey LaJoie 7 Spire Motorsports
25 Harrison Burton 21 Wood Brothers Racing
26 Ty Dillon 77 Spire Motorsports
27 A.J. Allmendinger 16 Kaulig Racing
28 Ryan Preece 41 Stewart-Haas Racing
29 Josh Berry 48 Hendrick Motorsports
30 Justin Haley 31 Kaulig Racing
31 Chase Briscoe 14 Stewart-Haas Racing
32 Todd Gilliland 38 Front Row Motorsports
33 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing
34 Brennan Poole 15 Rick Ware Racing
35 JJ Yeley 51 Rick Ware Racing
36 Josh Bilicki 78 Live Fast Motorsports

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.

Kevin Skiver

Kevin Skiver Photo

Kevin Skiver has been a content producer at Sporting News since 2021. He previously worked at CBS Sports as a trending topics writer, and now writes various pieces on MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and college sports. He enjoys hiking and eating, not necessarily in that order.