TC Daily Pit Stop: Chase Elliott Takes Win in Electric Finish at Kansas; Bubba Wallace Reacts to Last-Lap Clash with Hamlin; Zane Smith Uninjured in Flip

TC Daily Pit Stop: Monday, September 29, 2025

Sep 29, 2025

Chase Elliott took the win in a thrilling finish to the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway — Josh Calloni | TobyChristie.com

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway ended in total chaos — and an unexpected Chase Elliott victory. In a wild double-overtime finish, Elliott surged from 10th on the final restart to take the lead on the final lap after Denny Hamlin made contact with Bubba Wallace in Turns 3 and 4. As Wallace was shoved into the wall and Hamlin lost momentum, Elliott dove to the inside and never lifted, securing his second win of the season and an automatic ticket to the Round of 8 in the Playoffs.

Elliott admitted he wasn’t sure how he pulled it off, but credited a perfect push from Brad Keselowski and staying wide open in the final corner. Meanwhile, Hamlin, who had dominated the day by sweeping both stages and leading 159 laps, saw his hopes for a 60th career win vanish with that last-lap miscalculation. Hamlin’s late-race troubles included power steering issues and a slow pit stop, but it was the final corner misjudgment that stole headlines, especially given that Wallace drives for Hamlin’s 23XI Racing team.

Wallace salvaged a fifth-place finish but missed a crucial opportunity to advance in the Playoffs. Still, the No. 23 driver kept his cool and praised his team’s effort, saying his younger self might’ve reacted differently. Christopher Bell (3rd) and Chase Briscoe (4th) also collected solid top-five finishes, while Shane van Gisbergen scored his first career top-10 on an oval, rebounding from a pre-race penalty and losing a lap early in the event to finish strong.

‘It Wasn’t Meant to Be’: Bubba Wallace Reacts After Last-Lap Clash with Hamlin at Kansas

Bubba Wallace reacted with class after contact from his team owner Denny Hamlin caused him to miss out on a win in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. — Photo Credit: Josh Calloni | TobyChristie.com

Bubba Wallace nearly pulled off a massive Playoff-saving win in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 after a strong comeback drive by his No. 23 team at Kansas Speedway. But on the final lap, while leading, Wallace was sent into the wall by Toyota teammate and team owner Denny Hamlin, a move that allowed Chase Elliott to sneak through for the win. Wallace salvaged a fifth-place finish but now finds himself 26 points below the Playoff cutline with one race remaining in the Round of 12.

Tensions were high post-race, with Wallace visibly frustrated by the contact, even flipping Hamlin the bird on the cool-down lap. Still, he praised his team’s resilience and vowed to race as hard at the Charlotte Roval as he did in Kansas. Hamlin, who led 159 laps and was chasing his 60th career win, admitted he was solely focused on the milestone and misjudged his car’s handling in the final corner. While both drivers insisted they’d race anyone the same way, Sunday’s wreck may spark a round of tough conversations inside 23XI Racing, a week after Joe Gibbs Racing held internal team meetings.

Zane Smith Goes Upside Down in NASCAR Overtime at Kansas

Zane Smith was involved in an crash where he flipped in an overtime restart in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway — Craig White | TobyChristie.com

Zane Smith fortunately walked away from a wild and scary accident in overtime of Sunday’s race at Kansas, but he walked away “pissed off” at John Hunter Nemechek, who he felt completely drove through him to cause the crash.

Smith rode onto the outside wall and skidded on his driver’s side door for roughly a quarter mile before he slid away from the wall, and his car flipped to a stop into the inside lane of the track.