Chase Elliott won Sunday’s (Sept. 28) Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway with a last lap pass in a wild and chaotic finish.
After Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin made contact in turn 3 on the final lap, Elliott, who restarted 10th, swooped to the inside out of turn 4 to edge Hamlin for the victory by 0.069 seconds.
The win was the 21st of Elliott’s NASCAR Cup Series career and his second of the season. He also became the second driver to clinch a spot in the Round of 8, joining last week’s winner Ryan Blaney.
Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Wallace all had chances to win in the final two laps, and they finished second through fifth, respectively. Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, William Byron and Shane van Gisbergen — who scored his first-ever top-10 finish on an oval — rounded out the top 10.
“Everything worked out perfect for me,” Elliott told USA Network. “Had a great push through (turns) 1 and 2 that started with the No. 6 (Keselowski). Good run off of 2, seas kind of parted and I was able to keep my momentum up. What a great finish.”
Hamlin won the first two stages and led 159 laps, but his quest for a 60th Cup win will have to wait another week.
“Two years ago, I’d probably say something dumb, like he’s a dumbass for that move, I don’t care if he’s my boss or not'” Wallace said. “But we’re going for the win. Hate that we gave it to Chevrolet there.”
“Just super disappointing,” Hamlin said. “It would’ve been 60 (career wins) for me. Team did an amazing job with the car, gave me everything I needed. (I) got the restart I needed, just couldn’t finish it there in the last corner.”
“I tried to give him (Wallace) the best push I could,” Reddick said, referring to the final restart. “I tried to push him, and we just got separated. Obviously, I want to push him out and help him try and win, and then keep the gap closed up and have a shot at it myself.”
“It was tough with those restarts,” Briscoe said. “They’re so circumstantial. You could wind up winning the race, or one bad thing goes your way and you’re running fifth to seventh.”
“I honestly don’t know what I could’ve done,” Bell said of the final laps. “I’m leaving here feeling pretty satisfied.”
The caution flag flew on Lap 211 for a J.J. Yeley spin on the frontstretch.
On the lap 217 restart, a big wreck collected the likes of Noah Gragson, Austin Cindric, Carson Hocevar, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger.
With 15 laps to go, the yellow flag flew for debris off the No. 8 Chevrolet of Kyle Busch. With seven laps to go, Carson Hocevar brought out the caution after he spun down the backstretch, which led to an overtime restart.
Zane Smith flipped in overtime, bringing out the final caution flag that led to wild two-lap shootout for all the marbles.
Hollywood Casino 400 Results
The Round of 12 will conclude at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL on Sunday, Oct. 5. Race coverage will begin at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.
A member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Samuel also covers NASCAR for Yardbarker, Field Level Media, and Heavy Sports. He will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2025.