Chase Elliott (running in Hendrick) won the 400 at Hollywood Casino in Kansas Speedway on September 28, 2025, by nipping. That was a victory through a last-lap pass, and it showed that he can remain calm when he is under pressure. It was his 21st taste of Cup Series victory.
Kansas is a difficult 1.5-mile elliptical-shaped course with close finishes, and Elliott has just demonstrated that he is back to cope with the big things. The race was massive as well in that it ended the Round of 12 as part of the playoffs.
Chase Elliott Breaks Through With Final-Lap Pass
The win was Elliott’s second of the season and was made official after post-race inspection at Kansas Speedway. For him, it was as much about the teamwork as the pass itself.
🗣️ “The seas just kind of kept parting for me.”
🏆 @chaseelliott pulled off an amazing final lap to score the #Hollywoodcasino400 win for @TeamHendrick at @kansasspeedway. pic.twitter.com/GPItXOnuAT
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) September 29, 2025
“It was a good weekend for us, really all around, win or no win. I thought,” Elliott said after the race.
When asked how he pulled it off, Elliott admitted it was a bit of everything going his way. “I don’t know, man,” he said. “Everything worked out perfectly for me. Had a great push through one and two. That kind of all started with [Brad Keselowski]. Big run off of [Turn] 2. Seas kind of parted, and I was just able to keep my momentum up. That was really it.”
Elliott added, “Obviously, we still had pretty good tires compared to those guys, but what a crazy finish. Hope you all enjoyed that. I certainly did. Really proud of our team. Had a really solid weekend, win or no win.”
Denny Hamlin’s Heartbreak and Wallace’s Take
Elliott wasn’t the only driver in the spotlight. Denny Hamlin dominated much of the day. He led 159 laps, won both stages, and even set the fastest lap, according to Toby Christie. But his strong run fell apart because of a sticking throttle, steering trouble, a slow pit stop, and late electrical issues. Still, Hamlin was in position to win until the last corner slipped away.
“Just super disappointing,” Denny Hamlin said. “I wanted it badly. It would have been [win No.] 60 for me. The team just did an amazing job with the car, just really, really fast. Gave me everything I needed. Got the restart I needed. Just couldn’t finish it there on the last corner. Obviously got really, really tight with the 23, and it just got real tight, and we let the 9 win.”
Hamlin’s teammate, Bubba Wallace, was both grateful and frustrated. “To even have a shot at the win with the way we started, I told Post, you could have fooled me. We were not good. We missed it on the fire-off speed. I just really appreciate the team,” Wallace said.
“He joked about his past reactions, adding, “Two years ago, I’d probably say something dumb, [like], ‘[Hamlin is] dumbass for that move. I don’t care if he’s my boss or not, but we’re going for the win. I hate that we gave it to Chevrolet there.”
A Night of Drama and Playoff Impact
Elliott explained his mindset in the final lap: “I wasn’t going to lift, so I didn’t know what was going to happen. I figured at the end of the day, it was what it was at that point,” he told USA Network. “We were both wide open corner exit. Wherever I ended up, I ended up. At that point, we were all committed. Yeah, really cool just to restart and somehow win on a green-and-white checkered. Pretty neat.”
The night also saw Christopher Bell take third and Chase Briscoe finish fourth. The mix of joy and heartbreak at Kansas showed how unpredictable the NASCAR playoffs can be. For Elliott, it was a much-needed reminder of his ability to shine in the biggest moments.
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