Ross Chastain opened the Spherical of 12 NASCAR Cup Collection playoffs Sunday by way of racing clear of William Byron in a 20-lap sprint to win the Hollywood On line casino 400 Offered by way of ESPN BET at Kansas Speedway in Kansas Town, Kan.
A non-championship competitor, the Alva, Fla., local used his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet to carry off Byron’s No. 24 by way of 0.388 seconds for his 5th profession victory in 217 begins and primary of 2024.
Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney and Ty Gibbs finished the highest 5, which featured 3 drivers ineligible for the identify.
Of the championship contenders, polesitter Christopher Bell was once 7th whilst Denny Hamlin was once 8th. Chase Elliott, who began ultimate within the box after an engine exchange, gridded 9th.
Name contender Tyler Reddick, the protecting Kansas race winner, got here house twenty fifth in his No. 45 Toyota within the 10-caution race. Kyle Larson was once twenty sixth.
To open the 267-lap race and the Spherical of 12, Bell confirmed the best way for the primary 19 laps. Issues arose right away for issues chief Larson, who entered with a 39-point benefit.
After dominating the sphere ultimate week by way of main 462 of 500 laps in a win at Bristol, Larson minimize a right-rear tire and smacked the Flip 1 wall to power the second one warning on Lap 20.
The 2021 champion restarted behind the sphere and ran a constant 2d slower than Bell’s race-leading tempo, however Bell himself had issues as 80-lap Level 1 neared its finish.
With 8 laps left, the Joe Gibbs Racing motive force bounced off the wall and became the lead over to Byron, who went directly to win the phase. Joey Logano and Blaney completed in the back of him, and Bell accumulated it as much as are available in 5th.
Hamlin, who complex at Bristol out of the ground 4, had to go back to pit street after carrier, whilst fellow identify contender Austin Cindric spun at the backstretch on Lap 167 for the 7th warning.
Simply as he did on the finish of the primary level, Bell slid up into the wall within the ultimate laps as Level 2 wound down. Alex Bowman were given the utmost 10 bonus issues along with his first phase win this season, whilst Gibbs and Blaney completed 2d and 3rd, respectively.
With 32 laps left, chief Kyle Busch introduced out the 9th warning when he spun off Flip 2 in a one-car incident whilst racing carefully with Chase Briscoe, who completed twenty fourth.
–Box Degree Media
