How perfect was Kyle Larson in Kansas?

Kyle Larson is the first driver to score the maximum possible 61 points in a NASCAR Cup Series race as completed the feat Sunday at Kansas Speedway when he started on the pole, topped both stages, recorded the fastest lap, and won in dominant fashion.

It was as dominant a weekend as anyone could ask for. While Larson did not lead every lap (which has not been achieved in the Cup Series since 2000), he was still in first for a track record 221 of 267 laps. NASCAR no longer awards points for leading a lap or the most laps, but Larson notched the new-for-2025 fastest lap bonus point.

Twenty more points came from winning Stages 1 and 2. Finally, holding off Christopher Bell to win the AdventHealth 400 itself yielded the maximum 40 points given to the race victor.

The victory coupled with team-mate William Byron’s disappointing day pushes Larson into the Cup Series points lead. Being atop the standings is always a pleasant experience, but doubly so for Larson as he will be balancing between protecting his new seat on the throne and returning to the Indianapolis 500.

The next Cup event is the non-points All-Star Race. The Coca-Cola 600 follows, scheduled for the same day as the Indy 500. If Larson qualifies for the latter, he hopes to finally achieve ‘double duty’ of completing both races. His Double Duty attempt in 2024 was ruined by weather delays in Indianapolis, preventing him from starting the 600.

“I think it’s good for our sport. I think it’s good for racing that the Cup Series point leader is competing in the Indy 500 for the second year in a row,” said Larson. “I would say last year was a goal of mine. This year I didn’t really think about it, but I do think it puts even more of a spotlight on us and our sport.

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“I do think it’s really cool, and we had a great day so great points day. I look forward to the next couple weeks and then actually getting to race the 600 and hopefully having the point lead after that one, too.”

23XI disappoints in 4-car début

Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing are the only Cup Series teams that operate four cars on a weekly basis. 23XI Racing joined them on Sunday as their three full-time entries were accompanied by the #67 Toyota Camry for Corey Heim in his first Cup start since Nashville in 2024. Ironically, despite having the least Cup experience of the team, Heim finished the best.

The Truck Series points leader is a development driver for 23XI and contracted to run a part-time Cup schedule with them. The #67 was originally designed as the team’s all-star car, having last appeared in 2023 with Travis Pastrana and Kamui Kobayashi before becoming the #50 the following year to celebrate Mobil 1’s 50th anniversary. Its most recent start was at Watkins Glen 2024 with Juan Pablo Montoya.

Heim, who placed third in the Truck race at Kansas on Saturday, started slow but ran a clean race after that to finish 13th. Although the #67/#50 only makes sporadic appearances, Heim’s performance is still its second best outing to date behind Pastrana’s 11th at the 2023 Daytona 500.

“Such a different experience than my Truck Series regular style driving. Such a different approach with aero balance and trying to find clean air and trying to get grip,” said Heim. Kansas marked his fifth career Cup start. “It is tough. We are at the top level, and I had to settle in. It has been about a year since I drove one of these things. First stage was messy, to say the least. I went a lap down, but the team stuck with me and made really good adjustments, and we climbed back through the field all day. We kind of just made consistent steps forward.”

While Heim was happy with how he did, his team-mates were certainly not. Tyler Reddick and Riley Herbst had nondescript days to finish 17th and 27th, respectively.

Herbst can be excused as a Cup Series rookie, though he still has yet to score a top-ten finish after 12 races. He is also a dismal 32nd in points, though ahead of Shane Van Gisbergen in the Rookie of the Year battle despite the latter having a top ten.

Although not making waves, 23XI can at least take solace in Herbst being a clean driver and one who isn’t an on-track hindrance. For someone who is technically a pay driver, only having one retirement due to a crash that wasn’t his fault is nothing to scoff at.

Reddick, on the other hand, seems to be in a slump at Kansas since winning there in the 2023 fall race. He finished 20th and 25th in the two races there last year, though he still led laps in those events. Sunday, on the other hand, saw him qualify fourth before running outside the top ten all day without a single moment in front.

Fellow ex-Kansas winner Bubba Wallace was eliminated by a crash on Lap 213, ironically caused by friendly fire from Heim. Wallace was following a four-abreast battle between Heim, Justin Haley, Erik Jones, and John Hunter Nemechek when Heim slid up and tapped Haley, shooting him into Jones. The rear of Haley’s car touched Wallace and sent him spinning, destroying the suspension.

“I just tried to hang a left and stay in the gas and I got clipped in the right rear,” Wallace explained. “It’s unfortunate. I hate it. It all stems back from our penalty earlier on. We tried so hard to fight back but it wasn’t meant to be. We had a lot of confidence coming into this race. Felt good about it yesterday, but just not our day.”

Even the team’s boss Denny Hamlin was a victim as an blown transaxle knocked him out.

NASCAR 2025 AdventHealth 400 – Results