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Kyle Larson sets NASCAR record in dominant win at Kansas Speedway

JHby: Jonathan Howard05/11/25Jondean25
Kyle Larson Kansas win NASCAR
Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Started on pole, won Stage 1, won Stage 2, led 221 laps, had the fastest lap – Kyle Larson had the perfect weekend at Kansas. Those 221 laps out front set a NASCAR record for most laps led in a Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway.

Kyle Larson was impossible to stop today. He almost hinted at the fact that this race might be a bit “boring” earlier in the weekend. Then he went out and stunk it up by dominating a very good Cup Series field at Kansas.

Last year, he won by 0.001 seconds. This year, he led 200+ laps and coasted to the finish as his tires appeared to wear out in the final turns. What a win.

We didn’t get the dramatic finish that we have seen a few times in the last few years. Kyle Larson made sure of that. A new left-side tire changed things up this weekend for the Cup Series drivers and teams. The No. 5 team, to no surprise, figured it out quicker than everyone else.

Larson hit the wall in practice on Saturday. However, that may have helped him in the long run. He found the limit, and today, he rode that line to the win. Two more laps in this race, Christopher Bell likely catches Larson as the tires are falling to pieces. But those extra laps never came.

Not the race that people expected, I think. Not sure if that will be disappointing or not. But my big takeaway from this is that Kyle Larson and Cliff Daniels remain an elite and dangerous duo. That second Cup championship might not be far away.

Kyle Larson proves it isn’t just the car?

This is not the first time this season that Kyle Larson has stunk up a race. He has gotten into a habit of flat-out dominating whenever he wins. With the 61 points scored today, Larson takes over the points lead from William Byron and is now the leader by 35 points.

Already this season, Larson has led 817 laps. 411 of those laps were led at Bristol alone, and he just added another 221 on top of that. Two different tracks, one where the Next Gen car “struggles” and the other where the car is at its absolute best.

It is unfortunate that the nature of NASCAR means we can’t appreciate these great wins. Today was one of the best performances that you will see all season long. Yes, Larson was helped by cautions. Yes, Chase Elliott made a mistake on pit road that cost him a chance to contend for the lead. Still, Larson had an incredible performance today to have a perfect weekend.

So, was this race “good?” Well, unless you are a Kyle Larson fan, probably not. You cannot deny the greatness that was put on display. I think there is something in the air this month that is giving Larson that extra edge.

Larson has led the most laps in three of the last four races and is ready to take on the Indianapolis 500 for the second time in his career. Between High Limit, World of Outlaws, NASCAR, and IndyCar, the Hendrick driver is a busy man. He is also entering his prime as a race car driver, and it could be long and dominant.