TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Kansas Speedway
September 26-27, 2026
Chevrolet Newsroom
The NASCAR Chase heads to the heartland this weekend with a return visit to Kansas Speedway opening a run of three-straight intermediate tracks for the sport’s top division. The Craftsman Truck Series kicks off the weekend Saturday with the Race to Stop Suicide 200, the second race of its seven-race Chase. Poised at the top of the points standings for the first time this season, Team Chevy’s Kyle Larson will lead the Cup Series Chase into Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 for the fourth stop of its postseason tour. After a runner-up finish at Bristol, the reigning champion will look to not only build upon his points lead but continue his top-five streak in his title-defending campaign. Team Chevy’s four Truck Series title contenders will look to regroup after a tough opener at Bristol, with two of its drivers – Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger – heading into the weekend as the only past Kansas winners.
Chevrolet’s Heartland History:
Chevrolet has 17 victories in 41 NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway, the most of any manufacturer, ahead of Toyota (13), Ford (nine) and Dodge (two). The Bowtie brand won the track’s inaugural race (Jeff Gordon, Sept. 2001) and has won 13 of the 25 fall races, including the last two Hollywood Casino 400’s with Ross Chastain (2024) and Chase Elliott (2025). Hendrick Motorsports has 11 of those wins and is the only organization in double digits at the track, with those triumphs coming from Gordon (three), Jimmie Johnson (three), Larson (three) and Elliott (two). From May 2024 through Sept. 2025, Chevrolet won four-straight Cup races at Kansas, tying the track record for the longest streak by a manufacturer. Team Chevy Chase contender, Elliott, is the fall race’s defending winner, having driven from eighth to first on the final lap of a double-overtime restart.
LARSON TAKES THE POINTS LEAD TO A TRACK WHERE HE’S BEEN THE BENCHMARK
Kyle Larson arrives at Kansas Speedway this weekend as the new NASCAR Cup Series points leader, having edged Denny Hamlin by a single point after a runner-up finish at Bristol — the first time the lead has changed hands through three postseason races. That Bristol result capped a strong start to the Chase for the Hendrick Motorsports driver. He led a race-high 99 laps in a fifth-place run during the postseason opener at Darlington Raceway, going on to snap a 51-race winless streak with a victory at Gateway to vault him from seventh to second in the standings before his move into the points lead at Bristol.
Kansas has been a personal showcase for Larson in the Next Gen era. He ranks first among active drivers with 576 laps led and sports a series-best 5.8 average finish, while also tallying wins in three of the last 10 Cup races at the track. That track mastery extends across much of the remaining Chase slate. Larson has three career wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, including his first as a Hendrick Motorsports driver in 2021; one Coca-Cola 600 victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway (2021); one victory (2023) and eight-straight top-nine finishes at Martinsville Speedway; and two wins (2022 & 2025) at the track set to host this year’s title-deciding race, Homestead-Miami Speedway. It’s a fall stretch that is shaping up to make Larson an arguable favorite to defend his championship title.
BOWTIE BRIGADE CONTINUING IN THE POINTS BATTLE
Carson Hocevar is among those who left “The Last Great Colosseum” with a gain in position in the Chase standings. The Michigan native is the second-highest ranked Team Chevy driver in eighth and 85 points back after a third-place finish at Bristol. While Kansas has been one of the more difficult tracks in his Cup Series career, he does own one Truck Series win at the track, coming in the seat of a Spire Motorsports-prepared Silverado RST last season. Chase Elliott is 12th (-117 points), with William Byron going plus-two spots into 13th (-121 points) after a ninth-place result at Bristol. Joining the likes of their Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Elliott and Byron both have strong Kansas resumes. Elliott has two wins, including last year’s fall race, and the third-best average finish in the Next Gen era at 9.9. Byron finished second to Chastain in the 2024 fall race and has finished seventh or better in two of his last three Kansas starts. Daniel Suarez rounds out the Chase field in 16th, 134 points back.
ENFINGER, ECKES BOAST STRONG KANSAS RESUMES
While it was a tough opening race for Team Chevy’s four Chase contenders in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, six races still lie ahead for the contingent to put themselves right back into the title fight. CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger led the manufacturer’s Chase field with a 10th-place finish at Bristol – an effort that pushed him up into sixth in the standings and 53 points back from the lead. Enfinger’s history at Kansas is strong, headlined by his 2023 victory and top-nine results in 10 of his 14 starts at the track.
Enfinger is one of just two past Kansas winners entered in Saturday’s race, with his Team Chevy teammate, Christian Eckes, joining that elite list with his 2023 victory. Eckes is eighth in the standings, 58 points back, but brings arguably the deepest Kansas resume of any driver in the field. His accolades at the track includes top-six finishes in seven of his 10 starts, with his win in the 2023 event starting an active streak of three-straight podium results.
A quiet night under the Bristol lights for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Daniel Hemric saw the No. 19 team still make a one-position gain in the standings to sit seventh (-56 points) heading into the second race of the Chase. While Hemric’s Kansas history is short, it’s consistent – earning top-10 results in all three of his starts, including a best-finish of third. Rounding out the group is his teammate, Tyler Ankrum, in 10th at a 71-point deficit to the lead.
BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Kansas Speedway:
Kyle Larson – three wins (2025, 2024, 2021)
Chase Elliott – two wins (2025, 2018)
Ross Chastain – one win (2024)
· In 41 NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 17 victories – including the series’ inaugural race with Jeff Gordon (Sept. 2021) and four-straight in the Next Gen era (2024 sweep & 2025 sweep).
· Kyle Larson has opened his championship title-defending run with three-straight top-five finishes (Darlington – 5th; WWTR – 1st; Bristol – 2nd). If Larson earns a top-five finish this weekend at Kansas Speedway, he would become just the fourth driver in history to earn top-five finishes in the first-four races of the postseason in NASCAR’s premier series.
· With Grant Enfinger’s win at Lime Rock Park, Chevrolet sits just two wins away from its milestone 300th all-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win.
· With seven-straight victories to start the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Chevrolet set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.
· In 172 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 74 victories – a winning percentage of 43%.
· Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.
· With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 888 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
TUNE-IN:
NASCAR Cup Series
Hollywood Casino 400
Sunday, Sept. 27, at 3 p.m. ET
USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Race to Stop Suicide 200
Saturday, Sept. 26, at 1 p.m. ET
FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
What makes Kansas Speedway a unique track and how does it differ from similar tracks of the same shape?
“I should just start with I don’t understand hot mixes of asphalt when they pave these racetracks. I don’t know enough to truly speak on this, but although Kansas is a mile-and-a-half and there are several other of those size and style tracks on our schedule, it is one of one. Really every one of them is unique because when they are paving these tracks, they’re pulling rock and dirt and all of the aggregates to put into the asphalt from that area and it’s thousands of miles away from each other. So a Charlotte mix for the asphalt is different than Kansas, which is different than Las Vegas. They all have their own trends and tendencies of how the tires react. Kansas has stayed very smooth. I’m amazed at how smooth it has stayed with the harsh winters. You would think that the ground would freeze and thaw and really move, but it doesn’t, and it has stayed incredibly smooth. Very rewarding when you win there.”
Do you enjoy going to a state like Kansas considering there is a lot of farm land?
“Kansas is big ag land to me. For a lot of people it’s a fly over state, but for me that is big ag. As a son of a farmer from Florida, seeing row crops of that vast size out there when we fly in and out and travel around, it’s really cool to see. It really feels like home, even though it’s a long way from Florida.”
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
“My first NASCAR Cup Series start was at Kansas Speedway, so it’s a special place to me and I’ll always remember that. We get to go to Kansas twice a year, and it’s a really fun mile-and-a-half. Kansas Speedway did a good job with their banking compared to some of the other tracks we go to. There’s a line right up by the fence that has a little extra grip. You can run from top to bottom at the track. Our goal as a team with the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Magnum Pheasant Chevrolet is to go out and learn as much as we can for 2027, and I think Kansas Speedway is a place where we can build some momentum.”
Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
You’re a first-time father—what has this experience been like for you, and what was it like watching Julia go through the birth of your son, Otto?
“Julia is a warrior! Watching her go through this experience gave me an even greater respect and admiration for mothers. I’m so proud of her, and we’re incredibly grateful to welcome Otto into our family. It’s a feeling that’s hard to put into words, and we’re simply enjoying every moment together.”
What are your thoughts heading into Kansas?
“I’m really proud to have WIMNA Nation on our No. 7 Chevrolet at Kansas. Women play such an important role in motorsports, and it’s important to recognize those contributions. Kansas has been a decent track for me. Hopefully, we can have a strong weekend and give the WIMNA Nation members something to celebrate.”
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
What are your thoughts on Kansas Speedway?
“Kansas is a cool track. It’s a mile-and-a-half racetrack that lends itself to two, three and even four-wide racing with progressive banking. You can race anywhere, high or low and set up moves where you slide up in front of a guy and mess up his air. Aerodynamics play a big role with how fast we’re entering the corners, so there’s a lot of reliance on aerodynamic grip. You’ve got to get out front in clean air to get to victory lane.
Kansas has turned into one of the best 1.5-mile tracks on our schedule. With the track aging and the progressive banking, you aren’t stuck in one line. Restarts are intense because everyone fans out, but once it settles in, you have to manage your tires and work the lines to find grip.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Are you looking forward to getting back to a mile-and-a-half track?
“I think it’s nice to go back to a mile-and-a-half racetrack. Hopefully, we’ve made some upgrades throughout the season to improve our speed and can show that this weekend. I felt like at the first race this season at Kansas, we had generally decent speed going into the race, but then we had a pit road accident (hit by another car) that kept us from really showing the speed of the car.”
What’s tricky about Kansas?
“You find yourself running the top there—the track kind of migrates to the top, and you’ve got to be good up around the fence. That’s always tricky, and qualifying can be as well.
I think it’s a racetrack where we’ve been at least fairly competitive in the past. With the things we’ve learned over the last few months at mile-and-a-half racetracks, hopefully we can go there, have a good effort, and keep trying to finish the season strong and end it on a good note. That gives us something to focus on going into next year. Kansas is always a fun racetrack, and it’ll be nice to get there and see what we’ve got.”
Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Describe what makes the racing action unique at Kansas Speedway.
“I personally like racing at Kansas, so hopefully we have a solid day in our Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet. I won there in the Truck Series, so I always have confidence going back. Then on the O’Reilly (Auto Parts Series) side, we have run well and had speed there even on off days. It’s a multi-groove racetrack that you can move around on – bottom, middle, top. You don’t have to run the fence to make speed, but it is something that you’ll probably need to do every now and again. It has a lot of unique characteristics with tire fall off while still being extremely fast, especially on fire off. The track is fast for a mile-and-a-half, and you have a lot of throttle time on fire off. You can also use the seams to your advantage to make the car drive a certain way. I like having that ability because that plays into my driving style.”
Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
“Kansas is a mile-and-a-half track that’s in great condition. No bumps, no wear, you can pretty much run that track from top to bottom. If you want to run the apron, you can run the apron. If you want to run the wall, you can run the wall, and you can run any combination of lanes in between. It’s really just a very good, solid, smooth, clean racetrack.”
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
What makes Kansas such a dynamic track?
“Kansas is such a well-balanced racetrack. It seems like it is really easy to get multiple lanes going early in the race. We see it in practice as well. The track gives you different lanes to run, where at the other 1.5-mile tracks, it can take a bit for those lanes to develop. Kansas is a track that has high intensity, but it always ramps up in the fall, especially this year with the Chase. The track has a lot of speed early in the weekend, but when the race comes around, you start to slide a lot which makes you search for grip throughout the day. We had a tough weekend in the spring, but our No. 71 group has stepped up our game at these intermediates (tracks), so we are looking to capitalize on it, especially over the next three races.”
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
What are your thoughts heading to Kansas?
“I’m looking forward to it. We led some laps last year, and we are improving at Kansas. We’ve been fast at the 1.5-mile tracks, but it seems like that is the one place we don’t have the results to really show it. I enjoy Kansas. You get to move around and run the top for a while, which I enjoy. The fall race tends to have more variation as it is either super-hot or it cools down, which changes the track quite a bit. I feel like it has put on quite a few good races, which is fun to be a part of.”
Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
How do you manage your frustration when you’ve been wronged on the racetrack?
“It’s tough at times. I think the best way to manage it is to just let yourself have time to cool off. The frustration immediately after certain events can really build up and I think you just have to kind of let yourself have 20 or 30 minutes to yourself to think about it and cool off. As long as you do that, I feel like it’s usually relatively easy to manage your anger. But I guess there’s times where it’s not. You can be so frustrated at a guy that you feel like you have to go say something to him and that’s when stuff happens.”
What do you remember about your trip to Kansas Speedway earlier this season?
“We’re definitely doing things differently going back. Hopefully we can turn it around because we really struggled there earlier in the spring, and we need to have a better run than we did there last time. I’ve got a lot of faith in the changes we’re making and the things we’re doing differently and I hope that that translates to a better result on the track.”
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
One of your best oval finishes came last year at Kansas Speedway. Any particular reason you’ve done better there than other places?
“Yeah, last year we got a really good result. I guess because it was later in the year, we were coming back to that track for the second time, and we were just getting better and better. But earlier this year we really struggled there, so hopefully this weekend we are able to try some different things and with a 50-minute practice, I should be able to get a good feel for the car. We have the potential to run really well there, just need to execute.”
Heading into this final stretch of the season, what are some things you want to accomplish to continue to grow as a team and driver?
“We just need to get it turned around a bit. We’ve been pretty average the last month. We have been trying different stuff, which I guess is the reason, but obviously it hasn’t been working. So hopefully we can get everything pointed in the right direction and get started on next season and try to find some speed in our cars.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturer Championships:
Total (1949-2025): 44
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)
Most recent: 2025
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Driver Championships:
Total (1949-2025): 34
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)
Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2025
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
2026 STATISTICS:
Wins: 7
Poles: 6
Laps Led: 2,143
Top-Fives: 50
Top-10s: 100
Stage Wins: 19
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 888 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 772
Laps led to date: 258,877
Top-fives to date: 4,486
Top-10s to date: 9,251
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,222
Chevrolet: 888
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 855
Ford: 755
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 218
About General Motors
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GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.
