Kansas Speedway has a knack for delivering NASCAR moments fans never forget. Just take last year’s spring finale at the track. A 0.001-second margin! Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher really gave us something NASCAR has never seen before! And if we see how Kyle Larson won it, most fans would instantly be in awe of his talent. As the race entered overtime, Larson was actually in third place. With Buescher holding the lead in the final lap, Larson’s fate looked sealed until a desperate dash on the outside propelled the #5 car forward.

Clearly, it’s a track where the fastest car doesn’t always win and where strategy, nerves, and a little luck can flip the script in an instant. Heading into this year’s race, expectations soared-especially with Larson’s recent hot streak and the memory of his past Kansas heroics still fresh.

But while the stat sheet shows Kyle Larson sweeping the pole, both stages, and the checkered flag in dominant fashion, not everyone in the NASCAR world saw it as a runaway. Dale Jr., never one to sugarcoat, offered a reality check that cut through the hype.

Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway saw Kyle Larson add another chapter to his growing legacy. The driver claimed his third win of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season and his third career victory at Kansas. Starting from the pole, Larson swept both stages and led a staggering 221 of 267 laps. The win also marked his 32nd career Cup victory, tying him with Dale Jarrett for 29th on the all-time list. But while the box score paints a picture of total domination, the race itself was anything but straightforward.

Dale Jr. was quick to challenge the narrative forming on social media and within the NASCAR community. “I see people on social media and even people in our industry talking about an a– whooping. I didn’t see it that way,” Dale Jr. explained. At key points, Larson and his team had to fight to regain control. On Lap 122, Larson’s lead was at roughly 4 seconds, but in the 40 laps that followed, Elliott carved it down to less than a second, even fighting for the Stage 2 win!

After Chase Elliott grabbed the lead at the start of Stage 3, he began to pull away. With a 1.3-second gap to #9 of Elliott, Larson looked like he was fading, and Brad Keselowski surged forward. He passed Larson and briefly took the fight to Elliott. He reduced the gap between him and Elliott from over two seconds to just 0.913 seconds before his race-ending tire failure on lap 195. “There were some points in the race where particularly Chase Elliott took control of the race, and I know Brad drove up passed him,” Dale Jr. explained.

Joey Logano also nearly cleared Larson on a restart, showing that the No. 5 team was under constant pressure and had to work hard to reclaim the top spot. In the closing laps, the race dynamic shifted again. Both Ryan Blaney and Josh Berry outpaced Larson by five to six seconds, with their late-race speed raising the possibility of a dramatic upset. Eventually, Christopher Bell finished second, just 0.712 seconds behind Larson. Similarly, Ryan Blaney finished third, 0.832 behind overall. These razor-thin margins underscored just how vulnerable Larson’s lead was in the final laps, despite his dominance for much of the race.

That’s why it wasn’t a surprise when Junior said, “In the final 15 laps of the race, Blaney and Josh Berry outpaced the five car by five to six seconds it was crazy how fast those two cars were at the finish. Hocevar had a flat with about three to go, that was a close call for everybody because if he brings that yellow out they don’t want to do that. The race was entertaining because it to me it wasn’t clear that Larson was just going to win easily and there were in the final stages a lot of restarts and opportunities for other people to try to take advantage of that.

Larson’s dominance has created some monotonous races. We’re looking at over 800 laps led in the last two Bristol races alone. Given that he won six races last season, it’s no surprise Junior is happy someone is challenging the Hendrick Motorsports dominance. But were other drivers doing well or was the #5 struggling? Here’s what Yung Money thinks. “I was trying really hard to pace myself, because I believe that was our longest run of the day. I’d been struggling a little bit at the end of the runs. I don’t know if it was paying off or not at the end. I was still struggling. I don’t know if the right front was starting to wear a lot or what, but I was starting to lose a lot of grip, and then I was vibrating really bad, so I was afraid a right rear or something would let go.” 

And while Chase Elliott may have lost out on a strong finish due to pit stop troubles, HMS knows it was a strong showing for the team. Chad Knaus went on to say, “They unloaded, they were good. Chase had very favorable comments about the race car straight out of the gate, which was really nice. I know that Alan and Chase are digging in deep and working extremely hard with their team to try to make sure that they do that on a weekly basis, because when they do, they execute very well.” 

Whether it was Larson’s struggles, Elliott’s skill, or Keselowski’s overtakes, there’s one thing the NASCAR community agrees on, and it’s that the Advent Health 400 was a good race.

Fans and NASCAR legends agree with Dale Jr.

Contrary to the notion that Kyle Larson’s win at Kansas was a foregone conclusion, fans and NASCAR insiders widely praised the race for its action and unpredictability. Jeff Gluck’s influential post-race poll on X asked fans, “Was Kansas a good race?” Out of over 22,000 votes, 58.5% said yes, reflecting a clear majority who enjoyed the show. The comment section was filled with positive takes.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin summed up the sentiment, saying, “It was a good race. You could line them up tomorrow and get a completely different looking race.” This highlights Kansas Speedway’s reputation for unpredictability and the ever-changing nature of competition at the track. Other legends like Richard Petty also weighed in positively. Petty remarked, “Overall, yes. Because there was always that chance of the second-place car catching the first-place car.”

The praise extended beyond just fans and legends. YouTube commentators and race analysts noted the strategic battles and the ability for drivers to move through the field. Even though Larson led the most laps, the constant threat from drivers like Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and Josh Berry kept the outcome in doubt. The race also saw tire gambles, late cautions, and dramatic restarts, all contributing to the excitement.

In the end, while some saw a dominant performance, a significant portion of the NASCAR community found Kansas to be a compelling and dynamic event. With such a split in perception, the question remains. What truly makes a great NASCAR race? Lead changes at the front? Or the drama and unpredictability that unfolds throughout the field?

Whatever the case may be, the Kansas race was an entertaining one for sure. If you manage to look past the lap count and leaderboard, what you’ll find is a race that had fans holding their breath until the very end. It wasn’t just about who led the most laps. It was about who could’ve taken it all away. And that, as Dale Jr. and the rest of the garage will tell you, is what keeps NASCAR alive.