Recent NASCAR Cup Series races have become hot topics in the garage due to their dropping viewership and fan interest. Like the Bristol Night Race, for example, drew only 1.29 million viewers in 2025, which was down from 1.88 million viewers in 2024. Races like Watkins Glen and Iowa also scored low in fan polls, with Bristol getting just a ~20 percent “yes” rating in past surveys. This slide has had everyone talking about ways to boost engagement.

But the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway shifted the trend, refreshing fans with its blend of drama, thrill, wrecks, and key incidents. Standout moments included the crash between Joey Logano and Austin Cindric and Zane Smith’s car flipping after a sideway hit into the wall, the first of its kind in Kansas Speedway’s history. Chase Elliott grabbed a dramatic overtime sneaky win while Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace were fighting up front on the final lap. All these were enough factors to make Hollywood Casino a lit race, enough to even impress Elliott haters.

And this reflected in the ratings, too. The Kansas race soared to a 91.1 percent “yes” rating in Jeff Gluck‘s poll, marking it as one of the top events in the 2025 season. Gluck shared the results on X, highlighting how it stood strong enough to earn broad praise. This high mark came from a complete package of action, including 20 lead changes and nine cautions that kept things unpredictable from start to finish.

Was Kansas a good race?

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) September 29, 2025

Other hit reasons included Shane van Gisbergen earning his first Cup Series top-10 oval finish at 10th, a huge milestone for the road course specialist. Ross Chastain, too, joined him with the same feat. Zane Smith’s insane flip added to the uniqueness. “Violent, no doubt, but a really fast SpeedyCash Ford…Never flipped a stock car, so add that to the resume,” he said after retiring early.

Even those not rooting for Elliott had to acknowledge the race’s appeal, as the poll’s strong approval crossed fan lines, with the overtime chaos drawing universal nods. Chase Elliott captured the excitement, saying, “What a crazy finish. Hope you all enjoyed that. I certainly did,” reflecting on the intense battle that advanced him in the playoffs.

Denny Hamlin, who lost the lead in the end, added, “Man, I wanted it for my dad. I wanted it for everybody. Just wanted it a little too hard,” showing the emotional stakes after leading 159 laps. Bubba Wallace, who rallied from a tough start, remarked, “To even have a shot at the win with the way we started, you could have fooled me,” underscoring the competitive passes that defined the day.

This race, built on Kansas‘s reputation, opened in 2001 as a 1.5-mile tri-oval known for high speeds and delivered in a season needing highlights after mixed reviews elsewhere. Fans echoed this enthusiasm in their own ways. Their comments reveal just how much the race resonated across the community.

How fans saw the Kansas action

One fan summed it up perfectly: “Of course it was! It had everything. Drama, stupidity, an unlikely winner, a middle finger.” This reaction highlights the race’s chaotic elements, like the questionable strategy calls that led to wrecks and Elliott’s surprise overtime surge, making him the unlikely winner, taking over Hamlin on the final lap. And reportedly, Bubba Wallace‘s middle finger was shown towards Denny Hamlin during the last lap incident.

Despite personal letdowns, many stayed positive. “Yes. The ending absolutely crushed my soul, but yes,” another shared. For supporters of Hamlin or others who led but fell short, the final laps stung, much like the heartbreak in the 2021 Kansas race, where strategy flips turned winners into also-rans, yet the overall 273 laps of action made it worthwhile.

“The ending boosted it up much. I’d say it still was a good race, just not insanely good (if you exclude the end.) But I’m voting yes definitely, no matter the finish.” The mid-race battles, such as the second stage with Christopher Bell leading before restarts, shook things up, built a solid foundation, similar to how the 2023 fall Kansas race saw consistent competition before a strong close.

Comparing it to the year’s highlights, one enthusiast declared, “YES! Second best race of the season (I’m very partial to the Coke 600). It was probably one of the top five playoff era races with that finish.” The Coke 600 earlier scored high in polls, but Kansas’s overtime drama places it among elites like the 2018 Charlotte Roval, where playoff implications amplified every move.

Finally, breaking from habit, a fan admitted, “I usually vote No on the Chase Elliott wins to balance out those who only vote yes with Elliott wins, but I had to vote yes for yesterday’s win.” This shows the race’s quality overcame biases, as Elliott’s performance, advancing him to the Round of 8, echoed his 2020 title run, where even rivals respected the skill on display.