Overview

• On the final lap at Kansas, Denny Hamlin dove inside Bubba Wallace in Turn 3, Wallace hit the wall, and Chase Elliott slipped by to win.
• Elliott’s victory locked him into the Round of 8, Hamlin sits 48 points above the cutline, and Wallace is 26 points below entering the ROVAL elimination race.
• Hamlin led a race-high 159 laps and swept both stages before late issues including power steering trouble and a pit-road jack problem cost track position.
• Hamlin said on his podcast he will not apologize and that on Sundays he races as the No. 11 driver for Joe Gibbs Racing rather than as 23XI’s co-owner.
• Wallace criticized the move and gestured his frustration, while 23XI spotter Freddie Kraft voiced disappointment and broadcaster Steve Letarte defended Hamlin’s driver-first approach.