Denny Hamlin jokingly discusses the start-finish line at Kansas Speedway.
During the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, history was made. Hendrick Motorsports’ driver narrowly defeated RFK Racing’s competitor with a margin of just 0.001 seconds in a fiercely competitive final lap. This was the closest finish in NASCAR history and is unlikely to be matched again unless there is a tie.
However, the finish was not without controversy. Initially, it was believed that Chris Buescher had won the race and the No. 17 crew began celebrating. However, upon review, it was determined that Kyle Larson was actually the winner. RFK Racing protested the result, citing the poor condition of the finish line, which was not even straight. NASCAR resolved the confusion by revealing that the winner was determined using a special camera set up at the finish line.
During his podcast, Joe Gibbs Racing’s driver expressed his opinion on the crooked line. He criticized the fact that the line was not painted straight and believed it was a poor representation of the sport. He compared it to a line drawn by a child and argued that it should have received more attention.
The JGR driver was in contention for the race win alongside his teammate during the final laps at Kansas. However, the race was extended due to a caution, leading to an overtime restart. Kyle Larson made a strategic move, taking the lower lane and squeezing Hamlin in the middle to challenge Buescher. This maneuver resulted in Hamlin finishing in fifth place.
While the crooked finish line may have made the ending of the race seem unusual, it does not change the fact that this race will go down in history. The drama surrounding the finish line will likely fade away as Larson’s victory becomes iconic, overshadowing the controversy.