2026 Advent Health 400 (Kansas) Race Recap

By Adam Carabine

It was a dominant day on the track for Denny Hamlin, but some major late-race drama (including a crazy final caution) led to Tyler Reddick earning his 5^th win of the season! 

Let’s have a look at how it all shook down!

Lap 1: Pole-sitter Tyler Reddick takes the green flag alongside Denny Hamlin.  As they fight back and forth all lap long, it’s a drag race back to the start-finish line.  Hamlin edges out in front and takes the lead.

Lap 20: Austin Cindric has worked his way forward quite a bit, already up 15 spots to P20.  Christopher Bell has some big debris on his front grille, and his team is worried about it.  He faded back early but is trying to claw his way back forward.

Lap 25: Hamlin’s lead is up to 1.5s over Reddick, though Reddick says over the radio that he’s focused on managing tires, rather than chasing at this point.

Lap 27: Hamlin laps Cody Ware, putting him as the first car a lap down.

Lap 29:  Connor Zilisch now goes a lap down too.

Lap 33:  Pit stops start under green.  Lap 40 would be halfway through this stage, but some teams try to short-pit.

Lap 37:  P3 Kyle Larson comes to pit road, the first of the leaders.

Lap 39:  Hamlin pits from the lead.  Meanwhile on pit road, Ryan Blaney gets into AJ Allmendinger, spinning him around and forcing him to pit backwards in his box. 

Lap 40: The cycle essentially finishes, and Hamlin retakes the lead from Carson Hocevar, who stayed out longer. 

Lap 54: Hamlin passes Kyle Busch to put him a lap down.  Despite some big talk earlier, Busch lets him by with no incident.

Lap 69: Kyle Busch reports tire issues, is not sure whether he can make it to the end of the stage on his tires.

Lap 79:  One lap left in the stage, there’s a big battle for the lucky dog position. 

Lap 80:  Denny Hamlin wins Stage One.  Gilliland somehow got by Hamlin at the last second and got his lap back – Stenhouse becomes the Lucky Dog. 

Lap 85: Pits open, Hamlin wins the race off pit road.

Lap 86: Blaney comes back down pit road again for more repairs on a broken splitter from the Allmendinger incident earlier.  They incur a penalty for too many men over the wall, but they did it on purpose knowing they’d be in the back anyway.

Lap 89: Stage Two is Green, with Hamlin the control car over Kyle Larson beside him.

Lap 90: Both Larson and Chase Elliott pass Hamlin shortly after the restart, Reddick even tries but doesn’t get past him.  Larson is the new leader.

Lap 96:  Tyler Reddick now passes Chase Elliott and gets P2.

Lap 97:  Hamlin passes Elliott now for P3, as Elliott is fading. 

Lap 120: Ty Gibbs is the first taker on pit road, starting the green flag pit cycle.

Lap 121:  Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell now pit, it has begun.

Lap 124:  Leaders Larson, Reddick and Hamlin all come to pit road.  Slow stop for Reddick, he comes out P3.  He reported some contact with the wall in Turn One.

Lap 129: Elliott made some good work during the pit cycle, he’s now up to P2.  Larson still leads.

Lap 165: Larson holds on and wins Stage Two.  Daniel Suarez gets the free pass.

Lap 170: Pits open, Hamlin wins the race off pit road.  Bell gains three spots, Larson in 3^rd. 

Lap 174: Final Stage is Green – Hamlin and Bell on the front row.

Lap 175: Christopher Bell quickly gets the lead from Denny Hamlin.

Lap 209:  Tyler Reddick gets by Hamlin for P2.

Lap 216:  Trying to get the jump on the field, Hamlin and Chase Briscoe hit pit road a little earlier.

Lap 220: Reddick pits ahead of leader Christopher Bell.

Lap 221:  Bell reacts and pits a lap later.

Lap 222:  Reddick gets out ahead of Bell, but they’re both still behind Hamlin, who short-pitted.

Lap 223:  Daniel Suarez is leading, still awaiting a pit stop.  Initially the plan seemed to be to stay out a little while longer, but he has a tire going down, so he limps to pit road, and Hamlin retakes the lead.  Cycle complete.

Lap 239:  Hamlin’s lead over Reddick is now 3 seconds.

Lap 255: Hamlin’s tires are starting to really fall off.  Reddick has gained a bunch of time, and is now only 0.5 seconds behind Hamlin.

Lap 257:  Now Reddick is on Hamlin’s bumper.

Lap 258: Reddick takes the lead, in rather easy fashion.

Lap 261: Reddick’s pace is slowing, is Hamlin going to come back and catch him?

Lap 262:  Going a lap down, Austin Dillon gives a little trouble to both Hamlin and Reddick as they try to pass him.

Lap 265: Reddick runs out of FUEL! Hit’s the reserve switch to get a little extra but it costs him the lead.  Hamlin back out front! 3 to go!

Lap 266: Just ahead of the White Flag, Cody Ware spins on his own, bringing out a Caution.  We’re going to Overtime!

Lap 268:  Pits open, both Hamlin and Reddick take two tires (and obviously some fuel for Reddick). 

Lap 272:  Green flag on OT Attempt One.

Lap 273:  Larson goes three-wide and takes the lead! However, somehow Tyler Reddick gets a huge run from 4^th place, and comes charging back and takes the lead from Larson.

Lap 274:  Reddick WINS.  This is his 5^th win this season, and does it in dramatic fashion!

Next weekend we visit Talladega!