Denny Hamlin wins NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas with last-lap pass

Denny Hamlin won a dramatic late-race battle with Kyle Larson and took Sunday’s 400-mile NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway.

Hamlin, who hadn’t won in almost a year, chased Larson for the lead over the closing miles, steadily cutting into the gap. He trailed by .30 of a second with 10 laps to go. Hamlin pulled side by side with Larson with five laps to go but couldn’t pass.

On the last lap, Hamlin nudged Larson’s car in the left rear, pushing Larson into the outside wall. Larson regained control of his car, but Hamlin pushed past and won the race.

“I got position on him there, was trying to side-draft him but clipped his left rear,” Hamlin told FS1. “Glad he was able to at least finish.”

Larson finished second and was followed by William Byron, Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain.

Chastain and Noah Gragson tangled post-race on pit road after a disagreement about contact between their cars late in the race. After a brief discussion, Gragson grabbed Chastain, and Chastain responded by punching Gragson in the face. They then were separated by NASCAR officials and others.

The win was the 49th of Hamlin’s career and his first since last May at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Larson, who was the race’s top lap-leader with 85, led 46 consecutive laps leading to the finish before Hamlin passed him on the final circuit. Hamlin led 34 laps total.

The race produced a record number of lead changes — 37 — but also a web of cautions. Restarts were particularly crowded and dangerous. The lead change total is the biggest in series history in a 400-mile race on a 1.5-mile track.

Ty Gibbs produced the race’s eighth caution when he made side-to-side contact with Martin Truex Jr. and slid off the track.

Joey Logano stayed on track during a