Chase Elliott’s playoff picture, last week at New Hampshire, looked shaky. Sitting seventh in the standings, just 14 points above the cutline, one mistake or bad break could have derailed his season. But he steadied the ship, leading three laps and racking up 36 points, including four stage points, enough to secure his spot in the Round of 8. And, now that the time the Cup Series wrapped up in Kansas, the story had taken another turn.

Elliott started 4th in qualifying, showing speed from the start. Elliott carried both urgency and opportunity, and when the race came down to a double-overtime finish, he leaned into both. Starting fourth, he relied on instinct and timing to pull off the win.

Even with a big, crucial victory in the books, crew chief Alan Gustafson stressed that Kansas was a

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