A thrilling repeat of their past rivalry, Kyle Larson secured the pole position at Kansas Speedway by narrowly edging out Chris Buescher in NASCAR Cup Series qualifying. The two drivers, who famously battled to a photo finish at the same track during the 2024 AdventHealth 400—where Larson triumphed by just 0.001 seconds—once again found themselves in a tight contest. This time, the margin was slightly wider but still razor-thin, with Larson clocking a lap of 29.391 seconds at 183.730 mph, just 0.057 seconds faster than Buescher.
Larson, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, was the last driver to take to the track in the qualifying session. He managed to top Buescher’s time in a dramatic late effort, earning his first pole of the 2025 season and the 22nd of his career in the Cup Series. Larson acknowledged the eerie similarities to their previous Kansas duel, calling it “pretty ironic” that Buescher was once again the one he had to beat in such a close finish.
Despite the narrow defeat, Buescher had reason to feel optimistic. The RFK Racing driver delivered his best qualifying performance of the season and will start on the front row. Behind the top two, Christopher Bell—who had claimed the last three poles at Kansas—qualified third, followed by Tyler Reddick in fourth and Joey Logano in fifth.
This latest chapter in the Larson-Buescher saga has added to the excitement heading into the race, with fans eager to see whether their on-track rivalry will produce yet another unforgettable finish.
