AdventHealth 400 could be heavyweight bout between Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin

No two NASCAR Cup Series drivers have been as good at Kansas Speedway in recent years than Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin.

The two future Hall of Famers often find themselves at the front of the field regardless of racetrack, but they are two of the best at finding their way around the 1.5-mile oval that the stars of the Cup Series will traverse on Sunday afternoon. 

In fact, Larson has led the most laps (761) at Kansas since 2021, while Hamlin has led the second-most (337). Larson has three victories over the last nine Kansas races while Hamlin has one; each driver also has eight top-10 finishes at the venue in that span.

Their most notable race at Kansas came in the spring of 2023, where a controversial bump from Hamlin to Larson on the final lap saw Hamlin scoot away and score the win.

Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin could compete for win at Kansas

That's not to say it's a guarantee that either Larson or Hamlin will win on Sunday. Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick and Ross Chastain have all won during the pair's dominant nine-race sample size at the track. 

But Larson and Hamlin are the odds-on favorites for a reason. 

In addition to their stellar bodies of work at Kansas, both Larson and Hamlin also have momentum on their side going into the ninth race of the 2026 season on Sunday afternoon. Hamlin, the winner at Las Vegas on March 15, finds himself third in the Cup Series standings, while Larson, the defending series champion, is sixth. Larson enters Sunday on a 32-race winless streak, having last gotten to victory lane at Kansas in May 2025. 

At the very least, Larson and Hamlin will likely run inside the top 10 for much of Sunday's race and should both lead some laps. But it wouldn't at all be surprising if Larson's No. 5 Chevrolet and Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota are duking it out in the closing laps for the checkered flag.