Bubba Wallace beats the boss and quiets his critics in with win at Kansas Speedway

Someone needs to remind the NASCAR Cup playoff drivers that the postseason has begun.

For the second time in as many weeks, a non-playoff driver won a NASCAR Cup playoff race as Bubba Wallace outraced his team owner, Denny Hamlin, and won the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday.

Wallace, in the same No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota that Kurt Busch drove to victory last spring at Kansas before being sidelined with a concussion, led 58 laps in winning his second career start.

“It’s cool to beat the boss,” said Wallace, the only Black driver in NASCAR’s top series and first Black driver to win more than one Cup race. “But we were lights out once we got the lead.”

A week ago, Erik Jones stunned the playoff field in the opening round of the playoffs at Darlington by becoming the first non-playoff driver to win the opening playoff race, so Wallace’s win will put many of the 16 playoff-eligible drivers in must-win situations on Saturday night at Bristol — the final race in the Round of 16 — when four drivers will be eliminated.

Wallace, 29, took the lead from Daniel Suarez with 43 laps to go and would not budge as Hamlin, a three-time winner at Kansas, kept shaving fractions of a second off the lead but could not overtake Wallace, the 18th different winner in 28 Cup races this season, who won by 1 second.

Hamlin, in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was followed by teammate Christopher Bell in the No. 20 Toyota, who became the only driver to clinch a spot in the Round of 12 based on points.

Wallace, whose only previous win in 176 career starts came at Talladega in a rain-shortened race in 2021, hoped to silence some of the critics who have questioned his ability.

“Shut the hell up, for a lot of people,” said Wallace, who joined the team founded by Hamlin and basketball legend Michael Jordan in 2021.

“I’m thankful for this opportunity. I took this jump from an idea two years ago in a text from Denny. The pit crew was awesome. We had a loose wheel … just thankful.”

Wallace kept Hamlin in his rear-view mirror during the final and harrowing 52 laps but was determined to keep the 45 in Victory Lane and in contention for the owners’ points championship.

“I knew Denny was going to be strong,” said Wallace, who opened the season in the No. 23 but slid into the 45 after Busch was injured, opening the No. 23 for Ty Gibbs. “He wasn’t that good at the beginning of the day, and he comes up and finishes second, and that’s what I want to start doing. If we don’t have our best days, capitalize on that.”

Hamlin, whose first half of the race was sabotaged by a pit-road penalty when his gas man got into the way of Tyler Reddick, who was trying to exit pit road, did not have any misgivings in trying to run down Wallace.

“I nearly wrecked trying to catch him,” said Hamlin. “I got loose and nearly hit the fence, but I was driving as hard as I could. Nothing will ever come free. If you think I’m going to let you win, you better get another job.

“It was a good overall day. I’m still frustrated about the first half of the race. I’m really happy for Bubba and the 45 team. Bubba’s really worked hard on his craft, and we’ve given him fast cars, and now he’s showing what he’s got.”

Wallace, who was 10th last May at Kansas Speedway, became the fourth non-playoff driver to win a postseason race at Kansas since playoffs were instituted in 2004. Joe Nemechek (2004), Tony Stewart (2006) and Greg Biffle (2007) won the fall races at Kansas.

Sunday’s race, on a sunny, 75-degree day, saw several playoff drivers, including Kevin Harvick, Reddick and Kyle Busch, encounter issues either on pit road, with tires or in collisions.

Harvick, a three-time winner at Kansas, hit the wall on lap 33 after crossing paths with Wallace and sustained too much damage to the right side of his No. 4 Ford to continue, resulting in a last-place finish. Harvick, already a tenuous 16th in the playoff standings after his car caught fire and he finished 33rd last week at Darlington, will have to win next week at Bristol.

Reddick, meanwhile, finished 35th after leaving the track on the 67th lap when his left-rear tire blew. He bounced along the wall, rendering his No. 8 Chevrolet unable to continue.

Kyle Busch, whose No. 18 Toyota team was penalized for a loose tire on pit road, was sent to the rear of the pack on lap 119; and after he worked his way back into contention, lost control 18 laps later and slid into the infield grass.

Busch fell off the lead lap to 30th and spent the rest of the race trying to catch up. He finished 26th.