When a year passes, sometimes the memory of one year ago can quickly fade as the present moment takes precedent in the collective conscious of racers and race fans. But what happened one year ago at Kansas Speedway is set to live forever in the memories of those who saw it and the imaginations of future generations to come.

Last May, Kansas Speedway played host to the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history, when Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher crossed the finish line side by side and separated by just 0.001 -- a margin so scant that timing and scoring initially had Buescher as the winner, only for photo review to show that Larson was ahead by a fraction of a nose at the finish line. It was a monumental moment in NASCAR history, as it broke a record that had stood for 21 years after Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch's duel at Darlington ended in a 0.002 margin of victory. And it also gives this year's AdventHealth 400 an extremely tough act to follow.

The Cup Series rolls into Kansas Speedway for the first of two trips this season, just as Team Penske has been on a roll over the past two weeks. Austin Cindric won at Talladega and Joey Logano won at Texas, putting the three-time and defending Cup champion back on the playoff grid.

Where to watch the NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas

Starting lineup

In a virtual carbon copy of last year's photo finish, Kyle Larson snatched the pole for the AdventHealth 400 from Chris Buescher at the last second, putting Larson at the front of the field and Buescher second on the front row. Larson ran a lap of 29.391 (183.730 MPH), giving him his first pole of the 2025 season.

Storyline to watch

Ross Chastain enters this weekend as the most recent winner at Kansas, having taken the checkered flag there last fall, and also after a season-best second place finish last weekend at Texas. Chastain has consistently run well at Kansas, as he has two top fives and four top 10s in six races there since joining Trackhouse Racing in 2022. But despite all of that, all is not necessarily well at Trackhouse.

While Chastain currently sits 11th in points with two top fives and six top 10s, much of that has been a credit to the ability of Chastain and his team to manage races and gain track position gradually throughout the day. Trackhouse has lacked raw speed in their cars, which has shown up in habitually poor qualifying results -- such as last week at Texas, where Chastain had to come all the way from outside the top 30 for the third week in a row.

Speaking at a media event in Nashville, Chastain was candid and honest about Trackhouse's issues laying down fast laps in qualifying and how their issues on Saturdays have served as a setback to overcome on Sundays.

"We don't have answers. We have a lot of questions, and that's the problem is we can't solve it yet. We're trying. We will, I believe it. I truly believe that we will get back to our good qualifying, putting it on the pole, putting it in the top 10. I mean, right now we're just trying to get in the twenties and just start midpack. I just want to see the second pace car when I'm rolling off the grid - I can't even see that guy.

"I don't know the answer, I don't know what to do to fix it, but we're having those conversations. And we're trying, we're changing things. We're a competitive group and we're not happy with Saturday."

The qualifying performance of Trackhouse Racing -- which expanded from two to three full-time cars this season -- is a far cry from where they were one year ago. Chastain sat on the outside pole for the AdventHealth 400 last May, leading 43 laps before eventually fading to 19th. Qualifying on Saturday offered some hope that the program is taking a step in the right direction, as Daniel Suarez was able to put a Trackhouse car in the top 10 in eighth.

NASCAR news of the week

Pick to win

Denny Hamlin (+850) -- Hamlin's resume at Kansas speaks for itself, as he has four career wins there -- three of which have come since 2019 -- with seven consecutive top 10s dating back to fall 2021. That streak had been six-straight top fives, but it was broken when Hamlin finished eighth at Kansas this past fall.

Hamlin also led one lap in the last race at Kansas, preserving a streak where he has led laps in the last four Kansas races. Hamlin also led 34 laps on his way to winning in spring 2023, 63 before finishing second in the fall of 2023, and 71 a year ago before finishing fifth.

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