Kyle Larson was victorious last week at Darlington, securing his passage into the Round of 12. 15 other drivers are vying for their own longevity today at Kansas.
Here’s what to look for:
–Christopher Bell took the Pole last week at Darlington, and he’s got another one here at Kansas. He was one of the highest scoring drivers in 2023 at Kansas (you’ll see the other in a second..), though his average doesn’t support that too much. In seven starts, he’s got four Top 10s, but has yet to find the Winner’s Circle.
–Bubba Wallace had a great finish last year, a big Win after leading 58 laps. It was the first time he captured the flag in a full length race (he had a rain-shortened victory at Talladega previously) and a definitive statement. This year, he made the Playoffs for the first time, returning to a track where he was better than the rest just one year ago. This past Spring he finished 4th at Kansas. Can Bubba get ‘er done today and move onto the Round of 12?
–Denny Hamlin was the winner of that previously mentioned Spring race, and he’s had some wild success here. Over the last eight races, Hamlin has 3 Wins, and has six finishes of 5th or better. The Toyotas seem to have “it” here (see above), and the #11 will once again be in the hunt. He rolls off 14th today.
–Kyle Larson won last week at Darlington, and will start 2nd today. He’s got the league best (tied with Hamlin) 7.1 average finish over the last ten races (eight starts), and will be looking to keep the winning streak intact.
-His teammate, Chase Elliott, actually has more points earned here than any other drivers over the last ten races. He’s kind of fallen off the radar a little bit after missing the Playoffs, but has nine finishes of 12th or better over the last ten Kansas races, and a trophy from the 2018 race.
Coverage of the race starts on USA at 3:00pm, green flag scheduled for 3:20pm.
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