Sprint Cup Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas: Preview and prediction
By Ted Fleming
Things are beginning to get serious in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship as it moves to Kansas Speedway for the middle event in round two.
Martin Truex Jr. was the dominant performer in the first round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, but old six-time, Jimmie Johnson, showed that he is serious about adding a seventh championship trophy to his mantle by winning the opening event of round two.
Johnson is looking to unseat reigning title holder Kyle Busch, and regardless what happens in this weekend’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas or next week at Talladega, he will be part of the Elite Eight who will do battle over the final four races. Under the current elimination Chase format, Johnson has never advanced past this round.
“Heading into Kansas, the win in Charlotte certainly opens up the possibility for whatever opportunities may present themselves,” he said. “We can go there to race and to win without pressure. The win at Charlotte also allows me go to Talladega and not worry about anything, which is fantastic. I can just get up in the race and mix it up, and race hard. We’ve also been very competitive at Texas, Martinsville, so good things ahead for us.”
Joey Logano has visited Victory Lane at Kansas Speedway each of the last two years after successfully defending his win in the fall race last October.
While the average race speeds, generally around 145 mph, are generally lower than qualifying, it is must-see TV Friday evening when Kevin Harvick’s record could be in jeopardy, as temperatures will be in the mid-60s under cloudy conditions. He is coming off a second in the spring race after starting 26th.
“The repave is definitely what changed and turned things around for us at Kansas,” he said. “Really, I liked the race track the way that it was before with the asphalt really worn out and cars sliding all over. But once the repave happened, we were able to really hit on some things, and for whatever reason kind of fits my driving style, and we have got some good results out of it. It has been a really good performing race track for us and one that we look forward to going to, and hopefully continue to get good results out of it because it’s been so good for us in the past.”
There are four drivers who know Kansas extraordinarily well because they have run every Sprint Cup race at the track that opened in 2001: Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman. Only Newman did not make the 2016 Chase, and the other three are still alive for the championship. Seven Chase drivers have won at Kansas previously: Jimmie Johnson (three times), Matt Kenseth (twice), Joey Logano (twice), Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski.
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NOTES:
Martin Truex Jr. will make his 400th career start in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. For his career, he owns seven wins, 47 top-five and 132 top-10 finishes.
“I am hoping that my 400th Cup start will be much better than my first one,” said Truex. “Can’t believe it’s gone by this fast, but I am sure enjoying every race, especially this season. It’s been awesome to be part of a great race team. The ideal scenario would be to win Kansas and not worry about Talladega. But if you don’t win Kansas, you want to finish high and have somewhat of a cushion (in points) for Talladega, where the odds of getting collected in a wreck are higher than we would all prefer.”
TRACK INFO:
Location – Kansas City, Kansas
Capacity: 74,000
Statistics – 1.5 mile paved D-shaped oval
Track Record: Kevin Harvick (197.773 mph)
CHASE BREAKDOWN:
Segment 1 – Chicagoland (COMPLETED), New Hampshire (COMPLETED), Dover (COMPLETED)
Segment 2 – Charlotte (COMPLETED), Kansas, Talladega
Segment 3 – Martinsville, Texas, Phoenix
Segment 4 – Homestand-Miami Speedway
PREDICTION:
Overlooking Kevin Harvick based on his recent outing at Kansas would be a mistake. He has posted three victories this season including a Chase win at Loudon. He has proven he can come from the back of the field, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to clinch his spot in the next round.
LONGSHOT:
After being eliminated from the Chase in Charlotte, Tony Stewart doesn’t want to go out as an also-ran. He has two wins at Kansas, although the last one came in 2009. However, with just six Cup races left in his career, he wants to post one last win before it all comes to a close.