Kansas calamity: Playoff heartbreak over the years

Kansas Speedway, site of Sunday's second race in the Round of 16 for NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers, has broken a few hearts over the years. Here are some drivers who saw their playoff dreams dashed at the 1.5-mile facility.

Kyle Busch, 2013

Remember when Kyle Busch couldn't conquer Kansas? That's clearly not the case anymore, but a repave gave him fits for years. In 2013, he was involved in three different wrecks and finished 34th, dropping him 35 points out of the title race prior to the current format.

Jimmie Johnson, 2014

This was the first year of the elimination-style postseason, and Kansas opened the Round of 12. A wreck that involved Jimmie Johnson put the veteran 27 points behind the cutoff line after a 40th-place finish.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2014

That same 2014 race wasn't kind to Jimmie's Hendrick Motorsports teammate, either. Earnhardt Jr. led 45 laps here but blew a tire -- while in the lead -- and finished 39th, putting his title hopes on life support.

Chase Elliott, 2016

Elliott qualified for the playoffs in his first full-time Cup Series season and appeared to be a threat for a deep run. Kansas ended that chatter. Elliott passed Kevin Harvick for the lead with approximately 100 laps to go, but was forced to pit after a tire issue. Elliott drove his way back onto the lead lap when a second tire issue forced him to pit again, and he ultimately finished 31st.

Brad Keselowski, 2016

The Team Penske driver went from 25 points above the cutline to seven points below it after an on-track incident with Denny Hamlin sent Keselowski spinning into the grass. Keselowski would not overcome the deficit the next week and was eliminated from the postseason.

Matt Kenseth, 2017

Kenseth entered the day below the cutline, but had made up enough ground to be a threat to advance. An on-track scrape, followed by a pit-road penalty eliminated that thought.

Kyle Larson, 2017

Larson entered Kansas third in the standings and in the throes of a career year at the time, with four wins and title aspirations. No downed tire, no on-track incident ... just an engine that expired after 73 laps and ended his day. Larson could only watch helplessly from the garage as he dropped below the cutoff line.

Kurt Busch, 2020

Busch had advanced into the Round of 8 with a win at his hometown Las Vegas Speedway and had dreams of a sleeper title run. At Kansas, an expired engine after 193 of 267 laps put him in too deep a hole. Busch finished 38th and exited the Round of 8 opener 73 points under the elimination line. He could not recover.

Kevin Harvick, 2022

Kansas moved to the Round of 16 in 2022, but its reputation as a heartbreaker stayed intact. Kevin Harvick was the first to feel the sting this year. Harvick's No. 4 Ford was running in tight quarters behind the No. 1 Chevrolet of Ross Chastain and the No. 45 Toyota of Bubba Wallace in the opening stage. When Chastain and Wallace drifted up in front of his car at the exit of Turn 4, Harvick’s car broke loose and walloped the outside retaining wall. He could not continue and finished last place, setting up a must-win in the Round of 16 finale at Bristol.

Tyler Reddick, 2022

Reddick's early exit on this day was especially brutal for a number of reasons — namely the speed of his car. Reddick's No. 8 Chevrolet started on the Busch Light Pole, had topped practice earlier and had the best 10-lap averages during practice. And Reddick was leading when he smacked the outside retaining wall in Stage 1 when his right-rear tire went down.