Posted on by Reid Spencer

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Christopher Bell earned a second chance on Saturday.

For the second straight NASCAR Cup Series playoff race, Bell will start from the pole position after a blistering lap at 180.276 mph (29.954 seconds) in the final round of qualifying for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway (3 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

RELATED: Starting lineup | Weekend schedule

Bell beat last Sunday’s Darlington winner Kyle Larson (179.826 mph) by 0.075 seconds to win his fourth Busch Light Pole Award of the season, his second at Kansas and the eighth of his career.

After starting from the top spot in last Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500, Bell suffered a litany of issues — from a slow first pit stop to hard contact with the outside wall to a five-car wreck that collected his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota late in the race.

As a result of his 23rd-place finish in the Round of 16 opener, Bell came to Kansas 12th in the Cup standings, just one point ahead of Bubba Wallace in 13th. The pole position at the 1.5-mile speedway gives him a chance at redemption.

“That was a lot of fun,” Bell said. “Qualifying here is very intense. That’s certainly all we had. I felt very good in practice today in race trim. Week after week we come to the race track with cars that are capable of racing for wins. …

“(Winning the pole) definitely takes a little bit of pressure off. If you’ve got a fast car, you can just go out there and run your pace. Clean air feels a lot better than being back in the pack.”

Martin Truex Jr. qualified third at 178.767 mph, followed by Chase Elliott (178.648 mph) and Tyler Reddick (178.495 mph).

Bell knew a sub-30-second lap was a possibility after seeing Ross Chastain turn the fastest circuit of the day in the first round of time trials in 29.925 seconds (180.451 mph). Chastain was sixth fastest in the final round at 178.324 mph.

But how does a driver eliminate the sorts of mistakes that cost him dearly in the first playoff race?

“Controlling what you can control,” Bell said. “I don’t know how many people, but (there’s) a handful of people on the team that just have to control what they can control, and I’m a big part of that equation.

“So last week, I made a mistake early in the race that ruined our finish and, yeah, that was me not doing my job, and I’m glad I get another opportunity this week to try.”

Michael McDowell, the only Ford driver to make the final round, will start seventh, with Austin Dillon eighth.

William Byron was ninth fastest in the final round, posting a lap after his crew fixed a suspension issue that surfaced during Saturday’s practice.

Wallace will take the green flag from the 10th position.

Playoff driver Kyle Busch will start from the rear of the field for the second straight race after a flat tire sent him into the outside wall during practice, necessitating repairs to his No. 8 Chevrolet, which did not make a qualifying run.

Ty Gibbs suffered a similar fate during practice and will start from the rear in a backup car.

Playoff drivers starting outside the top 10 include: Joey Logano 11th, Brad Keselowski 12th, Chris Buescher 13th, Denny Hamlin 14th, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 16th, Ryan Blaney 17th and Kevin Harvick 20th.

Elliott and Dillon are the only drivers in the top 10 not competing for the drivers’ championship, though Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet is running for the owners’ title.

Playoff-eligible drivers swept the top three spots in qualifying and six of the top seven. Sunday’s 400-mile event is the second of three races in the Round of 16, the opening elimination portion of the 10-race playoffs.

Tyler Reddick tops Kansas practice

Playoff driver Tyler Reddick topped NASCAR Cup Series practice Saturday at Kansas Speedway.

Reddick drove the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota to the top of the single-lap speed chart with a clocking of 178.808 mph at the 1.5-mile Kansas City track. He was also fastest in the consecutive 10-lap average category.

MORE: Practice results | At-track photos: Kansas

William Byron posted the second-fastest lap with his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet before pulling to pit road with a broken suspension piece. His team was able to repair the car before qualifying, where he was among the five fastest in his group.

Bubba Wallace, the defending race winner and Reddick’s 23XI Racing teammate was third-fastest, with Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney rounding out the top five. Playoff drivers swept the first five positions on the practice leaderboard and seven of the top eight.

Kyle Busch also found trouble in the practice session, scraping the outside retaining wall in Turn 4 with his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. The car’s right-rear tire went flat, and he did not post a qualifying lap.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Reid Spencer

The opening race in the Round of 16 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs hardly could have gone worse for Michael McDowell.

After starting ninth, McDowell struggled with the handling on his No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford and faded as the race progressed. He failed to score points in either of the first two stages.

The coup de grace came when McDowell was collected in a five-car wreck late in the race and exited in 32nd place, earning just five points in the opener.

McDowell comes to the second Round of 16 race at Kansas Speedway 16th in the playoff standings, 19 points behind Christopher Bell in 12th, the cutoff position for the next round. That doesn’t mean, however, that McDowell is ready to take desperate measures.

RELATED: Cup standings | Kansas weekend schedule

“Obviously, Darlington didn’t go like we hoped it would go,” McDowell said. “Our goal was to go in there and not make any mistakes, and unfortunately we did and ended up crashing out there at the end. It’s not a panic ‘911,’ must-win, have to go extreme strategy or extreme aggression because there’s still room for other teams and other drivers to have some mistakes.

“But we definitely have to go out there and run top 10 to top five the next two weeks, if we don’t win to put ourselves in position. It’s definitely an uphill battle, but I don’t feel like we’re out of the game. I don’t feel like we’re out of the fight.

“We’ve had speed all year. It’s just putting it all together. We’ll probably need a little bit of misfortune from some other competitors. We’ve seen that in the first round before, particularly at Darlington and Kansas, so there’s a lot of opportunities to not get it right.”

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Ross Chastain’s return to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs got off to a rousing start one week ago at Darlington Raceway with a top-five finish. But the journey to that fifth-place result was, well, a journey in itself. All are part of the process at Trackhouse Racing.

Last year’s inaugural run through the Cup Series postseason produced plenty of learning moments for Chastain, crew chief Phil Surgen and the entire No. 1 Trackhouse team.

MORE: Full Kansas schedule | At-track photos

“The biggest thing that stands out is what I can control,” Chastain told NASCAR.com in a Thursday teleconference. “And last year, I could have controlled not crashing at the (Charlotte) Roval. It was a simple mental error. It was a lack of awareness and attention to my driving. And I got loose in Turn 2, the pit-out chute, and hit the wall and broke the right-rear suspension, and that could have very easily taken us out of transferring to the Round of 8. So that’s what stands out. You just can’t afford to have that.”

Of course, not only did the No. 1 Chevrolet advance through to the Round of 8 — he rode the Martinsville Speedway wall all the way into the Championship 4. These days, he’s more conscious of the positions in which he’s placing his car, capitalizing on opportunities in front of him but rarely overstepping.

“People are going to crash. We saw it at Darlington,” Chastain said. “I’m super proud that my car might have been the only playoff car without right-side damage. I had some left-rear (contact) from the 5 (Kyle Larson), but not not anything on the right side. Didn’t touch the wall all weekend.

“That’s not to say that Lap 1 of practice I couldn’t drive into Turn 1 and hit the wall at Kansas, OK? Like, I’m not getting too far ahead of myself at all. I’m not in Kansas yet, so I can’t control that. But I’m proud of that, because that’s something that I focused on for these 10 weeks is to minimize that and eliminate it as much as possible. There’s just no room for it.”

There’s also pride in the No. 1 team’s recovery from a rough start to last weekend’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, where he fell off the lead lap early but rallied to a fifth-place run — his first top five since his win at Nashville Superspeedway on June 25. That run positioned him 10th in the 16-driver playoff grid, currently 13 points above the provisional elimination line.

RELATED: Playoff standings

“We didn’t start the race or the weekend at Darlington how we wanted, but man, like just give us 500 miles of a Cup race and we’ll have a shot,” Chastain said. “And that’s what we had, right? Maybe if we had the Southern 600, we might have won it. But you know, we were just too far off to start and it just took too long to get up there, so we missed out on a lot of opportunities. But still proud — I mean, like, so pumped that we were able to do that, because it just doesn’t happen much anymore.”

The result was a product of trusting the processes Chastain and Surgen have built over their past three years together, Chastain said. The two began working in tandem in 2021 when Chastain took over the No. 42 Chevrolet at Chip Ganassi Racing. When Justin Marks purchased CGR’s shop and charters to transition them into the Trackhouse Racing fold, much of what was the No. 42 team became the modern-day No. 1 team.

The environment inside Trackhouse this year — with Chastain in the playoffs and teammate Daniel Suárez not — is admittedly different than it was a season ago when both teams qualified for the postseason.

“There’s no way around it. We know it,” Chastain said.

But Suárez showed strength at Darlington before a late-race dustup with Alex Bowman that eliminated both of them from contention, a sign of the shared mindset within the Concord, North Carolina, race shop.

“The 99 (Suárez) was just as fast at Darlington as they would have been if they weren’t in the playoffs,” Chastain said. “So I am totally confident that they’re going to continue to just help us and we’re going to help them. We’re still keeping our same processes. We’re still going about the business of bringing rocket ships to the race track, just like he was in the playoffs or if he’s not; if I am in the playoffs or I was not.”

Up next is Kansas Speedway, host of the Hollywood Casino 400 set for Sunday afternoon (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). Since the Next Gen car debuted in 2022, Chastain has finished seventh, seventh and fifth in three Kansas races.

Chastain noted the similarities between the 1.5-mile Kansas and 2-mile Michigan International Speedway — both smooth, both wide, D-shaped ovals. Chastain’s qualifying efforts at both tracks year: third at Kansas, second at Michigan.

“Kansas is just wide,” Chastain said. “Like really, my only policy for what lane I don’t run in Kansas is the lane somebody in front of me is in. I just go wherever they’re not. And that might be lower, that might be higher than I’m planning on, but the only rule I have is don’t follow them because there’s enough lanes to find my own. So through the corner when we’re all packed up, it’s really just about the car right in front of me and finding some clean air.”

For now, Chastain enters Kansas with another chance to chase the coveted NASCAR Cup Series Championship.

“I think we’ve got a shot,” Chastain said. “That’s all we asked for. We just asked for an opportunity.”

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Ben Rhodes battled an ill-handling truck all night and wound up 25th, two laps down at Kansas Speedway on Friday night. Matt DiBenedetto stormed to a third-place finish in the Kansas Lottery 200.

And yet the two Round of 10 contenders ended up on opposite sides of the elimination line as the first round of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs came to a close: Rhodes advanced to the Round of 8 by a scant five points, while DiBenedetto was ousted from the postseason grid along with Matt Crafton, who was 11 points shy of advancing.

MORE: Race results | At-track photos

Rhodes, the 2021 series champion, qualified sixth and was inside the top five early, but the handling quickly faded on his No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford before he slapped the outside SAFER barrier exiting Turn 4, hampering any chance of contending for a win.

Rhodes entered the night three points behind Nick Sanchez for the final transfer spot in the playoffs — and nine points behind teammate Crafton. But Crafton’s dismal night — a crash in practice forced him to start from the rear in a backup truck before further wall contact mid-race ended his hopes of a fourth championship — buoyed both Sanchez and Rhodes.

While Rhodes’ title hopes are alive and well, his smile and laughs through his post-race comments simply masked his disappointment.

“Realistically, I should be happy, but I said it before — the expectation’s to move on,” Rhodes said. “The expectation’s to be in the (Championship) 4. So meeting the expectation, I don’t think, is really a cause to celebrate. We’re just kind of moving to the next round. Celebrating is, I think, reserved for the championship or for a race win. Right now, we’re just heads down; we’ve got to keep grinding. Just because we made it, we can’t lose sight now.”

On the other end of the spectrum was DiBenedetto, whose third-place finish tied his season-best result. Rhodes’ points cushion was just enough to force DiBenedetto into a must-win situation heading into the final restart, which came with two laps to go.

DiBenedetto restarted as the fourth truck on the outside lane, choosing from the seventh position. He stormed to fourth as the front-runners jostled three-wide for the win ahead of him. He could clearly see the checkered flag ahead of him, but so too were trucks driven by Christian Eckes and Taylor Gray, keeping DiBenedetto from advancing to the Round of 8.

“I mean, I’m proud of the finish and the effort and the solid truck and the solid race, all the effort of my team,” DiBenedetto said. “Proud of that, but gosh, just have a lot of mixed emotions right now. Just stinks. I don’t want to look in the rear-view mirror too much, but it stinks we had our issue at Milwaukee because then we’d be in the next round, and I would’ve been like, ‘heck yeah, a strong third-place run going to Bristol.’ But what can I do? All we can do is just go try and win them now.”

DiBenedetto, who announced Aug. 30 he will not return to the No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet in 2024, said the problem at the Milwaukee Mile on Aug. 27 was a “little failure” that was found at the shop after the race that explained why they struggled en route to a 27th-place finish, two laps down.

“At least we understood why we were way off, but it stinks it happened because it set us back in points. And then we made back up a bunch of them tonight and got a third, but oh well.”

A free agent for next season, DiBenedetto admitted the past couple of years have been a “roller coaster,” one that saw him grind in the Cup Series with mid-to-back-of-the-pack organizations before an opportunity to drive the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford for two years before the team went another direction with driver Harrison Burton.

“I don’t know. I have a lot of mixed, odd emotions and stuff going through my head,” he said. “It’s been an interesting couple or few years in life. I’ve kind of gotten passed up on a lot of opportunities as far as when there’s a lot of seats open and people out, things like that. It’s just been a tough couple years in life and general, I would say.

“I’m very thankful here and where I’m at. It’s just been a roller coaster of emotions as far as just, I’ve had a lot of career change, life change and lots of things. But ultimately, I’m just grateful. I’ve got to be just grateful for getting to drive in circles for a living.”

For Rhodes and seven others, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs reset, with the opening slate of the Round of 8 set for Thursday night at Bristol Motor Speedway (9 ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Reid Spencer

KANSAS City, Kan. – Christian Eckes grabbed the lead on the final restart and stole a victory in Friday night’s Kansas Lottery 200, the Round of 10 elimination race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

In a three-wide battle for the lead against Corey Heim and Zane Smith, Eckes led only the final two laps to secure his third victory of the season, his first at Kansas Speedway and the fourth of his career.

RELATED: Race results | Weekend schedule

In a last-lap scramble that saw Smith get loose, turn sideways and fade to fifth, Taylor Gray finished second, 0.363 seconds behind Eckes. Matt DiBenedetto ran third in a valiant effort to earn a berth in the Round of 8.

But with Ben Rhodes finishing 25th after securing a total of 11 points in the first two stages, Rhodes claimed the final spot in the next round by five points over DiBenedetto.

DiBenedetto is out of his ride at the end of the year, too, having announced that he has decided not to return to the No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet next season. DiBenedetto added that he is looking for opportunities in all three of NASCAR’s national series.

Also eliminated from the playoffs was Matt Crafton, who had to go to a reserve truck after running over debris and wrecking in practice earlier in the day. Crafton’s No. 88 Ford slapped the wall on Lap 69 of Friday’s race, and after attempted repairs, he finished 33rd, nine laps down and 11 points out of the Round of 8.

Christian Eckes lays down a burnout on the start/finish line at Kansas Speedway
Kyle Rivas | Getty Images

Heim, who finished fourth, had the lead when the trucks of Rajah Caruth and Tanner Gray collided on the frontstretch on Lap 127 to cause the fifth and final caution.

“That was wild,” Eckes said after climbing from his truck. “I didn’t know if I was going to win it or not. We had, like, a sixth-place truck all day, but when that caution came out, I knew we had a shot at it, and here we are.

“We haven’t won in a real long time — so I wanted to set a tone. Went all the way to the Round of 10 — second, third, first (in the first three playoff races). So can’t beat that. Proud of all these guys.”

MORE: At-track photos: Kansas

DiBenedetto would have advanced with a victory but came up two positions short.

“Honestly, this team fought so hard, worked their tail off to give me a good-looking truck and a good-handling truck all night,” DiBenedetto said. “So, man, we made the most of it, for sure. Just so thankful for these guys and (sponsor) Rackley Roofing.”

Carson Hocevar came home sixth, followed by Stewart Friesen and Nick Sanchez, who took the lead from pole winner Chase Purdy and won the first 30-lap stage wire-to-wire. Hocevar edged Sanches for the Stage 2 win.

Seventeenth-place finisher Grant Enfinger and 18th-place Ty Majeski already had earned spots in the Round of 8 with victories in the first two Playoff races, and Eckes and Heim already were in on points. Hocevar clinched his place in the next round with a ninth-place result in Stage 1, with Smith, Sanchez and Rhodes advancing on points on Friday night.

Sanchez led a race-high 43 laps, followed by Heim with 40 and Hocevar with 32.

The Craftsman Truck Series’ next race is scheduled Thursday (9 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Bristol Motor Speedway. The 200-lap event will open the three-race Round of 8, which will determine the final four drivers who will race for the championship in the Nov. 3 finale at Phoenix Raceway.

Note: Inspection in the Craftsman Truck Series garage was completed without major issue, confirming Eckes as the winner. The No. 12 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet, driven to a 31st-place finish by Spencer Boyd, was found with one unsecured lug nut in a post-race check, which should result in competition officials fining the team’s crew chief in next week’s penalty report.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials penalized the 23XI Racing No. 23 Toyota team Friday after the car failed NASCAR Cup Series pre-race inspection twice at Kansas Speedway.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | What to Watch: Kansas

Zachary Marquardt, car chief for the No. 23 team and driver Bubba Wallace, was ejected for the remainder of the race weekend. The team will also forfeit pit-stall selection for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM, NBC Sports App), the second of 10 races in the Cup Series Playoffs.

Wallace is the defending race winner for Sunday’s 400-miler. He is also ranked 13th in the 16-driver postseason grid, just one point below the provisional elimination line with two races (at Kansas and Bristol) before the field is trimmed.

Toyota teams have won three consecutive races, and six of the last eight at the 1.5-mile Kansas track.

Posted on by Cara Cooper

When Berlin Raceway wraps up its 2023 season Saturday, Limited Late Model division driver Denny Anderson will conclude his 50th year of racing.

Anderson began competing in 1970 when he was 17. Other than a two-year break in the early 2000s, he’s been behind the wheel every summer since.

Anderson’s dad started taking him to the racetrack when he was about 10, and from then on, he said, “I couldn’t stay away from the place.”

Though he was a talented baseball player in high school, his heart was at the track.

“I gave all that up just to go to the race track,” he said. “Kind of crazy, huh? “The speed, the noise, the sound, the people. It’s a lot crazier than baseball, more fun I guess. It’s hard to say.”

STREAMING: Watch Berlin’s championship night live on FloRacing

Anderson went between dirt and asphalt tracks through the early parts of his career, and he eventually found a home at Berlin in the 1980s. He won his only track title at the NASCAR Home Track located in Marne, Michigan in 1984.

He stayed at Berlin until 2006, when he got out of the sport to help his son’s budding race career. Anderson’s son died in a boating accident in 2007, and afterwards, Anderson took two years off from the sport.

He eventually bought one of the cars his son built and decided to go racing once again.

“Those are the only two years I’ve taken off,” Anderson said. “My late wife always said I had probably 150 feature wins through my career in 50 years.”

Denny Anderson
(Photo: Berlin Raceway/Facebook)

When it was time to return to racing, Berlin was the only track Anderson considered.

“That’s my home track,” he said. “I live, like, five miles away from the place. I’ve always loved the place. A lot of good guys have come out of there. … I’m glad I’m back. The racing family here is unbelievable. A lot of good people.”

Not only is this a milestone season in Anderson’s career, but it’s also one of his best. In Berlin’s Limited Late Model division, he has two wins and 15 top fives in 21 features this summer. His worst race of the season was last Saturday when he finished eighth.

Anderson goes into this weekend’s season finale at Berlin second in the Limited Late Model division points, 136 points behind leader Tyler Rycenga and 15 points better than third-place Josh Frye.

“One of my better years,” Anderson said. “I’m just surrounded by great people right now, a great car owner, great crew guys. Just everything’s clicking right now. I’ve got a great car. Just everything is working out good.”

Anderson thanked his team, including car owner Shawn Kriesh, his crew chief, Austin, and crew members Andy, Mike, Dusty and Mark for helping him find more success at Berlin this season.

He also thanked his girlfriend LuAnn, who he called his “backbone” this year.

“She drives me and tells me all the good things I do,” Anderson added. “She gets me out of my highs and lows, because racing is so up and down with highs and lows and everything.”

Track profile: Everything to know about Berlin Raceway

Berlin Raceway
Berlin Raceway hosts racing every Saturday night from April through September. The divisions include Super Late Models, Outlaw Late Models, Limited Late Models, Sportsman, 4 Cylinders, Vintage Racing and Mini Wedges. (Photo: Eric Bronson/ARCA Racing)

With one race left in season No. 50, Anderson said he feeling confident after his team made some changes and fixes to the car this week.

Is there anything he’s looking forward to in order to cap off his final race of 2023?

“Yeah,” he said. “A checkered flag. That would be awesome. That would be good to get one more.”

Don’t think for one second, though, that Anderson has any plans of stopping before the start of season No. 51.

“Our shirts this season, the front patch says, ‘Keeping the dream alive.’ That’s for my son and my late wife,” Anderson said. “I’ve got no inclinations of quitting yet. We’re still running pretty decent, and I’m going to run until I can’t, I guess.

“As long as the owner keeps me in it I’m going to keep going.”

Berlin’s Chet Championship Night, featuring races in the Super Late Model, Limited Late Model, Sportsman, 4 Cylinders, and Vintage Racing Organization of America divisions will begin on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. local time.

All the action can be streamed live on FloRacing.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway

(⏰ Sunday, 3 p.m. ET | 📺 USA, NBC Sports App | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas, the 28th points-paying race of the 2023 Cup Series campaign.

Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | Kansas playoff race 101

📍 Location: Kansas City, Kansas
📐 Track length: 1.5 miles
🎟️ Buy tickets: Find weekend passes, seats for the race
💰 Cup Series race purse: $8,806,315
📏 Race distance: 267 laps | 400.5 miles
🔢 Stages: 80 | 165 | 267
—
📋 Starting lineup: Bell on pole at Kansas
🚗 Pit stall assignments: See where drivers will pit
🏆 Most recent winner: Bubba Wallace, fall 2022

Key things to watch 🔑

Saturday’s sessions

Christopher Bell earned the pole for the second race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Kansas Speedway. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver also won the pole last week at Darlington, a race won by Kyle Larson, who lines up alongside Bell on the front row after qualifying second. Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott and Tyler Reddick complete the top five for the Kansas playoff race. Eight playoff drivers qualified in the top 10. | Read the full practice, qualifying recap

Big story line

Will playoff drivers avoid Kansas chaos?
At first glance, nothing about Kansas Speedway seems all that daunting: a fairly standard 1.5-mile tri-oval with considerable-but-not-extraordinary banking set in the heart of America’s Midwest. But with the NASCAR Playoffs in full swing, challenges lurk around every corner. According to Racing Insights, 56% of the 2022 postseason contenders — nine of 16 drivers — suffered some sort of an issue during the Kansas playoff race a season ago.

The NASCAR Cup Series enters Kansas after a Southern 500 at Darlington that featured 10 playoff drivers — 62.5% — experiencing some sort of adversity. The most recent race at Kansas delivered its own drama between Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson — two potential favorites to advance to the Championship 4. Is more last-lap contact in store this weekend? | Recap the dramatic spring race

History tells us…

Toyotas will be tough to top in the Sunflower State.
Since NASCAR introduced the Next Gen car in 2022, Toyotas have been undefeated at Kansas Speedway. The No. 45 car from 23XI Racing’s stable swept the 2022 races with Kurt Busch and Bubba Wallace behind the wheel for their respective victories, and team co-owner Denny Hamlin used a last-lap nudge on Kyle Larson to complete the pass and score the win in May.

The stats, of course, go deeper than the win column. Toyotas have also outscored Chevrolets and Fords combined in top fives (Toyota 10; Chevy and Ford five), laps led (413 for Toyota; 388 for Chevy and Ford) and stage wins (Toyota 3; Chevy and Ford 1). | Memorable moments at Kansas Speedway

He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…

Chris Buescher. Buescher’s recent surge is impossible to ignore over the past month, collecting three wins and four top fives in each of his last four oval-track starts. The No. 17 RFK Racing Ford stormed to the victory on Aug. 7 at Michigan International Speedway for his second win in that stretch after leading 52 laps.

Buescher’s soar toward top-tier contention shouldn’t be overlooked heading to Kansas. While the track is half a mile shorter than Michigan, its smooth pavement and drivers’ increased throttle time increases the notable similarities between the two facilities. After Buescher netted a third-place finish one week ago at Darlington Raceway, don’t take your eye off the No. 17 Ford quite yet. | See every driver’s odds heading into Kansas

Talkin’ Trophies 🔍 

In this installment of ‘Talkin’ Trophies,’ we explore the origins of Kansas Speedway’s ‘Soaring’ trophy, one of the most unique prizes on the circuit. 

Familiar favorites ⭐️

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.
 • At-track photos: See the best images from Kansas playoff weekend | Photos
• Bubble Watch: No place like a Kansas playoff race | See the bubble
• Fantasy Fastlane: Who should you start, and who should you sit? | See fantasy tips
• Paint Scheme Preview: See the schemes for the Sunflower State | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Bubba Wallace a firm contender in 2023 playoffs | Latest driver rankings
• Stacking Pennies: The crew comments on Ryan Newman’s colorful reaction from Darlington dustup. | Listen to the podcast

💎 NASCAR 75: Learn more about the history of the sport, from pioneers to current stars | Visit NASCAR 75 hub

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy and Fan Rewards.

• Fantasy Live: Participate in interactive gameplay from week to week | Choose your lineup
• Fan Rewards: New in 2023, get rewarded for your participation | Learn more
• NASCAR BetCenter: Don’t miss your chance to get key advice each week | Visit the BetCenter
• Going the distance: 2023 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

🔮 Advance to Victory Lane: Racing Insights projects the finishing order

Posted on by Staff Report

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs roll on this Sunday at Kansas Speedway (3 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) in the midpoint of the Round of 16.

The Sunflower State oval has been known to create playoff drama and heartbreak and this weekend should be no different. Before another chapter in the postseason is written, take a look at playoff drivers closest to the elimination line with analysis courtesy of Racing Insights.

RELATED: Cup playoff standings | Where playoff drivers rank after Darlington

✅ DRIVERS ABOVE ELIMINATION LINE

RYAN BLANEY

Points above: 16

Trending: Hit or Miss

Kansas outlook — Mostly Cold: Blaney had a good race, points-wise, to open his 2023 playoff campaign at Darlington with a top-10 run. However, Kansas has been a hindrance for Blaney with four finishes outside the top 15 in the last five races. The last four top-10 runs for Blaney have all been ninth-place finishes, but he’s failed to score back-to-back top 10s in this stretch. You have to go back to Gateway in early June for the last time Blaney had back-to-back finishes like that. 

ROSS CHASTAIN

Points above: 13

Trending: Snapped Cold Streak

Kansas outlook — Hot: Chastain recovered for a fifth-place finish in the Cook Out Southern 500 after falling a lap down in Stage 1. Kansas has been a great track for Chastain as he’s produced three consecutive top-10 results.

JOEY LOGANO

Points above: 3

Trending: Hit or Miss

Kansas outlook — Hit or Miss: It’s hard to place faith in Logano’s chances to make a deep playoff run, but if NASCAR’s Mr. Opportunistic comes through, a turnaround likely begins at Kansas. Logano owns three wins at Kansas and finished sixth there in May.

CHRISTOPHER BELL

Points above: 1

Trending: Cooling Off

Kansas outlook — Hit or Miss: Bell’s Kansas results have been good for the most part. He wrecked early at the Sunflower State track in May, resulting in a last-place finish but can’t afford to suffer back-to-back mulligans if he wants to advance out of the Round of 12.

🚩 DRIVERS BELOW ELIMINATION LINE

BUBBA WALLACE

Points below: 1

Trending: Darlington Snapped Cold Streak

Kansas outlook — Hot: Wallace is the defending winner of the Kansas playoff race, which could mean this Sunday is his golden-ticket opportunity to reach the Round of 12 by defending last year’s victorious performance.  

KEVIN HARVICK

Points below: 2

Trending: Mostly Cold Recently

Kansas outlook — Cold: An unfortunate pit-road circumstance at Darlington took Harvick from a potential win and berth in the Round of 12 to still below the elimination line and heading to a track where he hasn’t scored a top-10 finish in the Next Gen car. 

RICKY STENHOUSE JR.

Points below: 4

Trending: Cold

Kansas outlook — Mostly Cold: Stenhouse recovered decently after a Stage 1 speeding penalty on pit road at Darlington to score a point in Stage 2 and finish 16th. One may not see Kansas as a Stenhouse specialty, but the No. 47 Chevrolet has had sneaky speed on the oval with a top 10 last season and a 12th-place run in May. 

MICHAEL MCDOWELL

Points below: 19

Trending: Win or Bust

Kansas outlook — Cold: Darlington was the race McDowell needed to be good at to have a fighting chance to reach the Round of 12. He’s never finished better than 13th in 24 career Kansas starts, so don’t expect to see McDowell gain on the elimination line when the checkered flag waves Sunday. 

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson’s win in last Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opener in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway secured his spot in the Round of 12.

Fifteen drivers are looking to join Larson in the next round by surviving and winning at the challenging 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway on Sunday afternoon (3 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

Before the green flag drops in the Sunflower State, see who can clinch their spot in the next round without needing to worry about next Saturday night’s Round of 16 elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

NASCAR CUP SERIES

Already Clinched

The following driver has clinched a spot in the 12-driver field of the next round: Kyle Larson.

Can clinch via points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 11th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Chris Buescher, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain or Joey Logano.

— William Byron: Would clinch with 53 points (55 points if Reddick, Buescher, Hamlin or Truex Jr. wins, needs help if Busch, Keselowski, Blaney, Chastain or Logano win)

— Tyler Reddick: Could only clinch with help

— Chris Buescher: Could only clinch with help

— Denny Hamlin: Could only clinch with help

— Martin Truex Jr.: Could only clinch with help

— Kyle Busch: Could only clinch with help

— Brad Keselowski: Could only clinch with help

— Ryan Blaney: Could only clinch with help

— Ross Chastain: Could only clinch with help

— Joey Logano: Could only clinch with help

If there is a new winner from Christopher Bell or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 10th winless driver in the standings.

— William Byron: Could only clinch with help

— Tyler Reddick: Could only clinch with help

— Chris Buescher: Could only clinch with help

— Denny Hamlin: Could only clinch with help

— Martin Truex Jr.: Could only clinch with help

— Kyle Busch: Could only clinch with help

— Brad Keselowski: Could only clinch with help

— Ryan Blaney: Could only clinch with help

— Ross Chastain: Could only clinch with help

Can clinch via win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Chris Buescher, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace, Kevin Harvick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Michael McDowell.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Already clinched

The following 10 drivers have clinched a spot in the 12-driver postseason field: Austin Hill, John Hunter Nemechek, Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Sam Mayer, Josh Berry, Sheldon Creed, Chandler Smith, Sammy Smith, Jeb Burton.

Can clinch via points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the fifth winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Josh Berry, Sheldon Creed or Daniel Hemric.

— Daniel Hemric: Would clinch regardless of finish

— Riley Herbst: Would clinch with 54 points

— Parker Kligerman: Would clinch with 55 points

If there is a new winner from Parker Kligerman or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the fourth winless driver in the standings.

— Daniel Hemric: Would clinch with 1 point

— Riley Herbst: Could only clinch with help

— Parker Kligerman: Could only clinch with help

Can clinch via win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

— Daniel Hemric, Riley Herbst, Parker Kligerman, Brandon Jones, Brett Moffitt, Parker Retzlaff, Kaz Grala, Ryan Sieg, Jeremy Clements, Anthony Alfredo, Josh Williams, Joe Graf Jr.

Can clinch Regular Season Championship

Additionally, the Regular Season Championship could be clinched by the following drivers:

— Austin Hill: Would clinch with 38 points

— John Hunter Nemechek: Could only clinch with help

— Justin Allgaier: Could only clinch with help