NXS Race Preview: Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas

NASCAR XFINITY Series
Next Race: Kansas Lottery 300
The Place: Kansas Speedway
The Date: Saturday, Oct. 21
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: NBC, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 300 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200)

NXS Kansas Quick Facts:

Races: 16
Pole Winners: 12
Youngest Pole Winner: Parker Kligerman (10/03/2009 - 19 years, 1 months, 25 days)
Oldest Pole Winner: Matt Kenseth (10/17/2015 - 43 years, 7 months, 7 days)
Race Winners: 12
Youngest Winner: Joey Logano (10/03/2009 - 19 years, 4 months, 9 days)
Oldest Winner: David Green (10/04/2003 - 45 years, 8 months, 6 days)
Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): 2
Last Race Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): Kyle Busch (10/15/2016)
Race Record: Jeff Green 129.125mph (09/29/2001)
Qualifying Record: Matt Kenseth 184.906mph (10/17/2015)

NXS News & Notes:

NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff Round of 8 Begins At Kansas Speedway

With an exhilarating Round of 12 completed in the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs, the remaining title contenders have turned their attention to the Round of 8. Kansas Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway are the three tracks that make up the round, and the Playoff drivers that win the next three races, or are in the top four on the leaderboard at the conclusion of the race at Phoenix, will advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The action gets rolling for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff Round of 8 this Saturday, October 21, at Kansas Speedway for the Kansas Lottery 300 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. 

Below are the seedings for the eight drivers who advanced to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs:

Rank	Driver	Points	Leader	Cutoff	Race Wins	Stage Wins	Playoff Pts
1	William Byron	3,026	0	19	3	3	26
2	Justin Allgaier	3,023	-3	16	2	3	23
3	Elliott Sadler	3,020	-6	13	0	5	20
4	Daniel Hemric	3,009	-17	2	0	2	9
5	Cole Custer	3,007	-19	-2	0	2	7
6	Brennan Poole	3,006	-20	-3	0	0	6
7	Ryan Reed	3,005	-21	-4	1	0	5
8	Matt Tifft	3,004	-22	-5	0	0	4

2016 Playoff Race Quick Recap 
Last season’s Playoff race at Kansas Speedway was won by Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Busch led 150 laps of the 200 lap of the event. It was his third consecutive NASCAR XFINITY Series victory at Kansas Speedway. Busch leads the series in wins at Kanas with four wins. The highest finishing 2016 Playoff contender in the event was Elliott Sadler, who finished second.  Elliott Sadler and Daniel Suarez were tied for the Playoff points lead after the 2016 Kansas race.

NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff Contenders: Round Of 8

The tension continues to heighten with each round in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs. Below is a look at the eight drivers who are still in contention for a title this weekend:

William Byron (No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) enters the Round of 8 as the No. 1 seed with 3,026 points. During the Round of 12, he posted one top five and an average finish of 12.3. Byron also accumulated 35 stage points in the Round of 12 – the series-most. Byron will be making his series debut at Kansas this weekend, a track he won at last season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.7 (third-best)

·         Three wins, nine top fives, 18 top 10s and two poles

·         Led 228 laps

·         Average Finish of 11.2

Justin Allgaier (No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) enters the Round of 8 as the second seed with 3,023 points. During the Round of 12, he posted two top fives and an average finish of 12.7. Allgaier also accumulated 22 stage points in the Round of 12 – the fifth-most in the series. Allgaier has made six series starts at Kansas, posting one top five, four top 10s and an average finish of 8.3. He started fifth and finished 14th in last season’s Playoff race. 

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.6 (second-best)

·         Two wins, nine top fives, 15 top 10s and one pole

·         Led 495 laps

·         Average Finish of 13.5

Elliott Sadler (No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) enters the Round of 8 as the third seed with 3,020 points. During the Round of 12, he posted three top 10s and an average finish of 8.3. Sadler has made seven series starts at Kansas, posting three top fives, five top 10s and an average finish of 11.4. In last season’s Kansas Playoff race, he started eighth and finished second. 

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.4 (series-best)

·         11 top fives, 22 top 10s and one pole

·         Led 123 laps

·         Average Finish of 9.4

Daniel Hemric (No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) enters the Round of 8 as the fourth seed with 3,009 points. During the Round of 12, he posted three top 10s and an average finish of 6.0 – second-best. Hemric also accumulated 29 stage points in the Round of 12 – the third-most in the series. Hemric will be making his series debut at Kansas this weekend, a track he finished third at in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last season.

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.7 (sixth-best)

·         Six top fives, 15 top 10s and one pole

·         Led 70 laps

·         Average Finish of 12.6

Cole Custer (No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) starts the Round of 8 as the fifth seed with 3,007 points. During the Round of 12, he posted one top five, three top 10s and an average finish of 6.3. Custer also accumulated 32 stage points in the Round of 12 – the second-most in the series. Last season, Custer made his series track debut at Kansas with JR Motorsports; he started 19th and finished 35th due to an incident.

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.4 (fifth-best)

·         Five top fives and 16 top 10s

·         Led 119 laps

·         Average Finish of 14.1

Brennan Poole (No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) enters the Round of 8 as the sixth seed with 3,006 points. During the Round of 12, he posted three top fives (most among Playoff contenders) and an average finish of 4.0 – series-best. Poole has made two series starts at Kanas, posting one top-10 finish. In last season’s Playoff race at Kansas, he started 12th and finished seventh. 

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.5 (seventh-best)

·         Four top fives, 15 top 10s and one pole

·         Led 14 laps

·         Average Finish of 13.2

Ryan Reed (No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford) starts the Round of 8 as the seventh seed with 3,005 points. During the Round of 12, he posted one top 10 and an average finish of 12.7. Reed has made three series starts at Kansas, posting an average finish of 15.0. In last season’s Playoff race at Kansas, he started 22nd and finished 16th.

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 76.7 (ninth-best)

·         One win, two top fives and six top 10s

·         Led 16 laps

·         Average Finish of 18.0

Matt Tifft (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) starts the Round of 8 as the eighth seed with 3,004 points. During the Round of 12, he posted three top 10s and an average finish of 8.0. Tifft will be making his series track debut this weekend at Kansas, though he is no stranger to the 1.5-mile track. He made two starts there in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, posting a best finish of 14th last season.  

2017 Performance Stats Rundown

·         Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 83.6 (eighth-best)

·         Two top fives and 10 top 10s

·         Led 11 laps

·         Average Finish of 14.3

NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.

Christopher Bell Hopes To Play Spoiler at Kansas: The recently announced full-time Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR XFINITY Series driver for 2018, Christopher Bell, is looking to win this weekend at Kansas Speedway and play the spoiler. Series Playoff contenders need a win to advance to Championship 4, but Bell, a full-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver for Kyle Busch Motorsports, is not going for the NXS title this season, and therefore showcasing his skills and getting his first series win are all that matters to upcoming star from Norman, Oklahoma. Bell has made four NASCAR XFINITY Series starts this season for JGR, posting a pole, a top five, two top 10s and an average finish of 11.2. This will be his series track debut at Kansas this Saturday.  

Jennifer Jo Cobb Returns To NASCAR XFINITY Series: BJ McCleod Motorsports will have NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Jennifer Jo Cobb behind the wheel this weekend as she will attempt to make her series season debut at Kansas Speedway. Cobb will become the second female competitor to make a start this season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series alongside Angela Ruch, who made three starts for BJ McCleod Motorsports earlier this year. Jennifer Jo Cobb is from Kansas City, Kansas and has a total of eight series starts at Kansas Speedway in her career, posting an average finish of 29.6. 

Monsters Competing In XFINITY: This weekend the NASCAR XFINITY Series will have six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers competing in the Kansas Lottery 300 on Saturday, October 21 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Gray Gaulding, Reed Sorenson, Ryan Blaney and Erik Jones. Interestingly, none of the MENCS drivers entered this weekend are former series race winners at Kansas Speedway. 

NASCAR XFINITY Series And Kansas: The NASCAR XFINITY Series has held 16 races in the state of Kansas and all were at Kansas Speedway. The first series race at Kansas Speedway was on September 29, 2001, and the event was won by former series champion Jeff Green driving the No. 10 Ford for car owner Greg Pollex. … A total of 17 drivers who have made at least one start in a NASCAR national series race have their home state recorded as Kansas. Of the 17 Kansas drivers, only six have made a start in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, led by Clint Bowyer (Emporia) with 181 starts. Bowyer also leads Kansas drivers in series wins with eight.

MENCS Race Preview: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Hollywood Casino 400
The Place: Kansas Speedway
The Date: Sunday, Oct. 22
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio                  
Distance: 400.5 miles (267 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 80),
Stage 2 (Ends on lap 160), Final Stage (Ends on lap 267)

MENCS Kansas Quick Facts

Races: 23
Pole Winners: 15
Youngest Pole Winner: Ryan Blaney (05/13/2017 - 23 years, 2 months, 43 days)
Oldest Pole Winner: Mark Martin (10/04/2009 - 50 years, 8 months, 25 days)
Race Winners: 14
Youngest Winner: Joey Logano (10/05/2014 - 24 years, 4 months, 11 days)
Oldest Winner: Mark Martin (10/09/2005 - 46 years, 9 months, 0 days)
Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): 4
Last Race Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): Kevin Harvick (10/06/2013)
Race Record: Denny Hamlin 144.122mph (04/22/2012)
Qualifying Record: Kevin Harvick 197.773 mph (10/03/2014)

MENCS News & Notes:

Round Of 12 Cutoff Race

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Kansas Speedway for the Round of 12 cutoff race – the Hollywood Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Here is a look at the leaderboard heading to Kansas:

Rank	Driver	Points	Race Wins	Playoff Points	Pts from Cutoff
1	Martin Truex Jr.	3120	1	64	-
2	Brad Keselowsi	3101	1	26	-
3	Kyle Larson	3096	-	34	-
4	Kevin Harvick	3089	-	17	-
5	Denny Hamlin	3088	-	13	-
6	Chase Elliott	3087	-	6	-
7	Ryan Blaney	3076	-	9	-
8	Jimmie Johnson	3074	-	17	-
9	Kyle Busch	3067	-	41	-7
10	Matt Kenseth	3066	-	5	-8
11	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	3052	-	10	-22
12	Jamie McMurray	3045	-	3	-29

Keselowski (2011), Harvick (2016, ‘13), Johnson (2015, ’11,’08,), Busch (2016) and Kenseth (2013, ’12) have all won at Kansas.

Two Kansas winners have gone on to capture the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship – Jeff Gordon (2001) and Jimmie Johnson (2008).

On the bubble, between Jimmie Johnson (eighth), Kyle Busch (ninth) and Matt Kenseth (10th) – all separated by only eight points) – there are a total of nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series titles.

Harvick Hopes For Fall Kansas Repeat

On Sunday, defending Hollywood Casino 400 winner Kevin Harvick will attempt to tie Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson for the track wins record by visiting Victory Lane for the third time at the 1.5-mile loop.

In 23 Kansas starts, Harvick claims two wins, seven top fives and 12 top 10s. He boasts the series-best average running position (9.7) at Kansas among active drivers and ranks third in average finish (8.6) and driver rating (105.8).

The No. 4 Ford driver sits fourth on the Playoff leaderboard, 22 points above Kyle Busch on the cutoff line. He can advance to the Round of 8 with no help by earning 41 points.

Kenseth Faces Elimination At Kansas

Matt Kenseth enters Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs cutoff race at Kansas Speedway eight points behind Jimmie Johnson for the final transfer spot to the Round of 8.

Kenseth is in a tough spot, but fortunately he’s been strong at Kansas. In 23 starts there, Kenseth owns two wins seven top fives and 13 top 10s. Among active drivers at the 1.5-mile track, he ranks second in driver rating (106.5), third in average running position (9.9) and fourth in average finish (11.0).

The only way Kenseth can guarantee himself entrance to the Round of 8 is to win Sunday’s race.

Kyle Busch On The Outside Looking In

If the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs ended today, Kyle Busch would be out. He’s currently ninth on the Playoff Grid, seven points behind Jimmie Johnson on the cutoff line.

Busch gets the chance to race his way into the Round of 8 on Sunday at Kansas Speedway. In 19 starts at Kansas, Busch has one win, five top fives, seven top 10s and a 17.7 average finish. Those numbers might seem pedestrian for a driver of Busch’s status, but he has figured the track out recently. In his last five races in the Jayhawk State, Busch has finished no worse than fifth and posted his lone win there during that stretch.

Johnson Continues Quest For 8

It’s make or break time for Jimmie Johnson in his quest for a record eighth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship. He currently holds the last transfer spot to the Round of 8, sitting seven points above Kyle Busch on the cutoff line.

Johnson can advance without help if there is no new winner by finishing the race with 49 points.

The No. 48 Chevrolet driver is tied with Jeff Gordon for the Kansas wins record with three checkered flags there. He also claims nine top fives and 17 top 10s. Among active drivers at Kansas, Johnson leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in driver rating (108.7) and has the second-best average running position (9.8) and average finish (8.5).

Logano Looking To Play Spoiler At Kansas

As we saw last week when Ryan Newman almost took the checkered flag at Talladega, a driver doesn’t need to be playoff-eligible to win a race. A spoiler in the Playoffs can take away an automatic qualifying bid to the next round.

Based on recent history, Joey Logano is a strong candidate to play spoiler at Kansas this weekend. In 16 starts at the 1.5-mile track, he claims two wins, six top fives and an 18.9 average finish. All six of his Kansas top fives came in his last eight races there. In the two races he didn’t finish in the top five, he wrecked out of the race.

Logano enters the race off a fourth-place showing at Talladega where he led 59 laps.

Truex Tries For Kansas Sweep

Martin Truex Jr. will attempt to become the second driver to sweep a track this year in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. The No. 78 Toyota driver led 104 laps on his way to victory there in May.

Kyle Larson swept Michigan with wins there in June and August.

Truex has been the dominant driver in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this season. He leads the series in wins (six), top fives (14, tied with Larson), top 10s (21), stage wins (19), playoff points (64), average finish (10.7), average running position (7.5), fastest laps (1,146, 16.1%), laps led (1,977, 22.2%) and driver rating (115.0).

Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Hollywood Casino 400

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas, going into the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, October 22, at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM Radio (Channel 90).

ROUND OF 12 Rank Driver Points Ldr Cutoff Race Wins Playoff Pts 1 Martin Truex Jr. 3,120 0 53 6 64 2 Brad Keselowski 3,101 -19 34 3 26 3 Kyle Larson 3,096 -24 29 4 34 4 Kevin Harvick 3,089 -31 22 1 17 5 Denny Hamlin 3,088 -32 21 2 13 6 Chase Elliott 3,087 -33 20 0 6 7 Ryan Blaney 3,076 -44 9 1 9 8 Jimmie Johnson 3,074 -46 7 3 17 9 Kyle Busch 3,067 -53 -7 4 41 10 Matt Kenseth 3,066 -54 -8 0 5 11 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 3,052 -68 -22 2 10 12 Jamie McMurray 3,045 -75 -29 0 3 13 Kasey Kahne 2,104 -1,016 1 14 Ryan Newman 2,103 -1,017 1 15 Austin Dillon 2,099 -1,021 1 16 Kurt Busch 2,089 -1,031 1

KANSAS-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

1 - Martin Truex Jr (No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.4

2017 Rundown

·        Six wins, 14 top fives, 21 top 10s,

·        Led 1977 laps

·        Average Finish of 10.6

Kansas Speedway Outlook:

·        One win, five top fives, six top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 15.889, eighth-best

·        Average Running Position of 11.805, fifth-best

·        Driver Rating of 98.4, fourth-best

·        335 Fastest Laps Run

·        3276 Laps in the Top 15 (68.9), seventh-most

·        515 Quality Passes, 10th-most

2 - Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Team Penske Ford)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.3

2017 Rundown

·        Three wins, 13 top fives, 18 top 10s,

·        Led 651 laps

·        Average Finish of 13

Kansas Speedway Outlook:

·        One win, three top fives, eight top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 13.133, sixth-best

·        Average Running Position of 13.577, ninth-best

·        Driver Rating of 90.3, eighth-best

·        114 Fastest Laps Run

·        2828 Laps in the Top 15 (70.5), fifth-most

·        596 Quality Passes, sixth-most

3 - Kyle Larson (No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.6

2017 Rundown

·        Four wins, 14 top fives, 19 top 10s,

·        Led 1121 laps

·        Average Finish of 10.4

Kansas Speedway Outlook:

·        One top five, two top 10s

·        Average finish of 18.429, 16th-best

·        Average Running Position of 12.631, sixth-best

·        Driver Rating of 90.6, seventh-best

·        99 Fastest Laps Run

·        1289 Laps in the Top 15 (68.9), eighth-most

·        298 Quality Passes, 16th-most

4 - Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 105.8

2017 Rundown

·        One win, ten top fives, 18 top 10s,

·        Led 775 laps

·        Average Finish of 12.1

Kansas Speedway Outlook:

·        Two wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; three poles

·        Average finish of 8.579, third-best

·        Average Running Position of 9.651, series-best

·        Driver Rating of 105.8, third-best

·        360 Fastest Laps Run

·        3902 Laps in the Top 15 (77.7), third-most

·        702 Quality Passes, third-most

5 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 86.8

2017 Rundown

·        Two wins, 13 top fives, 18 top 10s,

·        Led 440 laps

·        Average Finish of 11.6

Kansas Speedway Outlook:

·        One win, four top fives, five top 10s

·        Average finish of 17.000, 13th-best

·        Average Running Position of 13.978, 10th-best

·        Driver Rating of 86.8, 12th-best

·        80 Fastest Laps Run

·        3106 Laps in the Top 15 (65.3), 10th-most

·        635 Quality Passes, fifth-most

6 - Chase Elliott (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 80.3

2017 Rundown

·        Nine top fives, 17 top 10s,

·        Led 402 laps

·        Average Finish of 12.4

Kansas Speedway Outlook:

·        One top 10

·        Average finish of 23.000, 27th-best

·        Average Running Position of 20.030, 22nd-best

·        Driver Rating of 80.3, 15th-best

·        31 Fastest Laps Run

·        312 Laps in the Top 15 (39.0), 20th-most

·        65 Quality Passes, 29th-most

7 - Ryan Blaney (No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.2

2017 Rundown

·        One win, three top fives, 11 top 10s,

·        Led 287 laps

·        Average Finish of 18

Kansas Speedway Outlook:

·        Two top fives, three top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 11.400, fifth-best

·        Average Running Position of 11.787, fourth-best

·        Driver Rating of 92.2, fifth-best

·        44 Fastest Laps Run

·        965 Laps in the Top 15 (72.2), fourth-most

·        148 Quality Passes, 22nd-most

8 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 108.7

2017 Rundown

·        Three wins, four top fives, 11 top 10s,

·        Led 193 laps

·        Average Finish of 15.8

Kansas Speedway Outlook:

·        Three wins, nine top fives, 17 top 10s; three poles

·        Average finish of 8.526, second-best

·        Average Running Position of 9.767, second-best

·        Driver Rating of 108.7, series-best

·        563 Fastest Laps Run

·        4123 Laps in the Top 15 (82.1), series-most

·        877 Quality Passes, series-most

9 - Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.0

2017 Rundown

·        Four wins, 12 top fives, 18 top 10s,

·        Led 1677 laps

·        Average Finish of 12.1

Kansas Speedway Outlook:

·        One win, five top fives, seven top 10s

·        Average finish of 16.667, 11th-best

·        Average Running Position of 15.217, 12th-best

·        Driver Rating of 87.0, 11th-best

·        127 Fastest Laps Run

·        2936 Laps in the Top 15 (61.7), 11th-most

·        591 Quality Passes, eighth-most

10 - Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 106.5

2017 Rundown

·        Eight top fives, 14 top 10s,

·        Led 330 laps

·        Average Finish of 14.6

Kansas Speedway Outlook:

·        Two wins, seven top fives, 13 top 10s; three poles

·        Average finish of 11.000, fourth-best

·        Average Running Position of 9.937, third-best

·        Driver Rating of 106.5, second-best

·        367 Fastest Laps Run

·        3949 Laps in the Top 15 (78.6), second-most

·        661 Quality Passes, fourth-most

11 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr (No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 75.0

2017 Rundown

·        Two wins, four top fives, seven top 10s,

·        Led 56 laps

·        Average Finish of 17.5

Kansas Speedway Outlook:

·        Average finish of 18.000, 15th-best

·        Average Running Position of 18.339, 16th-best

·        Driver Rating of 75.0, 19th-best

·        32 Fastest Laps Run

·        798 Laps in the Top 15 (33.2), 22nd-most

·        162 Quality Passes, 21st-most

12 - Jamie McMurray (No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 72.3

2017 Rundown

·        Three top fives, 16 top 10s,

·        Led 20 laps

·        Average Finish of 13.7

Kansas Speedway Outlook:

·        Four top 10s

·        Average finish of 21.789, 24th-best

·        Average Running Position of 20.170, 23rd-best

·        Driver Rating of 72.3, 22nd-best

·        51 Fastest Laps Run

·        1844 Laps in the Top 15 (36.7), 21st-most

·        412 Quality Passes, 13th-most

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Fast Facts: Kansas Speedway

·        Since the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff inception in 2004, Kansas Speedway has occupied five different positions on the Playoff schedule over the past 13 seasons. This season the famous 1.5-mile speedway returns to the sixth race of the Playoffs, but for the first time it is the cutoff race for the Round of 12.

·        Kansas Speedway hosted the fourth race of the Playoffs from 2004-2005. Then from 2006 – 2010 Kansas was the third race of the Playoffs. In in 2011, Kansas moved back to the fourth race in the Playoffs. In 2012, Kansas moved to the sixth race in the Playoffs for the first time. From 2013 – 2014 it was again moved back to the fourth race in the Playoffs, and then the most recent two seasons (2015-2016), Kansas was the fifth race of the Playoffs.  

·        Eight tracks have hosted Playoff races all 13 previous years – New Hampshire, Dover, Charlotte, Kansas, Talladega, Martinsville, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami.

·       Eight different drivers have won the Kansas Playoff races, led by Jimmie Johnson (2008 and 2011), Kevin Harvick (2013 and 2016), Joey Logano (2014 and 2015), Greg Biffle (2007 and 2010) and Tony Stewart (2006 and 2009). 

Kansas Playoff Race Winners Winners Playoff Wins Jimmie Johnson 2 Kevin Harvick 2 Joey Logano 2 Greg Biffle 2 Tony Stewart 2 Matt Kenseth 1 Joe Nemechek 1 Mark Martin 1

 

·        Only once has the winner of the Kansas Speedway Playoff race gone on to win the title: 

o   In 2008, Jimmie Johnson won from the pole at Kansas, leading 124 laps, and went on to win his third consecutive Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title.

·        The worst finish in a Playoff race at Kansas by a driver that went on to win the title was 15th by Tony Stewart (2011).

·        Last season’s champion, Jimmie Johnson, finished fourth in the Playoff race at Kansas after starting 21st.

·        Three non-Playoff drivers have won the Playoff race at Kansas Speedway:

o   Joe Nemechek (2004) was ranked 21st in the points at the time of the win.

o   Tony Stewart (2006) was 11th in points at the time of the win.

o   Greg Biffle (2007) was 14th in the points at the time of the win.  

·        Eight drivers have won the pole for the Playoff races at Kansas – Kasey Kahne (three), Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth (two each), Brad Keselowski, Greg Biffle, Joe Nemechek and Mark Martin (each have one).

·        Top five active Kansas Playoff race lap leaders (2004-2016): Matt Kenseth (590 laps led, 18%), Jimmie Johnson (536 laps led, 16%), Kevin Harvick (329 laps led, 10%), Joey Logano (199 laps led, 8%) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (114 laps led, 4%).   

·        Only two manufacturers have won Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races at Kansas Speedway – Chevrolet (seven wins) and Ford (six wins).

·        Four manufacturers have won the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race Coors Light pole at Kansas Speedway – Chevrolet (seven poles), Ford (four), Dodge and Toyota (one each).   

2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Top 12 at Kansas Speedway:

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating*
1	Martin Truex Jr	18	1	1	5	6	1	15.9	98.4
2	Brad Keselowski	15	1	1	3	8	1	13.1	90.3
3	Kyle Larson	7	0	0	1	2	1	18.4	90.6
4	Kevin Harvick	23	3	2	7	12	1	10	105.8
5	Denny Hamlin	18	0	1	4	5	2	17	86.8
6	Chase Elliott	3	0	0	0	1	0	23	80.3
7	Ryan Blaney	5	1	0	2	3	0	11.4	92.2
8	Jimmie Johnson	22	3	3	9	17	1	9.6	108.7
9	Kyle Busch	19	0	1	5	7	4	17.7	87.0
10	Matt Kenseth	23	3	2	7	13	2	13.1	106.5
11	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	9	0	0	0	0	0	18	75.0
12	Jamie McMurray	21	0	0	0	4	2	20.4	72.3

* – Driver Rating based on the last 19 races at Kansas Speedway (2005 – 2017).

2017 Playoff Stage Winners / Drivers with Playoff Points

Track	Stage 1 Winner	Stage 2 Winner	Race Winner		Following Playoff Race #5
Round of 16					Drivers	Pts
Chicago	Kyle Busch	Chase Elliott	Martin Truex Jr.		Martin Truex Jr.	64
New Hampshire	Martin Truex Jr	Kyle Busch	Kyle Busch		Kyle Busch	41
Dover	Brad Keselowski	Kyle Larson	Kyle Busch		Kyle Larson	34
Round of 12					Brad Keselowski	26
Charlotte	Kevin Harvick	Kevin Harvick	Martin Truex Jr.		Kevin Harvick	17
Talladega	Brad Keselowski	Ryan Blaney	Brad Keselowski		Jimmie Johnson	17
Kansas					Denny Hamlin	13
Round of 8					Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	10
Martinsville					Ryan Blaney	9
Texas					Chase Elliott	6
Phoenix					Matt Kenseth	5
Championship 4					Jamie McMurray	3
Homestead-Miami

Kansas Speedway Data Season Race #: 11 of 36 (05-13-17) Track Size: 1.5-miles Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 17 to 20 degrees Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 17 to 20 degrees Banking/Frontstretch: 10 degrees Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees Frontstretch Length:  2,685 feet Backstretch Length:  2,207 feet Race Length: 267 laps / 400 miles Stage 1 & 2 Length: 80 laps (each) Final Stage Length: 107 laps Top 10 Driver Ratings at Kansas Jimmie Johnson........................ 108.7 Matt Kenseth............................ 106.5 Kevin Harvick........................... 105.8 Martin Truex Jr........................... 98.4 Ryan Blaney............................... 92.2 Kasey Kahne.............................. 91.1 Kyle Larson................................ 90.6 Brad Keselowski......................... 90.3 Dale Earnhardt Jr....................... 88.6 Kurt Busch................................. 87.6 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2017 races (19 total) among active drivers at Kansas Speedway. Qualifying/Race Data 2016 pole winner: Matt Kenseth, Toyota Camry 192.089 mph, 28.112 secs. 10-15-16 2016 race winner: Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet SS 133.155 mph, (03:00:28), 10-16-16 Track qualifying record: Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet SS 197.773 mph, 27.304 secs. 10-03-14 Track race record: Denny Hamlin, Toyota Camry 144.122 mph, (02:46:44), 04-22-12

Kansas Speedway:

History

·        Groundbreaking for the speedway was held on May 25, 1999.

·        The official opening of Kansas Speedway was in 2001, with the first events being an ARCA race and a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race on the same day – June 2.

·        The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race was on Sept. 30, 2001 – won by Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet, 110.576 mph, 3:37:19).

·        During the 2012 season, between the April and October events, the 1.5-mile track underwent a repave, adding variable banking in the corners.

Starts

·        There have been 23 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway, one event from 2001 - 2010 and two races per year since 2011.

·        131 drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas; 100 in more than one.

·        Four drivers have started all 23 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races and lead the series in starts at Kansas Speedway – Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman.

·        Joey Logano (16 starts) leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Kansas Speedway with a 9.750.

·        Four drivers have made their first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career start at Kansas Speedway: Erik Jones (5/09/2015), Ryan Blaney (5/10/2014), Austin Dillon (10/09/2011) and Denny Hamlin (10/09/2005).

Poles

·        15 drivers have Coors Light poles at Kansas, led by Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne with three each.

·        Jason Leffler won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Kansas Speedway in 2001 with a speed of 176.499 mph (Dodge) driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. Leffler is the only driver to post his first career MENCS pole at Kansas.

·        Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick are the only two drivers to win consecutive Coors Light poles at Kansas Speedway (Johnson: 2007-2008 and Harvick: Fall of 2013-2014 sweep).

·        Youngest Kansas pole winner: Ryan Blaney (05/13/2017 – 23 years, 2 months, 43 days).

·        Oldest Kansas pole winner: Mark Martin (10/04/2009 – 50 years, 8 months, 25 days).

·        Four manufacturers have won Coors Light poles at Kansas Speedway; led by Chevrolet with 10; followed by Ford (six), Dodge (four) and Toyota (three).  

Wins

·        14 different drivers have won at Kansas Speedway, led by Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson with three each. Nine of the 14 Kansas winners are currently active.

·        Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Kansas with six: Jeff Gordon (three: 2001, 2002 and 2014) and Jimmie Johnson (three: 2008, 2011 and 2015).

·        Four manufacturers have won at Kansas Speedway in the MENCS; led by Chevrolet with 11 victories, Ford with six, Toyota has four and Dodge has two.

·        Four of the 23 (17.3%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway have been won from the Coors Light pole: Joe Nemechek (2004), Jimmie Johnson (2008), Matt Kenseth (spring 2013) and Kevin Harvick (fall 2013). 

·        Five of the 23 (21.7%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway have been won from the front row: four from the pole and one from second-place.

·        13 of the 23 (56.5%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup races at Kansas Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·        21 of the 23 (91.3%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway have been won from a top-20 starting position.

·        Two of the 23 (9%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway have been won from a starting position outside the top 20. – 21st (Tony Stewart, 2006) and 25th (Brad Keselowski, 2011).

·        The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Kansas Speedway is 25th, by Brad Keselowski in the spring of 2011.

·        Youngest Kansas winner: Joey Logano (10/05/2014 – 24 years, 4 months, 11 days).

·        Oldest Kansas winner: Mark Martin (10/09/2005 – 46 years, 9 months, 0 days).

·        Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth are the only two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers that have posted consecutive wins at Kansas Speedway: Gordon (2001 and 2002 – the first two MENCS events at Kansas) and Kenseth (fall 2012, spring 2013). 

·        Jeff Gordon is the only driver to win at Kansas in his first appearance. 

·        No MENCS drivers have won their first career race at Kansas Speedway.

·        Martin Truex Jr. competed at Kansas Speedway 17 times before winning in 2017; the longest span of any the nine active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winners at Kansas.

·        Martin Truex Jr. (17), Kyle Busch (16), Kevin Harvick (15) and Matt Kenseth (13) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Kansas Speedway.

·        Kurt Busch leads the series with the most Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway without visiting Victory Lane at 23.

Additional Finishing Positions

·        Kevin Harvick has the series most runner-up finishes at Kansas Speedway with three; followed by Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr and Ryan Newman with two each.  

·        Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at Kansas Speedway with 11; followed by Jimmie Johnson with nine, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle each have seven.

·        Jimmie Johnson leads the series in top-10 finishes at Kansas Speedway with 17; followed by Jeff Gordon (14), Carl Edwards (13) and Matt Kenseth (13).

·        Rusty Wallace (five starts) leads the series in average finish at Kansas with an 8.200.

·        Jimmie Johnson (22 starts) leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway with an average finishing position of 9.591.

Track / Event Specific Stats

·        There have been two MENCS races resulting a NASCAR Overtime finish at Kansas Speedway:

Scheduled No. of Laps	Actual No. of Laps	Overtime Laps	Race Winners	Date
267	269	2	Joey Logano	10/18/2015
267	272	5	Jimmie Johnson	10/9/2011

·        Only one of the 23 races at Kansas Speedway has been shortened due to weather conditions:

Scheduled No. of Laps	Actual No. of Laps	Fewer Laps	Race Winner	Date
267	210	-57	Greg Biffle	9/30/2007

·        Qualifying has never been cancelled due to weather conditions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway. 

·        The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Kansas race has never been postponed to another date due to weather conditions. 

·        Below you find the top five closest margins of victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993:

MOV	Winner	Runner-Up	Date
0.081	Joe Nemechek	Ricky Rudd	10/10/2004
0.112	Jeff Gordon	Kevin Harvick	5/10/2014
0.150	Matt Kenseth	Kasey Kahne	4/21/2013
0.280	Jimmie Johnson	Carl Edwards	9/28/2008
0.413	Jeff Gordon	Ryan Newman	9/30/2001

·        Of the 23 MENCS races held at Kansas Speedway, only the Sept. 30, 2007 event has ended under caution – weather – Greg Biffle won the event.

Female Competitor Stats

·        Danica Patrick is the only female driver that has competed at Kansas Speedway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series:

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Driver Rating	Date
Danica Patrick	24	36	56.2	5/13/2017
Danica Patrick	19	18	65.0	10/16/2016
Danica Patrick	23	20	53.9	5/7/2016
Danica Patrick	29	22	54.7	10/18/2015
Danica Patrick	27	27	54.4	5/9/2015
Danica Patrick	29	16	67.9	10/5/2014
Danica Patrick	9	7	101.4	5/10/2014
Danica Patrick	29	43	29.3	10/6/2013
Danica Patrick	25	25	55.8	4/21/2013
Danica Patrick	40	32	40.4	10/21/2012
Averages	25.4	24.6	57.9

·        Danica Patrick’s seventh-place finish (2014) at Kansas Speedway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is the third-highest finish by a female driver in series history. Patrick’s series career-best finish is sixth (Atlanta).

·        The best finish by a female driver in the MENCS is Sarah Christian’s fifth-place finish (Heidelberg) in 1949. 

NASCAR in Kansas

·        There has been a total of 61 NASCAR national series races among two tracks held in the state of Kansas.

Track Name	City	MENCS	NXS	NCWTS	Total Races
Kansas Speedway	Kansas City	23	16	17	56
Heartland Park Topeka	Topeka	0	0	5	5
Totals		23	16	22	61

Kansas Drivers In NASCAR

·        17 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Kansas.

·        Of the 17 Kansas drivers, only 10 have competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Clint Bowyer (Emporia) leads all Kansas drivers in MENCS starts with 407.    

·        Of the 17 Kansas drivers, only two of them have won a NASCAR national series race; both have won in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Driver	Monster Energy	XFINITY	Camping World	Total
Clint Bowyer	8	8	3	19
Jim Roper	1	0	0	1
Total	9	8	3	20

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Milestones
Drivers	Has	Needs	Milestones
STARTS
Jimmie Johnson	574	1	To become the 31st driver in series history to start 575 or more races
Kasey Kahne	499	1	To become the 40th driver in series history to start 500 or more races
Matt DiBenedetto	99	1	To become the 198th driver in series history to start 100 or more races
Ty Dillon	49	1	To become the 285th driver in series history to start 50 or more races
WINS
Jimmie Johnson	83	1	Tie Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip (84) for fourth on MENCS wins list
Kyle Busch	42	2	Tie Bill Elliott (44) for 16th on all-time MENCS wins list
Matt Kenseth	38	1	Tie Tim Flock (39) for 18th on all-time MENCS wins list
Kevin Harvick	36	1	Tie Bobby Isaac (37) for 21st on MENCS all-time wins list
Denny Hamlin	31	1	Tie Dale Jarrett (32) for 24th on all-time MENCS wins list
Kurt Busch	29	1	Tie Denny Hamlin (30) for 25th on all-time MENCS wins list
Dale Earnhardt Jr	26	2	Tie Rex White (28) for 28th on all-time MENCS wins list
Brad Keselowski	24	1	Tie Joe Weatherly, Jim Paschal (25) for 31st on all-time MENCS wins list
POLES
Ryan Newman	51	3	Tie Bill Elliott for eighth on the all-time MENCS poles list
Jimmie Johnson	35	1	Tie Rusty Wallace and Rex White for 17th on all-time MENCS poles list
Kasey Kahne	27	2	Tie Ricky Rudd (29) for 24th on the all-time MENCS poles list
Kyle Busch	27	2	Tie Ricky Rudd (29) for 24th on the all-time MENCS poles list
ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS
Jimmie Johnson	46	2	Tie Lee Petty for 11th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list
Dale Earnhardt Jr	149	1	To become the 24th driver to post 150 or more MENCS top-five finishes
Matt Kenseth	323	2	To become the 14th driver in series history to post 325 top 10s or more
Ricky Stenhouse Jr	24	1	To post his 25th career MENCS top-10 finish
LAPS LED
Jimmie Johnson	18,639	361	To become the ninth driver in series history to lead 19,000 or more laps
Matt Kenseth	11,660	340	To become the 15th MENCS driver all-time to lead 12,000 or more laps
Kurt Busch	8,877	126	To become 20th MENCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 or more laps
Denny Hamlin	8,573	427	To become 20th MENCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 or more laps