NASCAR Preview: Kansas Fall Race Weekend
- DIVEBOMB Motorsport
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
Written by Gabriel Tsui & Bailey Defoor
Now in the thick of the playoffs, the Cup and Xfinity Series travel to Kansas this weekend to began differing phases of their post-season. The Cup Series begins race two of the Round of 12 (their second round) whilst the Xfinity Series begins race two of their Round of 12 (their first round).
Kansas Speedway is a 1.5-mile (2.41-kilometre) D-shaped oval. It contains progressive banking of 17 to 20 degrees in the corners, 10 degrees on the frontstretch and five degrees on the backstretch.
Below are the start times for each race plus lap count:
Xfinity: Saturday, 27 September, 15:00 local (21:00 UK) - 200 laps
Cup: Sunday, 28 September, 14:00 local (20:00 UK) - 267 laps
Below are the defending winners of each race:
Xfinity: No. 20 - Aric Almirola (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Cup: No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)
Cup Series: Hollywood Casino 400 Preview
Written by Gabriel Tsui
Following a thrilling start to the Round of 12, the field leaves New England for the midwest, heading to Kansas City for the fifth race of the playoffs. As Ryan Blaney punches his ticket to the Round of 8, the remaining spots are still wide open, and a poor performance in Kansas can drop a driver into a win-or-nothing situation when the time comes for the Charlotte Roval.
This weekend, the drivers are in it for a 267-lap showdown, with 80 laps each in the initial stages and 107 laps to close off the race, totalling a distance run of 400.5 miles (644.5 kilometres).
The weather report indicates that it will be sunny skies throughout the weekend, with temperatures around 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit), so tyre wear could be in play during the race. The race will commence on the Sunday of September 28th, at 15:00 Eastern (12:00 Pacific, 20:00 British).
Race Predictions
Although the regular season visit to Kansas was a complete domination by Kyle Larson, the playoffs in Kansas just has that surprise factor in it. For the past three seasons, twice we have seen non-playoff drivers take a win here.
We have also seen Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, both 23XI drivers, win at Kansas in the 2022 and 2023. At this moment, the strong momentum for the pair has been halted during their visit to New Hampshire, as they both failed to secure a top-20 finish in the Round of 12 opener. They are stuck at the bottom of the playoff standings, over 20 points behind the playoff cut line.
We predict that Tyler Reddick, who will be trying to avoid a win-or-nothing situation on a road course, will be able to take the win here in Kansas City. He certainly has history at this track, winning once in 2023, and his ability to avoid having consecutive poor performances is key to our pick for him to win. He will be in for a hell of a fight with the likes of Larson and Chase Elliott for the win, but Reddick has the ability to get out of the jam and win.
Three things to look out for
High tensions at Joe Gibbs Racing
During the race at New Hampshire, Ty Gibbs went back and forth with his teammates, initially battling Christopher Bell in the early parts of stage two. However, the controversy of the weekend came when Gibbs began racing Denny Hamlin, a playoff contender for 11th place.
The patience on Hamlin ran dry after a couple of laps, as the veteran driver punted Gibbs to send the youngster tumbling down the order. Following the chequered flag, it was spotted by fans and media members that Hamlin engaged in a heated conversation with Joe Gibbs, the owner of the team and grandfather of the No. 54 driver.
This may end up being a turning point for the organisation, or it could just end up being a little wrinkle in a relatively successful season. We won’t know for sure, but we will find out if all is well between the two drivers when we head to the green flag on Sunday.
Odd-year Joey
In the NASCAR community, there is a running joke of Joey Logano somehow being more fortunate in even years, and the other way round in odd-years. However, Logano has had quite a post season so far, currently on a three-race streak of top-five finishes.
Logano’s record around Kansas also gives him a huge boost, as he is a three-time winner in Kansas, with more top-five and top-ten finishes scattered throughout the years. He may deliver a shocking win at Kansas if things go right for the 35-year-old.
Ross Chastain to repeat in Kansas?
In the previous year, amidst a disappointing 2024 season that saw the No.1 driver miss the playoffs, Ross Chastain delivered a performance in Kansas to collect his first win of the season. One year around, Chastain is back in the playoffs with a dream to return to the championship four.
He is currently below the playoff cutline, and a win would take a lot off the Trackhouse driver’s mind, as a win-or-nothing situation would not be preferable in Roval.
Xfinity Series: Kansas Lottery 300 Preview
Written by Bailey Defoor
Aric Almirola won last time out in Bristol during the first race of the playoffs and held off six playoff drivers. This week, the Xfinity Series heads to Kansas Speedway, where Almirola won last year; however, he is not entered this week.
The highest finisher of last year's race, of the current playoff drivers, is Connor Zilisch, who finished fourth. Let’s see if Zilisch can keep up the momentum in Kansas.
Joe Gibbs Racing has won 13 of the last 18 races at Kansas, and Brandon Jones is the only entrant who has previously won at Kansas in the Xfinity Series, so expect to see them in the front.
Race Weekend Guide
The Xfinity Series will race on Saturday, September 27. Practice will start at 10:30 EST (15:30 UK), qualifying is at 11:35 EST (16:45 UK) and the green flag drops at 16:00 EST (21:00 UK)
The drivers will go for 200 laps, rounding out to 300 miles (482.8 kilometres), with 45 laps making up Stages 1 and 2, and 110 laps making up Stage 3.
Playoff Picture
Kansas is the second race in the Round of 12, and no one is locked in yet. Currently, Zilisch still tops the standings at 82 points above the cut-line.
Carson Kvapil, Harrison Burton and Sheldon Creed all climbed above the cut-line while Nick Sanchez and Sammy Smith fell below with their performances at Bristol.
Richard Childress Racing drivers Jesse Love and Austin Hill have both struggled so far in the playoffs. Love is tied with Sanchez, and both are just three points below the cut. Hill was already below the cut-line coming into the Round of 12 and now sits 16 points below.
It’s anyone’s game. Who will come out on top?
