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  • Next Race: Super Start Batteries 400 presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts
  • The Place: Kansas Speedway
  • The Date: Thursday, July 23
  • The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: NBCSN, 7 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)
  • 2019 Race Winner: Denny Hamlin

Midweek Racing: Kansas Speedway under the lights

You read that right, the NASCAR Cup Series is bringing all the action to the fans in a mid-week showdown with  Thursday night’s Super Start Batteries 400 Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts race at Kansas Speedway at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. This week’s Kansas race will be the 80th time the NASCAR Cup Series has competed on a Thursday.

Leading up to this season in the Modern Era (1972-Present) racing on a Thursday has been rare; it only happened a few times when Daytona International Speedway held their July race on the fourth (1974, 1985). But, prior to the Modern Era, mid-week racing was quite common – 76 of previous 79 Cup races held on Thursday were prior to the Modern Era from 1949 to 1971.

Kansas Speedway has hosted the NASCAR Cup Series 28 times, but this week’s will be the first on a Thursday. The 28 previous Cup events have produced 16 different pole winners and 15 different race winners. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick leads the series in poles at Kansas with five (fall 2013, 2014 sweep, spring 2018, spring 2019). NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon (2001, 2002, 2014), Kevin Harvick (2013, 2016, 2018) and Jimmie Johnson (2008, 2011, 2015) are all tied for the series-most wins at Kansas with three each. NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon won the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on September 30, 2001; actually, Gordon won the first two series races at Kansas (2001, 2002). The series’ most popular driver Chase Elliott holds the record for the youngest series Kansas winner at  22 years, 10 months, 23 days (October 21, 2018) and NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin is the oldest series Kansas winner at 46 years, 9 months, 0 days.

In this week’s event, 10 of the 15 former NASCAR Cup Series Kansas race winners are entered; including last season’s winners Brad Keselowski (May) and Denny Hamlin (Playoffs). The May race last year was dominated by Kevin Harvick, who led 104 laps, but it was Brad Keselowski who passed Alex Bowman with 11 laps to go to take the checkered flag and his second career win at the 1.5-mile track.

Of the 10 former Cup Kansas winners entered on Thursday, four of them are still looking for their first win in 2020 – Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman.  Of the four, Kyle Busch is the most recent winner at Kansas grabbing his lone victory at 1.5-mile track in 2016.

Harvick’s lead could carry him to the Championship 4

Through 18 races this season, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick has been the class of the field and his lead on his competitors might be enough to carry him to the Playoff’s Championship 4.

He is currently tied with Denny Hamlin for the series-most wins this season with four each, and he is leading series driver standings by an astounding 91 points over second place Ryan Blaney.

All those stats sound great, but what does mean come Playoff time? Well, it isn’t good news for his competitors.

Harvick’s four wins (five Playoff points each) plus two stage wins has garnered him 22 Playoff points currently. With almost a two-race lead in points over second place Ryan Blaney (-91) it will be nearly impossible for him to not win the regular season championship, which will award Harvick 15 more Playoff points bringing his total to 37 Playoff points to carry through the postseason – nearly a race winning total of 40 above his competitors. And that’s if he doesn’t win anymore in these last eight races of the regular season.

Harvick has made 28 series starts at Kansas posting five poles (series-most), three wins (tied for series-most), eight top fives, 15 top 10s and an average finish of 9.7.

  • Next Race: Kansas Lottery 250
  • The Place: Kansas Speedway
  • The Date: Saturday, July 25
  • The Time: 5 p.m. ET
  • TV: NBCSN, 4:30 p.m. ET
  • Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
  • Distance: 250.5 miles (167 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 167)
  • 2019 Race Winner: Brandon Jones

Kansas Speedway for Xfinity Series

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Kansas Speedway this weekend for a Saturday showdown. The Kansas Lottery 250 will be at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. After last weekend’s excitement at Texas Motor Speedway where Austin Cindric collected his third consecutive series win after Kyle Busch’s No. 54 Toyota was disqualified, the series looks forward to 167 laps at the 1.5-mile track.

Cindric is now sitting pretty in second place in the Playoff standings, 24 points behind leader Chase Briscoe. Briscoe leads the series with five wins this season and Cindric is right behind him with three.

There are currently six drivers locked into the Xfinity Series Playoffs including Briscoe, Cindric, Noah Gragson, Harrison Burton, Justin Haley, and Brandon Jones.

Burton, a Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, is the highest-ranked rookie and has two wins so far this season.

Justin Allgaier is the highest-ranked driver without a win so far this season in sixth, 146 back from the points leader.

Jones got his first career Xfinity Series victory at Kansas Speedway last season and is the only driver currently entered with a previous win at the track. Jones, who has been the recipient of a streak of bad luck in the last few weeks, will head into Saturday’s race with that momentum on his side.

Matt Kenseth holds the series qualifying record at the track from October 17, 2015, at 184.906 mph and Christopher Bell holds the race record from October 21, 2017 at 141.158 mph.

Kyle Busch holds the record for the most wins (4), Kenseth holds the record for the most poles (3) and Busch holds the record for most top fives (8) and most top 10s (10).

Toyota has the most race wins by a manufacturer with nine and in 2016, we saw the most caution laps in a race at the track with 51 and the fewest caution laps in a race was 20 in 2017.

The inaugural Xfinity Series race at Kansas was in 2001 and won by Jeff Green, current crew chief for RSS Racing. He went back-to-back, winning in 2002 as well.

Only two races have been won from the pole position (2010 and 2016).

This weekend’s Kansas Lottery 250 (5 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be 250.5 miles and 167 laps. The stages will end on Lap 40 and Lap 80.

JRM’s Hemric, Allgaier show Kansas strength, speed

Taking a look at the numbers as the season takes on Kansas Speedway, Justin Allgaier is ranked first in the closers category with an average finish of 10.9, average number of spots gained 3.3 and positions moved up being 30. Allgaier has the eighth-best average running position and sixth-best average driver rating at 90.1. 

If it were not for a lot of bad luck, Allgaier would likely have a win already this season. But, penalties and wrecks have taken him out of contention in numerous races.

He has led 417 laps so far this season and has seven stage wins but has yet to get the checkered flag. He has four top fives and eight top 10s in his 16 starts. His laps led is the third-most of any driver in the series.

Daniel Hemric, who runs on a part-time basis for JR Motorsports in the No. 8 Chevrolet, has strong numbers at Kansas and is another one from the JR Motorsports camp to keep an eye out for.

He has the second-best driver rating at Kansas at 115.8 behind Kyle Busch in first. He has the best average speed early in a run, best average speed late in a run, is ranked third for fastest laps run (54), is the fastest on restarts. Hemric is also the only driver entered this weekend had won a pole award previously (2018).

Of his 10 starts, Hemric has two top fives and six top 10s. He has also led 10 laps. With his experience at the track, he might be able to secure a win for the No. 8 team.

  • Next Race: Kansas 200
  • The Place: Kansas Speedway
  • The Date: Friday, July 24
  • The Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • TV: FS1, 6:30 p.m. ET
  • Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
  • Distance: 201 miles (134 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 134)
  • 2019 Race Winner: Ross Chastain
  • Next Race: Kansas Speedway 200
  • The Place: Kansas Speedway
  • The Date: Saturday, July 25
  • The Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: FS1, 1 p.m. ET
  • Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
  • Distance: 201 miles (134 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 134)

Making History: First NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series doubleheader this weekend

The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series will make history this weekend at Kansas Speedway as they embark on their first ever doubleheader weekend.

The series will kick off with their first race on Friday night for the Kansas 200 (7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Then, they’ll do it all over again on Saturday for the Kansas Speedway 200 (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The Gander Trucks have never been a part of a doubleheader weekend, but with the COVID-19 pandemic and the various schedule updates, the stars aligned this weekend.

There have been 19 Gander Trucks race at Kansas Speedway with the inaugural race being on July 7, 2001 and won by Ricky Hendrick.

Since then, there have been 17 different race winners and 15 different pole winners. Three races have been won from the pole position and the reigning Gander Trucks champion, Matt Crafton, holds the race record at 139.857 mph on May 8, 2015.

Crafton, Johnny Sauter and Ross Chastain are the only previous winners entered to run this weekend at Kansas. Crafton has two wins at Kansas (2013, 2015) Sauter has one (2010) and Chastain is the most recent race winner from last season with one.

The two Gander Trucks races at Kansas will be 201 miles and 134 laps. Stage 1 will end on Lap 30 and Stage 2 will end on Lap 60.

Two drivers in history have gotten their first Gander Trucks career win at Kansas Speedway.

William Byron won on May 6, 2016 and Chastain’s win on May 10, 2019. The series has a lot of drivers still looking for their first Gander Trucks win. Could Kansas be the place to get it done?

Triple Truck Challenge is back!

The Triple Truck Challenge is returning his year after a successful debut last season. This year, the program will start at the Daytona International Speedway road course at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 16.

The second race will take place at Dover International Speedway and the third race of the challenge will be at World Wide Technology Raceway at gateway on August 30.

This year’s rules will copy last season. The drivers will compete for cash prizes like:

  • $50,000 bonus for the race winner of any of the three events
  • If a driver wins two of the three events, they’re awarded an extra $50,000, totaling $150,000
  • Win all three events and take home an additional $300,000 for a total of $500,000 in prize money.

Greg Biffle came out of retirement in 2019 to win the first Triple Truck Challenge evets at Texas Motor Speedway for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Brett Moffitt won at Iowa Speedway and Ross Chastain won at Gateway.

“The Trip” was originally supposed to take place beginning April 18 at Richmond Raceway and continuing into May at Dover and Charlotte Motor Speedway, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic it was rescheduled.

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