NASCAR
Stratta’s Six: Who Can Contend For Kansas Playoff Race?
After Sunday, one NASCAR Playoff driver could be saying “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore,” with a ticket to the Round of 12. With 16 drivers gunning for a berth into the next Playoff round, intensity and drama will be high in The Heartland. Just four months ago in Kansas, Toyota drivers showed out, with Kurt Busch taking the win. Returning to the 1.5-mile track now, can a Toyota driver reign supreme again? Here are some to keep an eye on for the Hollywood Casino 400.
Bubba Wallace
Darlington was already won by a non-Playoff driver, so why can’t it happen twice? At the spring Kansas race, Bubba Wallace put together one of his best performances of the season, finishing 10th. However, Wallace was far greater than that position much of the day; his 23XI Racing crew set him back on seemingly every trip down pit road. Wallace’s teammate Kurt Busch went on to the victory in the No. 45. Chasing the Owner’s Championship now in the 45 rather than the 23, can Wallace put this car back into Kansas victory lane?
Wallace has quietly put together the best streak of his NASCAR Cup Series career. The past 11 races have seen Wallace earn nine top-15s, including a run of four-straight top-10s. This run was highlighted by a runner-up effort at Michigan; Wallace aims for one spot better at Kansas. All six Toyotas were in the top-10 at Kansas before. There’s no reason they can’t all show optimism for a similar result in the Playoffs. Between Kansas and Talladega in a few weeks, Wallace has an excellent shot at becoming the 18th different winner of 2022.
Bubba Wallace’s No. 45 Root Insurance Toyota before the Cook Out Southern 500 from Darlington Raceway on September 4th. Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Chase Elliott
After a uncharacteristically horrible first Playoff race, Chase Elliott hopes to get back on track in Kansas. Driver 9 has won here before, in 2018. Since then, the Hendrick driver has five top-10s in seven Kansas races. At the Darlington care center, Elliott was blunt post-crash, saying that he has to “run better the next two weeks.” Just how hopeful is the Hendrick team entering the 1.5-mile race at Kansas?
“Kansas is a place that typically has some groove options,” Elliott explained. “It seems like the cooler it is, the more groove options we have. When it’s hotter, the outside lane tends to become more dominant. To me, that place feels like a shorter mile-and-a-half for some reason – it just feels a little tighter than some of the other ones. Momentum is going to be tough to beat and the track is aging too. They have some pretty hot summers and some pretty harsh winters, so that place is getting some age to it now. Typically as those tracks age, momentum starts to be king over time and that outside lane tends to give you that. I think as time goes the top will continue to be more and more dominant unless you just have that perfect weather situation where it’s cool and the short way around has enough grip to not break momentum. It’s going to be a fight for track position and how well you can get around the top.”
Coming into Darlington as the top seed, Elliott had perhaps his worst race of the season. The regular season champion is hoping for a much better performance at a track where he’s far more comfortable. Expect the 9 to be a contender late Sunday, hoping to bounce back up the Playoff standings.
Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Napa/Children’s DESI9N TO DRIVE Chevrolet Camaro at Darlington Raceway ahead of the Cook Out Southern 500 on September 4th. Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Denny Hamlin
A three-time Kansas winner, Denny Hamlin was close to a fourth win earlier this year. Finishing fourth in the banner-day for Toyota, Hamlin eyes a stronger run after a close loss at Darlington. Hamlin enters Kansas this time around as a prerace co-favorite for the win.
“We’re looking forward to Kansas this weekend,” Hamlin said. “We feel like this is an opportunity to run well based on how our season has gone and how we ran there in the spring. For us, we need to be a little bit better than what we were then, but we feel like we can certainly do that. It’s also an exciting weekend welcoming Acumatica on board for their first NASCAR race, so we want to put on a good show for them and hopefully continue building momentum here in the Playoffs.”
Hamlin and the 11 won the last traditional 1.5-mile race at the Coca-Cola 600 in May. That night in Charlotte also marked his most recent win period. As perhaps a championship favorite, Hamlin aims to get another win to assert himself as a top dog in this title fight. Kansas could be the site of Hamlin’s third win of 2022.
Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota Camry at Darlington Raceway ahead of the Cook Out Southern 500 on September 4th. Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Kyle Larson
Last year’s Hollywood Casino 400 winner, Kyle Larson was a close second to Kurt Busch in May. After leading 29 laps, Larson was perhaps the best non-Toyota in Kansas. Going back to 2021’s two Kansas races, Larson led a total of 262 laps. This included taking the fall win in dominating fashion. Going for a third win on this campaign, Larson eyes another strong day at Kansas.
“I think Kansas fits my driving style because it’s an intermediate track with multiple grooves so you can move around to find grip,” Larson said. “Usually the fastest lane is right up next to the wall – and at times that is where I am most comfortable.”
1.5-mile intermediates like Kansas were Kyle Larson’s bread and butter tracks last year, with four wins. Across 2021 and now 2022 with the Next Gen car, Kansas has proven to be a very consistent track for Larson. The 5 team easily could have had three-straight wins here. Playing second-fiddle at Hendrick so far in 2022 to Chase Elliott, Larson could reclaim his dominance on Sunday.
Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Hendrickcar.com Chevrolet Camaro at Darlington Raceway ahead of the Cook Out Southern 500 on September 4th. Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Kevin Harvick
Going from one of his best tracks to another, Kevin Harvick may be in need of a Kansas miracle. After a Darlington DNF due to his fire, Harvick enters Playoff race two last in points. With three past Kansas triumphs, Harvick is one of the all-time best in The Heartland. Needing a strong showing to rebound from Darlington, Harvick is hopeful entering Kansas.
“I think Kansas has been a great racetrack and, really, from a driver’s standpoint, a fun racetrack because of the fact that it’s worn in so well,” Harvick said. “You can race at the top of the racetrack, which is the preferred groove as the tires wear out. It’s faster at the bottom of the racetrack on new tires. But as a driver, having options is something that is a lot of fun. With Atlanta having been repaved along with some of the other racetracks, Kansas has become one of the more unique racetracks because of the fact the asphalt and the shape of the racetrack is so driver-friendly, as far as where you can drive on the racetrack. You can literally drive from the wall to the apron all the way around the racetrack. So, it’s a fun racetrack. It’s been good to us and, hopefully, we can continue that trend on Sunday in our Rheem Ford Mustang.”
“Kansas was an OK race for us. I think the tire’s a little bit different, a little less stagger this time, so that’ll change the setups a little bit as we go into Kansas. You have to be good middle to the top of the racetrack in order to make good time at Kansas and be able to survive on the long run and make enough speed. So you’re going to need to be comfortable from the middle of the racetrack up to the top to make good lap times, so that’s what we’ll concentrate on.”
Harvick has had a week to forget to say the least. After burning out of a very strong run at Darlington, the 2014 champion took to Twitter to vice his displeasure on a number of topics. An angry Kevin Harvick could be dangerous for the rest of the field in Kansas.
Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang at Darlington Raceway ahead of the Cook Out Southern 500 on September 4th. Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Kyle Busch
Kansas used to be the worst track on the circuit for Kyle Busch, but that has changed in recent years. With his first win here coming in 2016, Busch has a top-10 in all but three of the last 15 races here. That span also includes another victory in the spring of 2021. After being a top-two car late at Darlington only to blow up under caution, the 18 is a co-favorite at Kansas. If Busch can bring the same speed, the competition better watch out.
“Even the last few times before we won there for the first time in 2016, we had some really strong runs there,” Busch said. “We finished in the top-10 a lot there over the last 15 races or so. We seem to have gotten a setup or a hold of this place, I’d say, and hopefully we don’t screw that up this time around and we can continue our strong runs and our fast pace there and be able to have a shot to win. Looking forward to getting back in our M&M’S Camry and have a solid run like we did there in the spring and be able to improve on what we did there just a little bit and have a shot to win.”
“The wind always seems like it’s high in Kansas and it will also change directions. It can change directions day to day, so you can practice in one wind direction and you can race in another one. That completely throws off the balance of your racecar and what you are feeling, and which corner of the track you attack the most, so you’ve always got to be leery of that, and we certainly will be this weekend.”
At Kansas in May, Busch was out front for 18 laps before finishing third. With Toyota being dominant that day, the win is likely to come from either Gibbs or 23XI this time. Still racing with unknowns about his future, Busch could show out at Kansas.
Kyle Busch’s No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry at Darlington Raceway ahead of the Cook Out Southern 500 on September 4th. Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Race two of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs from Kansas Speedway will be Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. The Hollywood Casino 400 offers all 16 contenders a guaranteed pass onto the Round of 12; can one of the above drivers capitalize with a season-defining win?
Written by Peter Stratta
Be sure to follow us on Twitter
Be sure to follow the writer on Twitter
Photo Credit to Sean Gardner/Getty Images for NASCAR
