NASCAR
Stratta’s Six: Who Can Show Out at Kansas Speedway?
The rolling fields of Kansas will soon be alive with the roar of NASCAR thunder. Kansas Speedway marks the second intermediate race of 2026, with many hot contenders still searching for victory lane this season. Here are a few hopeful drivers who aim to leave the AdventHealth 400 with trophy in hand. One of the most action-packed tracks in the Next Gen era may write another exciting page in its history book on Sunday.
Kyle Larson
Few have been more consistent anywhere in recent times than Kyle Larson at Kansas. The Hendrick driver has three wins at the Heartland oval, including the last two spring races. Larson looked like his vintage dominant self a week ago on the Bristol high banks, and hopes to keep the good times rolling into another one of his favorite tracks.
“Kansas is a lot of fun – it’s really fast,” Larson said. “You’re always trying to carry a lot of speed and momentum off the corners and run big arcs into the entry. There are two different ends of the racetrack, but I feel like you approach the corners in a similar way. In the race, you settle into a comfortable pace and balance and try to run as close to the wall as possible without hitting it. It’s a fun place. It can be challenging, but it’s good because you have options to move around.”
Over the last nine Kansas trips dating back to 2021, Larson’s seen three wins, eight top-10s, and 629 laps led. This race a year ago was perhaps Larson’s best Kansas showing yet, with 221 laps led. That May 2025 race was also Larson’s most recent Cup triumph – a span of 32 starts without a win. Driver 5 is eyeing to become the sixth winner on the season and return to a very familiar victory lane.
Kyle Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.Com Chevrolet Camaro at Bristol Motor Speedway before the Food City 500 on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Photo credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Denny Hamlin
Kansas Speedway’s all-time winningest man, Denny Hamlin was a corner away from another checkered flag in September. Hamlin owns four Kansas trophies, most recently the 2023 spring date. The five races since then, however, have seen Hamlin earn four top-10s including two runner-ups and laps led each time. Last fall was the closest Hamlin’s been to a Kansas win in recent times. The 11 led 159 laps only to lose it on the last lap.
Being dominant in both intermediate races since then, Hamlin is the odds-on favorite for Kansas. Do not be surprised to see the No. 11 be P1 early and often chasing down another win.
Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 National Debt Relief Toyota Camry at Bristol Motor Speedway before the Food City 500 on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Photo credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Chris Buescher
Chris Buescher is responsible for half of Kansas Speedway’s most historic finish from two years ago. 2024’s spring race saw the RFK Racing No. 17 lead on the last lap, only to lose in a record-close photo finish to Kyle Larson. All three Kansas races since have seen Buescher in contention, earning top-15 finishes. At 10th in points, Buescher eyes another banner Kansas weekend ahead for team 17.
“I love Kansas,” Buescher said. “I really like that racetrack. Our mile-and-a-half program has been super strong the last couple of years. I think that last season at RFK and the 17 group, Vegas was probably our weaker mile-and-a-half out of all the ones we went to, and we ran really well at Vegas this year, which gives me really high hopes as we head to the next handful of them.”
“I’m not not looking forward to going back because of a near miss. It’s been a really good racetrack. I love the fact that we have different lines. It moves around. Most of our mile-and-a-halves at this point have gotten to the point where we can run bottom, middle, top and have different lines and different opportunities to make speed. With that, I think that it’s gonna be a really good measure for us. We’re really optimistic about that one, just knowing how well Vegas went for us and knowing what our program looked like at those style of racetracks last season.”
“[The 2024 race] is not living in my head, but obviously we’re gonna get close and the replays will start coming up and you’ll start thinking about, ‘OK, I know what I want to do differently if it unfolds the same way again.’”
Buescher rides a year-plus losing drought into Kansas, being winless in his last 52 starts. Firmly in Chase conversations with three top-10s through seven weeks, the 17 continues to trend upward. It would be a very fitting retribution moment to see Buescher get rewarded with an elusive Kansas win.
Chris Buescher’s No. 17 Trimble Ford Mustang at Bristol Motor Speedway before the Food City 500 on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Photo credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Christopher Bell
If anyone’s been perennially snake-bit at Kansas, it’s been Christopher Bell. In only 12 starts, driver 20 has four Kansas poles, nine top-10s, 240 laps led, and back-to-back podium results. Bell finally checking Kansas off the winless list seems to be a formality that should happen soon.
Bell has laps led in his last eight trips to Kansas, and was out front late here in September’s hectic finish. Gaining ground in recent weeks to grab seventh in points, Bell hopes to continue his forward progress with a breakthrough win this weekend. Kansas is historically a Toyota-dominant track; Bell should be on the list of prerace favorites.
Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry at Bristol Motor Speedway before the Food City 500 on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Photo credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Bubba Wallace
The site of his second Cup triumph from 2022, Bubba Wallace was within a mile of another Kansas victory in September. The 23XI Racing driver has two top-fives from the Sunflower State since his win, including the last trip here.
Wallace erased a two-week stretch of poor results with a solid 11th-place outing in Bristol, seeing team 23 climb back to eighth in points. 23XI Racing used to have Kansas circled as their best track, winning here with three different drivers. Wallace aspires to recapture their Midwest magic on Sunday.
Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 Chumba Casino/WWE Wrestlemania Vegas Toyota Camry at Bristol Motor Speedway before the Food City 500 on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Photo credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Ty Gibbs
Fresh off his first career Cup win at Bristol, can Ty Gibbs possibly go back-to-back at Kansas? The Heartland intermediate oval has been very kind to Toyota in recent memory, with seven of the past 13 wins. In seven of his own Kansas starts, Gibbs has a best finish of fifth from 2024’s fall race.
“I think Kansas is a great track for this Next Gen Car,” Gibbs said. “A lot of room to race on and I think Kansas always puts on a great race as well, watching the last couple races and stuff like that. It’s a fun track, I feel like all the drivers would probably say the same thing. Lot of room to run, lot of racing grooves to work. So I’m always excited to go to Kansas.”
Team 54 is firing on all cylinders and still amid their best run ever. The Monster Energy crew now have six straight finishes of sixth or better. This same stretch has seem Gibbs vault himself up to fourth in points. New expectations may now be set, having the 54 as an outside regular season title threat. There is little reason to believe recent speed, execution, and luck seen from the 54 on a wide variety of tracks will subside in Kansas. It would not be shocking to see an ever-confident Gibbs possibly break through again.
Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry at Bristol Motor Speedway before the Food City 500 on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Photo credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Toyotas may populate oddsmakers’ lists for Kansas, but Chevrolets have won the last four races here. In short, a lot of drivers can and may find the right path to Kansas victory lane. The AdventHealth 400 has the chance to be another stellar show of the Next Gen Car on an intermediate track. The green flag flies Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Written by Peter Stratta
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