Few playoff drivers escaped the playoff-opener at Darlington Raceway unscathed.
Four title challengers finished 27th or worse while others, like Ross Chastain and Kyle Larson, spent the entire race trying to rebound from early issues. Regular season champion Chase Elliott was the first to exit the event and finished in last-place.
Martin Truex Jr. may have missed the playoffs, but he was looking to be a spoiler and steal a win at Darlington. But with just over 30 laps to go, he fell out of the race due to an overheating issue. Soon after, his teammate Kyle Busch lost an engine while leading as well.
This paved the way for Erik Jones to take a surprise win in the Petty GMS No. 43 Chevrolet.
Entering Kansas, the drivers below the cut line: Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Chase Briscoe, Kevin Harvick.
How to watch NASCAR at Kansas
- Race: Hollywood Casino 400
- Date: Sunday, September 11th
- Start time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- TV channel: USA | TSN 3/5 (Canada)
- Live stream: Peacock, fuboTV
- Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Kurt Busch won at Kansas earlier this year. He will not get the chance to go for the sweep, as he continues to recover from concussion-like symptoms.
Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Harvick lead active drivers at Kansas with three wins each. All three national divisions will be competing this weekend.
Rick Allen leads the NBC Cup Series broadcast team in the booth, where he’s joined by former star racers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Burton. Veteran crew chief Steve Letarte adds his technical knowledge for extra analysis.
NBC will cover all races from now through the playoffs either on the main NBC channel or USA Network.
Here’s how and where to watch all the on-track activity for NASCAR this weekend:
Friday, September 9
- (Schedule is tentative and subject to change)
- 3 p.m. ET – NASCAR Truck Series practice – FOX SPORTS 2
- 3:30 p.m. ET – NASCAR Truck Series qualifying – FOX SPORTS 2
- 5:05 p.m. ET – NASCAR Xfinity Series practice – USA NETWORK
- 5:35 p.m. ET – NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying – USA NETWORK
- 7:30 p.m. ET – NASCAR Truck Series race (134 laps / 201 miles) – FOX SPORTS 1
Saturday, September 10
- 12:05 p.m. ET – NASCAR Cup Series practice – USA NETWORK
- 12:50 p.m. ET – NASCAR Cup Series qualifying – USA NETWORK
- 3:00 p.m. ET – NASCAR Xfinity Series race (200 laps / 300 miles) – USA NETWORK
Sunday, September 11
- 3:00 p.m. ET – NASCAR Cup Series race (267 laps / 400 miles) – USA NETWORK
Who’s on the entry list for NASCAR Cup at Kansas?
There are 36 cars on the NASCAR Cup Series entry list with no open entries.
| JJ Yeley | |||
What’s next on the NASCAR Cup schedule?
NASCAR conclude the Round of 16, eliminating four drivers next weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.
| Date | Track | Network | Time | Radio |
| Saturday, September 17 | Bristol | USA | 7:30 p.m. ET | PRN/SiriusXM |
| Sunday, September 25 | Texas | USA | 3:30 p.m. ET | PRN/SiriusXM |
| Sunday, October 2 | Talladega | NBC | 2:00 p.m. ET | MRN/SiriusXM |
| Sunday, October 9 | Charlotte Roval | NBC | 2:00 p.m. ET | PRN/SiriusXM |
| Sunday, October 16 | Las Vegas | NBC | 2:30 p.m. ET | PRN/SiriusXM |
| Sunday, October 23 | Homestead | NBC | 2:30 p.m. ET | MRN/SiriusXM |
| Sunday, October 30 | Martinsville | NBC | 2:00 p.m. ET | MRN/SiriusXM |
| Sunday, November 6 | Phoenix | NBC | 3:00 p.m. ET | MRN/SiriusXM |