There is a lot on the line for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff drivers in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway this Sunday. Darlington put a wrench in a few drivers’ plans. There were others that made the most of the first playoff race. Each will have to do something a little different to get to the next round.
This weekend is a triple-header with the Truck, Xfinity, and Cup Series hitting the track at Kansas. It is the second race of the playoffs for Cup, final race in the first round for the Truck Series, and the regular season finale for Xfinity.
So much is on the line for drivers this weekend. A year ago, we had a non-playoff winner in this race. This year, could we see another spoiler or is this going to go to a championship contender?
Drivers to watch at Kansas Speedway
Kyle Larson
This is a track that Kyle Larson has performed well at in the past. He was right there with a chance to win in the spring until he got aero pushed into the wall by Denny Hamlin. It was seen as a great racing move at the time, and there were no hard feelings. However, given the Pocono ordeal, we might see Larson be a lot less forgiving if the same situation arises. With a win at Darlington, Larson is locked in the Round of 12 already. Everything else is icing on the cake.
Denny Hamlin
The odds-on-favorite for the Hollywood Casino 400, Hamlin comes in at 9-2 odds. 23XI Racing has had some kind of involvement with the winner in all three Next Gen races at Kansas. 23XI Racing has won here with Bubba Wallace, Kurt Busch, and team owner Hamlin took the win earlier this season.
Bubba Wallace
At 12-1 odds, Wallace has a good chance to repeat at Kansas. This first round is his chance to shine. Darlington was a strong race for him even though he faltered in Stage 1. He’s one point below the cutline, and will try to take a place in the top-12 following the race at Kansas. If Wallace isn’t a top-5 car on Sunday, it will be seen as a wasted opportunity.
Drivers with questions to answer in Hollywood Casino 400
Christopher Bell
No one had a worse day at Darlington (besides Michael McDowell) than Bell did. He was a Championship 4 driver a year ago and now he’s on the cutline, just a point above Wallace for 12th overall. He has to have a big points day and erase that performance from a week ago. If he can manage a win, it all goes away.
Kevin Harvick
The Closer is in his final playoffs. Harvick had the Southern 500 wrapped up until that catastrophic pit road penalty. With what could have been behind him, can the 4 team rally and put on a strong performance at Kansas? Two points under the cutline, Harvick is another that needs stage points and a great finish to boost him.
Joey Logano
While Kyle Petty said Joey Logano was a “winner” last week, I don’t think he would see it that way. He enters Kansas 11th overall, just three points above the cutline. Logano got into it in Stage 1 with Wallace and just didn’t really recover for most of the night. Others might feel differently, but from my point of view, Logano is in a bad spot and needs a strong performance.