The NASCAR Cup Series calendar rolls right into the heartland for the next stop at Kansas Speedway. This weekend marks the fourth race of The Chase presented by Mobil 1, sparking a significant three-race stretch of the postseason featuring consecutive races at 1.5-mile ovals, starting in The Sunflower State. The opening trio of Chase races delivered plenty of drama, particularly in the late stages of last week’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway where Joey Logano surged to the win while Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney had their own post-race discussion.
While Kansas does not feature the same high banks as Bristol, it consistently produces memorable, Chase-shaking moments. Racing Insights highlights a few key drivers to watch and provides full projected results for Sunday’s 267-lap feature.
Defending champion Kyle Larson enters this weekend leading the points standings and looking every bit like a championship-caliber driver. Larson has been excellent across all three Chase races thus far, securing a World Wide Technology Raceway win sandwiched between two additional top-five runs, resulting in a total average finish of 2.6 across the three races. His Kansas numbers are remarkable, featuring three wins and two in his last five starts at the track. As the all-time laps leader at Kansas with 1,003 laps led, Larson should be right up front again on Sunday.
Christopher Bell aims to solidify his status as a championship contender this weekend. The Southern 500 champion carries four pole positions at Kansas and a best finish of second in May 2023, alongside a streak of leading in each of his last nine Kansas starts. With runner-up results at each of the last two 1.5-mile tracks and five top-10 finishes in his last six Kansas starts, Bell looks to erase his 17-point deficit to Larson by the end of Sunday’s race.
Bubba Wallace sits 10th in points and presents a compelling storyline given how last year’s postseason race at Kansas concluded. Wallace was positioned for a critical victory entering the final set of turns on the final lap until contact with team co-owner Denny Hamlin put both drivers in the wall and denied them the win. Having secured a win at Kansas in 2022 alongside four top-five finishes in his last eight Kansas starts—plus four top 10s in his last five 1.5-mile races—Wallace stands out as a sneaky contender for a massive Chase shake-up.
