Next stop: Kansas.
NASCAR released the entry list for the May 9 Spongebob Squarepants 400 at Kansas Speedway this morning. There are 44 entrants, meaning one team will fail to make Saturday’s race.
NASCAR’s game of musical chairs continues this week as Erik Jones gets to make his first official start in the No. 18 M&M’s Red Nose Day Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. Jones, 18, is competing full time in the Camping World Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports, as well as running a part-time Xfinity Series schedule for JGR. He gained experience in a Cup car at the April 19 race at Bristol, where he replaced an ailing Denny Hamlin.
With Jones in the No. 18, David Ragan hops over to the No. 55 for Michael Waltrip Racing. Ragan will drive for the team for the rest of 2015, replacing Brian Vickers, who is out with blood clots. Ragan will be backed by Spongebob Squarepants and Aaron’s at Kansas.
With Ragan at MWR, Front Row Motorsports will field Brett Moffitt starting at Kansas. Moffitt, 22, has made eight starts in 2015, including two with Front Row. His best run with the team came at Phoenix, where he finished 32nd.
Xfinity Series points leader Ty Dillon will return at Kansas, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet with backing from Richard Childress Racing. His only previous race this season was the Daytona 500, where he finished 28th. Mike Bliss will also attempt to make Saturday’s race, driving the No. 32 Ford for Archie St. Hilaire.
Should qualifying for Saturday’s race be rained out, Brendan Gaughan would be the only driver to go home.
Sprint Cup Series action will begin at Kansas Speedway on Friday, when the series holds its only two practice sessions from 12 – 1:25 p.m ET. and 2:30 – 3:25 p.m. ET. The series will then host Coors Light Pole Qualifying at 6:45 p.m. ET. Coverage of the Spongebob Squarepants 400 will begin on FOX Sports 1 on Saturday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
2015 SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS 400 ENTRY LIST
| Car # | Driver | Manufacturer | Sponsor | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chevy | McDonalds | Felix Sabates |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski (PC3) | Ford | Avaya | Roger Penske |
| 3 | Austin Dillon | Chevy | Dow | Richard Childress |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick (PC1) | Chevy | Jimmy John's | Tony Stewart |
| 5 | Kasey Kahne | Chevy | Great Clips | Linda Hendrick |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne | Ford | AdvoCare | Jack Roush |
| 7 | Alex Bowman | Chevy | Accell Construction | Tommy Baldwin |
| 9 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Ford | Medallion Bank | Richard Petty |
| 10 | Danica Patrick | Chevy | GoDaddy.com | Tony Stewart |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | FedEx Freight | J.D. Gibbs |
| 13 | Casey Mears | Chevy | Squidward Tentacles | Bob Germain |
| 14 | Tony Stewart (PC4) | Chevy | Bass Pro Shops / Mobil1 | Margaret Haas |
| 15 | Clint Bowyer | Toyota | 5-Hour Energy | Rob Kauffman |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | Cheez-It / Patrick Star | Jack Roush |
| 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Ford | Zest | John Henry |
| 18 | Erik Jones (i) | Toyota | M&M's Red Nose Day | Joe Gibbs |
| 19 | Carl Edwards | Toyota | Stanley | J D Gibbs |
| 20 | Matt Kenseth (PC6) | Toyota | Dollar General | Joe Gibbs |
| 22 | Joey Logano | Ford | AAA Insurance | Walter Czarnecki |
| 23 | J.J. Yeley(i) | Toyota | Dr. Pepper "I'm a Pepper" | Ron Devine |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon (PC7) | Chevy | American Red Cross / 3M | Rick Hendrick |
| 26 | Jeb Burton # | Toyota | Maxim Fantasy Sports | Anthony Marlowe |
| 27 | Paul Menard | Chevy | Menard / Pittsburgh Paints | Richard Childress |
| 31 | Ryan Newman | Chevy | Quicken Loans | Richard Childress |
| 32 | Mike Bliss(i) | Ford | TBA | Archie St Hilaire |
| 33 | Ty Dillon(i) | Chevy | TBA | Joe Falk |
| 34 | Brett Moffitt # | Ford | Dockside Logistics | Bob Jenkins |
| 35 | Cole Whitt | Ford | TBA | Jerry Freeze |
| 38 | David Gilliland | Ford | MDS Transport | Brad Jenkins |
| 40 | Landon Cassill(i) | Chevy | Carsforsale.com | Mike Hillman |
| 41 | Kurt Busch (PC5) | Chevy | Haas Automation | Gene Haas |
| 42 | Kyle Larson | Chevy | Target | Chip Ganassi |
| 43 | Aric Almirola | Ford | Farmland | Richard Petty |
| 46 | Michael Annett | Chevy | Allstate Peterbilt Group | Harry Scott Jr. |
| 47 | A.J. Allmendinger | Chevy | Kroger / Scott Products | Tad Geschickter |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson (PC2) | Chevy | Lowe's | Jeff Gordon |
| 51 | Justin Allgaier | Chevy | Fraternal Order of Eagles (F.O.E.) | Harry Scott Jr. |
| 55 | David Ragan | Toyota | SpongeBob SquarePants Aaron's Dream Machine | Michael Waltrip |
| 62 | Brendan Gaughan (i) | Chevy | Vydox Plus | Jay Robinson |
| 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Chevy | Furniture Row / Vissar Precision | Barney Vissar |
| 83 | Matt Dibenedetto # | Toyota | Dustless Blasting | Ron Devine |
| 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevy | Nationwide | Rick Hendrick |
| 95 | Michael McDowell | Ford | WRL / Larry the Lobster | Bob Leavine |
| 98 | Josh Wise | Ford | Phil Parsons Racing | Mike Curb |
Aaron Bearden is a Frontstretch alumnus who’s come back home as the site’s Short Track Editor. When he isn’t working with our grassroots writers, he can be found talking about racing on his Morning Warmup newsletter, pestering his wife/dog or convincing himself the Indiana Pacers can win an NBA title.