After NASCAR drivers attempted to tame Miles the Monster at Dover Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series hit the yellow brick road in search of a win at Kansas Speedway.
The 1.5-mile track is no stranger to entertaining races, and Kansas has some special appearances lined up off the track too. Let’s take a look.
FOX Sports Booth: Replacing Rusty Wallace in the booth this week is the reigning winner of the spring Kansas race: Kurt Busch. The 2004 Cup champion earned what was likely his final career win in the 2022 Kansas spring race, and he was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers earlier in the week.
Grand Marshal: Former NFL defensive end and Kansas City Chiefs great Neil Smith will give the command for the AdventHealth 400. In 13 seasons with the Chiefs, Broncos and Chargers, Smith recorded 104.5 sacks and 625 tackles. He also won two Super Bowls with the Broncos.
Pre-Race Concert: Kansas City-bred band Hudson Drive will perform the pre-race concert prior to the Cup event.
Entering his fifth year with Frontstretch, Luken Glover is the author of The Underdog House, shedding light on the motivation and performance of NASCAR's dark horse teams as they strive to fight to the top. Additionally, Glover reports for the site at various events, and he contributes in the video editing department.
A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a middle school math and PE teacher, as well as a basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.