After an exciting NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in March that featured extreme tire wear, a record number of lead changes on a short track (54) and twists and turns in the complexion of the race with every passing lap, the September return was relatively mundane, as Kyle Larson curb stomped the field with 462 laps led in a race where tires didn’t wear, track position was paramount and it was difficult for drivers to pass.
But up next on the docket is Kansas Speedway, which has quickly become a fan-favorite with a Next Gen car that excels on intermediate tracks. The track saw the closest finish in Cup Series history in May, as well as an incredible race from start to finish.
This weekend will mark the start of the Round of 12 for Cup, the playoff opener for the Xfinity Series and the first round of eliminations for the Craftsman Truck Series. Buckle up for what’s shaping up to be a wild, wild weekend.
Round of 12 Standings (3 Races Until Elimination)
| Rank | Driver | Points | Cut line |
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 3047 | +39 |
| 2 | Christopher Bell | 3032 | +24 |
| 3 | Tyler Reddick | 3028 | +20 |
| 4 | William Byron | 3022 | +14 |
| 5 | Ryan Blaney | 3019 | +11 |
| 6 | Denny Hamlin | 3015 | +7 |
| 7 | Chase Elliott | 3014 | +6 |
| 8 | Joey Logano | 3012 | +4 |
| 9 | Austin Cindric | 3008 | -4 |
| 10 | Daniel Suarez | 3006 | -6 |
| 11 | Chase Briscoe | 3005 | -7 |
| 12 | Alex Bowman | 3005 | -7 |
The Playoff Consolation Standings
| Rank | Driver | Points | Difference |
| 13 | Ty Gibbs | 2074 | |
| 14 | Martin Truex Jr. | 2064 | -10 |
| 15 | Brad Keselowski | 2048 | -26 |
| 16 | Harrison Burton | 2031 | -43 |
Best of the Rest
| Rank | Driver | Points | Difference |
| 17 | Ross Chastain | 766 | |
| 18 | Chris Buescher | 754 | -12 |
| 19 | Bubba Wallace | 737 | -29 |
| 20 | Kyle Busch | 636 | -130 |
Quick Track Facts: Kansas
Built: 2001
First Cup race: 2001
Last Reconfigured: 2012
Length: 1.5 miles
Banking: 17-20 degrees (turns), 10 degrees (trioval), 5 degrees (backstretch)
Pit road speed limit: 45 mph
Kansas By the Numbers
Defending Winner: Tyler Reddick
Defending Spring Winner: Kyle Larson
Most Wins (full-time drivers): Denny Hamlin (4)
Most Top Fives: Denny Hamlin (14)
Most Top 10s: Martin Truex Jr. (18)
Most Poles: Christopher Bell (3)
Most Laps Led: Martin Truex Jr. (906)
Most Laps Led, Non-Winner: Alex Bowman (183)
Best Average Finish (min. 5 starts): Brad Keselowski (29 starts, 12.2)
Former Kansas Winners in the field: Denny Hamlin (4), Jimmie Johnson (3), Joey Logano (3), Kyle Busch (2), Brad Keselowski (2), Kyle Larson (2), Martin Truex Jr. (2), Chase Elliott (1), Tyler Reddick (1), Bubba Wallace (1)
Playoff Driver Statistics at Kansas since 2022
Xfinity Series
Defending Race Winner: John Hunter Nemechek (not entered)
Playoff Standings (3 Races Before Elimination):
- Justin Allgaier (+27)
- Cole Custer (+21)
- Austin Hill (+18)
- Chandler Smith (+17)
- Shane van Gisbergen (+10)
- Jesse Love (+6)
- Sam Mayer (+4)
- Riley Herbst (+3)
- Sheldon Creed (-3)
- AJ Allmendinger (-4)
- Sammy Smith (-9)
- Parker Kligerman (-12)
Truck Series
Defending Race Winner: Christian Eckes
Defending Spring Winner: Corey Heim
Playoff Standings (1 Race Before Elimination)
- Christian Eckes (+95)
- Corey Heim (+80)
- Nick Sanchez (+63)
- Ty Majeski (+58)
- Rajah Caruth (+35)
- Tyler Ankrum (+25)
- Taylor Gray (+23)
- Grant Enfinger (+7)
- Daniel Dye (-7)
- Ben Rhodes (-12)
Notable News:
- Dawson Sutton will replace Ty Dillon for the rest of the 2024 season in Rackley WAR’s No. 25 truck, starting this Friday (Sept. 27) at Kansas. Sutton has two Truck starts with the team this season, with a best finish of 18th at Nashville Superspeedway in June.
Entry Lists
Cup: 38 entries, 40 spots
Notables: Kaz Grala (RWR No. 15), Ty Dillon (Kaulig No. 16), JJ Yeley (NY Racing No. 44)*, Jimmie Johnson (LMC No. 84)*
* Unchartered car
Xfinity: 38 entries, 38 spots
Notables: Daniel Dye (Kaulig No. 10), Taylor Gray (JGR No. 19), Aric Almirola (JGR No. 20), Corey Heim (SHR No. 26), Brad Perez (APR No. 45), Connor Zilisch (JRM No. 88)
Truck: 34 entries, 36 spots
Notables: Brenden “Butterbean” Queen (TRICON No. 1), Marco Andretti (Roper No. 04), Connor Mosack (Spire No. 7), Frankie Muniz (AM No. 22), Dawson Sutton (Rackley No. 25), Conor Daly (Niece No. 44), Corey Day (MHR No. 91)
Where to Watch
Friday, Sept. 27
3:30 p.m. ET — Truck Practice (FS2)
4 p.m. ET — Truck Qualifying (FS2)
8:30 p.m. ET – Truck Series Kubota Tractor 200 (134 laps, 201 miles) (FS1)
Saturday, Sept. 28
11:05 a.m. ET — Xfinity Practice (NBC Sports App)
11:35 a.m. ET — Xfinity Qualifying (NBC Sports App)
1:05 p.m. ET — Cup Practice (NBC Sports App)
1:45 p.m. ET — Cup Qualifying (NBC Sports App)
4 p.m. ET — Xfinity Series Kansas Lottery 300 (200 laps, 300 miles) (the CW)
Sunday, Sept. 29
3 p.m. ET — Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles) (USA Network)
Looking Ahead to Next Season
- Matt Mills will return to Niece Motorsports’ No. 42 truck for the 2025 season. Mills has two top 10s and currently sits 22nd in points through 18 races this season.
- Kansas will mark the first Cup race of the season for Justin Haley at Spire Motorsports and Corey LaJoie at Rick Ware Racing after a driver swap was announced the prior weekend at Bristol. Haley is signed to drive the No. 7 car for 2025, while LaJoie’s future with RWR beyond 2024 is currently unknown.
Stephen Stumpf is the NASCAR Content Director for Frontstretch and is a three-year veteran of the site. His weekly column is “Stat Sheet,” and he formerly wrote "4 Burning Questions" for three years. He also writes commentaries, contributes to podcasts, edits articles and is frequently at the track for on-site coverage.
Can find on Twitter @stephen_stumpf.