Only four drivers since June 30, 2019 have won multiple races on 1.5-mile tracks in the NASCAR Cup Series. Kurt Busch is one of them. We have two races on 1.5-mile track this round, so can Busch steal a spot into the Championship 4 by virtue of a win at either Kansas this weekend or Texas next?

Busch, very well could.

He won the most recent race on a 1.5-mile track at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway to kick off the Round of 12. He also has three straight top 10 finishes at Kansas including five in his last six tries.

At Texas, Busch has seven consecutive top 10 finishes on that 1.5-mile track. Furthermore, on 1.5-mile tracks this season, Busch has a top 10 in seven of nine races run on them.

Those are his best shots because to wrap up the Round of 8 is Martinsville. Busch hasn’t had a top five on that track since the spring of 2014. He’s only had four top 10’s there in his last 28 starts overall and not had a top 10 in his last seven races on 750 horsepower tracks.

But, he had one top five on the season in his last 21 starts entering the Round of 12. He ended the second round with two of them in three tries.

“Looking forward to it,” Busch said. “We got a couple mile-and-a-halves here in the Round of 8. Those are our strengths at Chip Ganassi Racing. So we’re in a great spot right now.

“Having fun with this team and we’re championship eligible right now. So that’s a cool part to have in my career is to be in the twilight of my career and have a shot at the championship. That’s important to me.”

What about for Alex Bowman?

He certainly can too. He’s had a top 11 finish in all but one start during his career with Hendrick at Kansas. He was eighth this past July but had a car capable of winning. In Texas, he finished fifth in last year’s playoff race. Then, it’s to Martinsville to where Bowman was sixth this past June too.

But, Bowman has just two top 10 finishes all year on 1.5-mile tracks and one top five and just three top 10’s in 10 starts on 750 horsepower tracks.

These two drivers can definitely leave a mark on the playoffs if they can steal a spot and advance to the final round, but it’s going to take some help. No one is picking them, so it would be an upset but if you look at their stats on these tracks, they can do