Race Day Schedule

8 am: Garage Opens

2:25 pm: Drivers To Cars

2:30 pm: Driver Intros

3 pm: Invocation

3:01 pm: National Anthem

3:07 pm: Command

3:18 pm: Green Flag

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Race Details

Coverage: 3 p.m. ET

Green Flag: 3:18 p.m. ET

TV: NBCSN

Radio: MRN

Computer: NASCAR.com

Phone: NASCAR App

Race Distance: 267 Laps/400.5 Miles

Stage Lengths: 80-80-107

Competition Caution: Lap 25

Race Official: Lap 134

Playoffs: Round 3, Race 2

Track: Kansas Speedway

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Starting Lineup

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Who Wins Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400?

• A total of 11 different drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races at Kansas Speedway:
• In 10 races on the 550 package this season, we’ve seen 7 different winners.
• Twice the winner of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Kansas Speedway has gone on to win the title that same season: 
• In 2008, Jimmie Johnson won the Kansas Speedway NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race from the pole, leading 124 laps, and then went on to win his third consecutive series title later that season. Kansas was the third race of the Playoffs in 2008. The Kansas win was the first of three Playoff wins en route to the 2008 title.o   In 2017, Martin Truex Jr. won the Kansas Speedway NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race from the pole, leading 91 laps, and then went on to win his first NASCAR Cup Series title later that season. Kansas was the sixth race of the Playoffs in 2017. The Kansas win was the second of four Playoff victories en route to the championship in 2017.
• Three times the winner of the eighth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has gone on to win the title later that same season – all three at Texas Motor Speedway: o   In 2007, Jimmie Johnson won from the eighth starting position at Texas Motor Speedway and went on to win his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series title later that season. The Playoff win at Texas was his third of four consecutive victories in the 2007 Playoffs – the only driver to win four straight in the NASCAR Cup Series postseason (Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas, Phoenix).
• o   In 2011, Tony Stewart won from the fifth starting position at Texas Motor Speedway and went on to win his third NASCAR Cup Series championship later that season. The Texas Playoff win was Stewart’s fourth of his record setting five NASCAR Cup Series Playoff wins in a single postseason run in 2011 (Chicago, New Hampshire, Martinsville, Texas, Homestead-Miami).
• o   In 2013, Jimmie Johnson won from the third starting position at Texas Motor Speedway and went on to win his sixth NASCAR Cup Series championship later that season. The Texas Playoff win was Johnson’s second of two postseason victories (Dover, Texas) in 2013.
• Three non-Playoff drivers have won a NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Kansas Speedway:o   In 2004, Joe Nemechek won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Kansas and was ranked 21st in the points at the time of the win.
• o   In 2006, NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Kansas and was 11th in points at the time of the victory.
• o   In 2007, Greg Biffle won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Kansas and was 14th in points at the time of the win.  
• ·        The worst finish in a NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Kansas Speedway by a driver that went on to win the championship later that same season was 15th by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart in 2011.
• ·        Last season’s champion, Chase Elliott, finished sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Kansas Speedway.
• Four times a non-Playoff driver has won the eighth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, all at Texas Motor Speedway:o   In 2006, Tony Stewart was ranked 11th in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings at the time of the win.
• o   In 2014, Jimmie Johnson was 11th in points at the time of the win. Johnson had made the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2014 but was eliminated in the Round of 12.
• o   In 2015, Jimmie Johnson was 12th in points at the time of the win. Johnson had made the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2015 but was eliminated in the Round of 16.
• o   In 2020, Kyle Busch was ninth in points at the time of the win. Busch had made the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2020 but was eliminated in the Round of 12.

While it’s entirely possible for someone to win Sunday’s race and not be in the playoffs, I just don’t see it happening. If it is, Tyler Reddick (7th back in the spring and has had a top three car for two straight weeks now), William Byron (four straight top 10 finishes at Kansas and coming off of what should have been a second straight top two finish) and Christopher Bell (scored his first Xfinity race win in this very race weekend a few years ago. He was third last weekend and has scored three straight top eight finishes and four in the last six weeks) are your guys.

Kyle Larson has to be the favorite once again though if not.

He’s been so dominant on 550 tracks this season. In 11 races now on them, Larson has four wins, three runner-ups, eight top fives and a top 10 in all but two. The only two he didn’t get a top 10 was in Kansas to where he led 132 of 267 laps and restarted in the top five on the final shootout but was incurred some damage on it. Then, it was Atlanta when he had problems on pit road.

That’s it.

He’s led 1,607 out of 3,247 possible laps (50%) in these 11 races which also accounts for 71% (1,607 out of 2,267) laps led on the season for him. Furthermore, he’s won 11 stages and has been in the top two in 14 of the 23 stages run on these tracks.

Can anyone top him though? I don’t see him going 2-for-2 in the Round of 8, so I’ll pick…

1. 11 Hamlin – Similar track to Vegas and he won there last round. Has won 2 of the last 4 at Kansas at that. Why not have the top 2 drivers win the first two races in the semifinal round?
2. 2 Keselowski – 4 top 4’s in his last 5 at Kansas.
3. 9 Elliott – Has 5 top 6’s in his last 6 Kansas starts entering.
4. 5 Larson – 10th top 10 in 12 550 starts this season.
5. 18 KyBusch – 7 top 5’s in his last 8 Kansas starts in the playoff race. He also won this past spring.