This Saturday we will be racing under the lights for the first trip to Kansas this year. As of late it has been one of the races that are talked about getting replaced in a few years. Possibly due to it being one of the multiple “cookie cutter” 1.5 tracks. None the less it is that time again race fans for the drivers to watch for the trip to Kansas.
Team Camaro
Chase Elliott is returning to the place he got his third career win. In the past two weeks he has career win number four and finished fifth at Dover. Chase and team Chevrolet in general are poised to run good this weekend. Chases statistics are over all pretty solid at Kansas as well making him a driver to watch. In the past four races he has won once, and led a combined forty four laps. If Chase and his team continue on the upward climb he could for sure drive that number nine Camaro into victory lane Saturday night.
Kyle Larson, did not hit a wall Monday and actually was able to finish the race. Yes, you read that right he finished third. If he can keep his positive streak going this week he will be a driver to watch for sure. Kyle historically here has been pretty good like his Chevrolet counterpart. In the last four races he has led a combined 101 laps and has an average finish of thirteenth. Also remember Kyle is currently riding a 57 race win less streak and is hungry for a victory.
Ford Drivers
The first mustang driver has not won this year, but is looking for his first victory. Kevin Harvick has averaged a sixth place finish here in the last four races. He has also led a combined two hundred and two laps. What I found to be the most interesting thing and probably my main reason for him being a driver to watch. Kevin in twenty six career cup series starts at Kansas has only finished outside of the top twenty three times.
Brad Keselowski has two wins this season at Atlanta, and Martinsville. He’s also familiar with how to get to victory lane at the mid west oval. In the last four races alone Brad has averaged a finishing positioning of 8.75 and led forty four laps. Yes, his last win was in 2011, but he can get there and should be a driver to watch this weekend.
Camry Drivers
Martin Freakin Truex, what a show this man put on at Dover. He was able to over come a pre race penalty and win his second race of the season. Arguably doing all this at one of the hardest tracks to pass cars. I was pretty impressed with the speed he had at Dover, and I think he is going to start rolling into my driver to watch list more often. Martin is also pretty consistent at Kansas. I mean he has won two of the last four races here and led a combined 208 laps. Along with that he has the highest average finishing position among active drivers in the last four races.
The next driver to watch, just broke a pretty good streak of Morgan Shepard’s for most consecutive top ten finishes. He also has been in the news this week for complaints on the rules package, but none the less Kyle Busch is once again my second Toyota driver to watch. Kyle hasn’t won since Auto Club Speedway in California but is always on the prowl. If he is going to get back into victory lane it could be here because since the fall 2014 race he hasn’t finished outside of the top ten. Keep an eye on the “Candy Man” this Saturday.
Underdogs
We finally have got a new name on the underdogs list. Alex Bowman “The Showman” is my Chevrolet underdog to watch. In three career races at Kansas with HMS he has a seventh, ninth, and eighteenth place finish. While he is still searching for win number one, he has been awfully freaking close. He has knocked out two consecutive second place finishes the past two weeks. Much like Martin Truex he had to drive from the back at Dover to inspection issues. Bowman could really show you why he was trusted with that ride this weekend if his car’s continue to be fast.
Young Ryan Blaney, has not made an appearance on the drivers to watch list since Texas. The tracks we have been running at just in recent weeks just aren’t his best even though he is one of the top five young drivers. While he’s still looking for a win this year and there are stronger Ford drivers at Kansas. I think Blaney has a chance this week if he can qualify solidly and stay up front. It seems like to me once he gets back in the pack he looses his ability to get back up front. None the less Ryan has decent runs here recently and in his career in eight career starts here only two of those races has he finished outside of the top fifteen. In the previous four races he has led 149 laps and claimed one pole position. Keep and eye on YRB Saturday.
Denny Hamlin had a rough finish at Dover with a trip to the infield care center for treatment of inhalation of engine fumes. As a fan I’m glad that nothing more happen than some general sickness. I think Hamlin is going to rebound this weekend and could grab his third win of the season. Denny has one career win at Kansas. What is more surprising though in his twenty one starts here, he has only led seventy four laps at Kansas. Denny has rebounded nicely after his first season without a win last year and should for sure be a driver to watch this weekend.
Conclusion
This will be the last cup series night race at Kansas for the foreseeable future due to the moving the race next year. While Kansas hasn’t exactly killed it with ratings and fans in seats in the past this new rules package has showed improvement in racing at the mile and half tracks. I’ll be watching the Digital Ally 400 from my desk at work unfortunately but will be watching none the less. Keep an eye out here for anything and everything NASCAR racing. If you enjoy other sports always follow Belly Up Sports in general these guys and gals are doing what they love and it shows!
