 |
| This guy is insane on 1.5-mile tracks this season. He won at Kansas in May. |
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Fast Facts: Kansas Speedway
· Since the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff inception in 2004, Kansas Speedway has occupied five different positions on the Playoff schedule over the past 13 seasons. This season the famous 1.5-mile speedway returns to the sixth race of the Playoffs, but for the first time it is the cutoff race for the Round of 12.
· Kansas Speedway hosted the fourth race of the Playoffs from 2004-2005. Then from 2006 – 2010 Kansas was the third race of the Playoffs. In in 2011, Kansas moved back to the fourth race in the Playoffs. In 2012, Kansas moved to the sixth race in the Playoffs for the first time. From 2013 – 2014 it was again moved back to the fourth race in the Playoffs, and then the most recent two seasons (2015-2016), Kansas was the fifth race of the Playoffs.
· Eight tracks have hosted Playoff races all 13 previous years – New Hampshire, Dover, Charlotte, Kansas, Talladega, Martinsville, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami.
· Eight different drivers have won the Kansas Playoff races, led by Jimmie Johnson (2008 and 2011), Kevin Harvick (2013 and 2016), Joey Logano (2014 and 2015), Greg Biffle (2007 and 2010) and Tony Stewart (2006 and 2009).
Kansas Playoff Race Winners
|
· Only once has the winner of the Kansas Speedway Playoff race gone on to win the title:
o In 2008, Jimmie Johnson won from the pole at Kansas, leading 124 laps, and went on to win his third consecutive Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title.
· The worst finish in a Playoff race at Kansas by a driver that went on to win the title was 15th by Tony Stewart (2011).
· Last season’s champion, Jimmie Johnson, finished fourth in the Playoff race at Kansas after starting 21st.
· Three non-Playoff drivers have won the Playoff race at Kansas Speedway:
o Joe Nemechek (2004) was ranked 21st in the points at the time of the win.
o Tony Stewart (2006) was 11th in points at the time of the win.
o Greg Biffle (2007) was 14th in the points at the time of the win.
· Eight drivers have won the pole for the Playoff races at Kansas – Kasey Kahne (three), Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth (two each), Brad Keselowski, Greg Biffle, Joe Nemechek and Mark Martin (each have one).
· Top five active Kansas Playoff race lap leaders (2004-2016): Matt Kenseth (590 laps led, 18%), Jimmie Johnson (536 laps led, 16%), Kevin Harvick (329 laps led, 10%), Joey Logano (199 laps led, 8%) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (114 laps led, 4%).
· Only two manufacturers have won Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races at Kansas Speedway – Chevrolet (seven wins) and Ford (six wins).
· Four manufacturers have won the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race Coors Light pole at Kansas Speedway – Chevrolet (seven poles), Ford (four), Dodge and Toyota (one each).
2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Top 12 at Kansas Speedway:
Rank
|
Driver
|
Races
|
Poles
|
Wins
|
Top Fives
|
Top 10s
|
DNFs
|
Average Finish
|
Driver Rating*
| |
1
|
Martin Truex Jr
|
18
|
1
|
1
|
5
|
6
|
1
|
15.9
|
98.4
| |
2
|
Brad Keselowski
|
15
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
8
|
1
|
13.1
|
90.3
| |
3
|
Kyle Larson
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
18.4
|
90.6
| |
4
|
Kevin Harvick
|
23
|
3
|
2
|
7
|
12
|
1
|
10
|
105.8
| |
5
|
Denny Hamlin
|
18
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
5
|
2
|
17
|
86.8
| |
6
|
Chase Elliott
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
23
|
80.3
| |
7
|
Ryan Blaney
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
11.4
|
92.2
| |
8
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
22
|
3
|
3
|
9
|
17
|
1
|
9.6
|
108.7
| |
9
|
Kyle Busch
|
19
|
0
|
1
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
17.7
|
87.0
| |
10
|
Matt Kenseth
|
23
|
3
|
2
|
7
|
13
|
2
|
13.1
|
106.5
| |
11
|
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
|
9
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
18
|
75.0
| |
12
|
Jamie McMurray
|
21
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
2
|
20.4
|
72.3
|
* – Driver Rating based on the last 19 races at Kansas Speedway (2005 – 2017).
2017 Playoff Stage Winners / Drivers with Playoff Points
Track
|
Stage 1 Winner
|
Stage 2 Winner
|
Race Winner
|
Following Playoff Race #5
| ||
Round of 16
|
Drivers
|
Pts
| ||||
Chicago
|
Kyle Busch
|
Chase Elliott
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
64
| |
New Hampshire
|
Martin Truex Jr
|
Kyle Busch
|
Kyle Busch
|
Kyle Busch
|
41
| |
Dover
|
Brad Keselowski
|
Kyle Larson
|
Kyle Busch
|
Kyle Larson
|
34
| |
Round of 12
|
Brad Keselowski
|
26
| ||||
Charlotte
|
Kevin Harvick
|
Kevin Harvick
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
Kevin Harvick
|
17
| |
Talladega
|
Brad Keselowski
|
Ryan Blaney
|
Brad Keselowski
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
17
| |
Kansas
|
Denny Hamlin
|
13
| ||||
Round of 8
|
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
|
10
| ||||
Martinsville
|
Ryan Blaney
|
9
| ||||
Texas
|
Chase Elliott
|
6
| ||||
Phoenix
|
Matt Kenseth
|
5
| ||||
Championship 4
|
Jamie McMurray
|
3
| ||||
Homestead-Miami
| ||||||
Kansas Speedway Data
Season Race #: 11 of 36 (05-13-17)
Track Size: 1.5-miles
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 17 to 20 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 17 to 20 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 10 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 2,685 feet
Backstretch Length: 2,207 feet
Race Length: 267 laps / 400 miles
Stage 1 & 2 Length: 80 laps (each)
Final Stage Length: 107 laps
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Kansas
Jimmie Johnson........................ 108.7
Matt Kenseth............................ 106.5
Kevin Harvick........................... 105.8
Martin Truex Jr........................... 98.4
Ryan Blaney............................... 92.2
Kasey Kahne.............................. 91.1
Kyle Larson................................ 90.6
Brad Keselowski......................... 90.3
Dale Earnhardt Jr....................... 88.6
Kurt Busch................................. 87.6
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2017 races (19 total) among active drivers at Kansas Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2016 pole winner:
Matt Kenseth, Toyota Camry
192.089 mph, 28.112 secs. 10-15-16
2016 race winner:
Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet SS
133.155 mph, (03:00:28), 10-16-16
Track qualifying record:
Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet SS
197.773 mph, 27.304 secs. 10-03-14
Track race record:
Denny Hamlin, Toyota Camry
144.122 mph, (02:46:44), 04-22-12
|
Kansas Speedway:
History
· Groundbreaking for the speedway was held on May 25, 1999.
· The official opening of Kansas Speedway was in 2001, with the first events being an ARCA race and a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race on the same day – June 2.
· The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race was on Sept. 30, 2001 – won by Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet, 110.576 mph, 3:37:19).
· During the 2012 season, between the April and October events, the 1.5-mile track underwent a repave, adding variable banking in the corners.
Starts
· There have been 23 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway, one event from 2001 - 2010 and two races per year since 2011.
· 131 drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas; 100 in more than one.
· Four drivers have started all 23 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races and lead the series in starts at Kansas Speedway – Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman.
· Joey Logano (16 starts) leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Kansas Speedway with a 9.750.
· Four drivers have made their first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career start at Kansas Speedway: Erik Jones (5/09/2015), Ryan Blaney (5/10/2014), Austin Dillon (10/09/2011) and Denny Hamlin (10/09/2005).
Poles
· 15 drivers have Coors Light poles at Kansas, led by Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne with three each.
· Jason Leffler won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Kansas Speedway in 2001 with a speed of 176.499 mph (Dodge) driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. Leffler is the only driver to post his first career MENCS pole at Kansas.
· Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick are the only two drivers to win consecutive Coors Light poles at Kansas Speedway (Johnson: 2007-2008 and Harvick: Fall of 2013-2014 sweep).
· Youngest Kansas pole winner: Ryan Blaney (05/13/2017 – 23 years, 2 months, 43 days).
· Oldest Kansas pole winner: Mark Martin (10/04/2009 – 50 years, 8 months, 25 days).
· Four manufacturers have won Coors Light poles at Kansas Speedway; led by Chevrolet with 10; followed by Ford (six), Dodge (four) and Toyota (three).
Wins
· 14 different drivers have won at Kansas Speedway, led by Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson with three each. Nine of the 14 Kansas winners are currently active.
· Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Kansas with six: Jeff Gordon (three: 2001, 2002 and 2014) and Jimmie Johnson (three: 2008, 2011 and 2015).
· Four manufacturers have won at Kansas Speedway in the MENCS; led by Chevrolet with 11 victories, Fordwith six, Toyota has four and Dodge has two.
· Four of the 23 (17.3%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway have been won from the Coors Light pole: Joe Nemechek (2004), Jimmie Johnson (2008), Matt Kenseth (spring 2013) and Kevin Harvick (fall 2013).
· Five of the 23 (21.7%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway have been won from the front row: four from the pole and one from second-place.
· 13 of the 23 (56.5%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup races at Kansas Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.
· 21 of the 23 (91.3%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway have been won from a top-20 starting position.
· Two of the 23 (9%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway have been won from a starting position outside the top 20. – 21st (Tony Stewart, 2006) and 25th (Brad Keselowski, 2011).
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Kansas Speedway is 25th, by Brad Keselowski in the spring of 2011.
· Youngest Kansas winner: Joey Logano (10/05/2014 – 24 years, 4 months, 11 days).
· Oldest Kansas winner: Mark Martin (10/09/2005 – 46 years, 9 months, 0 days).
· Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth are the only two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers that have posted consecutive wins at Kansas Speedway: Gordon (2001 and 2002 – the first two MENCS events at Kansas) and Kenseth (fall 2012, spring 2013).
· Jeff Gordon is the only driver to win at Kansas in his first appearance.
· No MENCS drivers have won their first career race at Kansas Speedway.
· Martin Truex Jr. competed at Kansas Speedway 17 times before winning in 2017; the longest span of any the nine active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winners at Kansas.
· Martin Truex Jr. (17), Kyle Busch (16), Kevin Harvick (15) and Matt Kenseth (13) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Kansas Speedway.
· Kurt Busch leads the series with the most Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway without visiting Victory Lane at 23.
Additional Finishing Positions
· Kevin Harvick has the series most runner-up finishes at Kansas Speedway with three; followed by Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr and Ryan Newman with two each.
· Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at Kansas Speedway with 11; followed by Jimmie Johnson with nine, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle each have seven.
· Jimmie Johnson leads the series in top-10 finishes at Kansas Speedway with 17; followed by Jeff Gordon(14), Carl Edwards (13) and Matt Kenseth (13).
· Rusty Wallace (five starts) leads the series in average finish at Kansas with an 8.200.
· Jimmie Johnson (22 starts) leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway with an average finishing position of 9.591.
Track / Event Specific Stats
· There have been two MENCS races resulting a NASCAR Overtime finish at Kansas Speedway:
Scheduled No. of Laps
|
Actual No. of Laps
|
Overtime Laps
|
Race Winners
|
Date
|
267
|
269
|
2
|
Joey Logano
|
10/18/2015
|
267
|
272
|
5
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
10/9/2011
|
· Only one of the 23 races at Kansas Speedway has been shortened due to weather conditions:
Scheduled No. of Laps
|
Actual No. of Laps
|
Fewer Laps
|
Race Winner
|
Date
|
267
|
210
|
-57
|
Greg Biffle
|
9/30/2007
|
· Qualifying has never been cancelled due to weather conditions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway.
· The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Kansas race has never been postponed to another date due to weather conditions.
· Below you find the top five closest margins of victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993:
MOV
|
Winner
|
Runner-Up
|
Date
|
0.081
|
Joe Nemechek
|
Ricky Rudd
|
10/10/2004
|
0.112
|
Jeff Gordon
|
Kevin Harvick
|
5/10/2014
|
0.150
|
Matt Kenseth
|
Kasey Kahne
|
4/21/2013
|
0.280
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
Carl Edwards
|
9/28/2008
|
0.413
|
Jeff Gordon
|
Ryan Newman
|
9/30/2001
|
· Of the 23 MENCS races held at Kansas Speedway, only the Sept. 30, 2007 event has ended under caution – weather – Greg Biffle won the event.
Female Competitor Stats
· Danica Patrick is the only female driver that has competed at Kansas Speedway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series:
Driver
|
Starting Position
|
Finishing Position
|
Driver Rating
|
Date
|
Danica Patrick
|
24
|
36
|
56.2
|
5/13/2017
|
Danica Patrick
|
19
|
18
|
65.0
|
10/16/2016
|
Danica Patrick
|
23
|
20
|
53.9
|
5/7/2016
|
Danica Patrick
|
29
|
22
|
54.7
|
10/18/2015
|
Danica Patrick
|
27
|
27
|
54.4
|
5/9/2015
|
Danica Patrick
|
29
|
16
|
67.9
|
10/5/2014
|
Danica Patrick
|
9
|
7
|
101.4
|
5/10/2014
|
Danica Patrick
|
29
|
43
|
29.3
|
10/6/2013
|
Danica Patrick
|
25
|
25
|
55.8
|
4/21/2013
|
Danica Patrick
|
40
|
32
|
40.4
|
10/21/2012
|
Averages
|
25.4
|
24.6
|
57.9
|
· Danica Patrick’s seventh-place finish (2014) at Kansas Speedway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is the third-highest finish by a female driver in series history. Patrick’s series career-best finish is sixth (Atlanta).
· The best finish by a female driver in the MENCS is Sarah Christian’s fifth-place finish (Heidelberg) in 1949.
NASCAR in Kansas
· There has been a total of 61 NASCAR national series races among two tracks held in the state of Kansas.
Track Name
|
City
|
MENCS
|
NXS
|
NCWTS
|
Total Races
|
Kansas Speedway
|
Kansas City
|
23
|
16
|
17
|
56
|
Heartland Park Topeka
|
Topeka
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
5
|
Totals
|
23
|
16
|
22
|
61
|
Kansas Drivers In NASCAR
· 17 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Kansas.
· Of the 17 Kansas drivers, only 10 have competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Clint Bowyer (Emporia) leads all Kansas drivers in MENCS starts with 407.
· Of the 17 Kansas drivers, only two of them have won a NASCAR national series race; both have won in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Driver
|
Monster Energy
|
XFINITY
|
Camping World
|
Total
|
Clint Bowyer
|
8
|
8
|
3
|
19
|
Jim Roper
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Total
|
9
|
8
|
3
|
20
|
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Milestones
| |||
Drivers
|
Has
|
Needs
|
Milestones
|
STARTS
| |||
Jimmie Johnson
|
574
|
1
|
To become the 31st driver in series history to start 575 or more races
|
Kasey Kahne
|
499
|
1
|
To become the 40th driver in series history to start 500 or more races
|
Matt DiBenedetto
|
99
|
1
|
To become the 198th driver in series history to start 100 or more races
|
Ty Dillon
|
49
|
1
|
To become the 285th driver in series history to start 50 or more races
|
WINS
| |||
Jimmie Johnson
|
83
|
1
|
Tie Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip (84) for fourth on MENCS wins list
|
Kyle Busch
|
42
|
2
|
Tie Bill Elliott (44) for 16th on all-time MENCS wins list
|
Matt Kenseth
|
38
|
1
|
Tie Tim Flock (39) for 18th on all-time MENCS wins list
|
Kevin Harvick
|
36
|
1
|
Tie Bobby Isaac (37) for 21st on MENCS all-time wins list
|
Denny Hamlin
|
31
|
1
|
Tie Dale Jarrett (32) for 24th on all-time MENCS wins list
|
Kurt Busch
|
29
|
1
|
Tie Denny Hamlin (30) for 25th on all-time MENCS wins list
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr
|
26
|
2
|
Tie Rex White (28) for 28th on all-time MENCS wins list
|
Brad Keselowski
|
24
|
1
|
Tie Joe Weatherly, Jim Paschal (25) for 31st on all-time MENCS wins list
|
POLES
| |||
Ryan Newman
|
51
|
3
|
Tie Bill Elliott for eighth on the all-time MENCS poles list
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
35
|
1
|
Tie Rusty Wallace and Rex White for 17th on all-time MENCS poles list
|
Kasey Kahne
|
27
|
2
|
Tie Ricky Rudd (29) for 24th on the all-time MENCS poles list
|
Kyle Busch
|
27
|
2
|
Tie Ricky Rudd (29) for 24th on the all-time MENCS poles list
|
ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS
| |||
Jimmie Johnson
|
46
|
2
|
Tie Lee Petty for 11th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr
|
149
|
1
|
To become the 24th driver to post 150 or more MENCS top-five finishes
|
Matt Kenseth
|
323
|
2
|
To become the 14th driver in series history to post 325 top 10s or more
|
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
|
24
|
1
|
To post his 25th career MENCS top-10 finish
|
LAPS LED
| |||
Jimmie Johnson
|
18,639
|
361
|
To become the ninth driver in series history to lead 19,000 or more laps
|
Matt Kenseth
|
11,660
|
340
|
To become the 15th MENCS driver all-time to lead 12,000 or more laps
|
Kurt Busch
|
8,877
|
126
|
To become 20th MENCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 or more laps
|
Denny Hamlin
|
8,573
|
427
|
To become 20th MENCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 or more laps
|
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