Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Kansas Betting Preview: 2018 KC Masterpiece 400

Martin Truex Jr swept the Kansas season in 2017.
We're top heavy with favorites this week, so let's scour the next level of candidates and see if one slips through the cracks and can steal the checkers in Saturday night's KC Masterpiece 400 at Kansas Speedway. But first, we need to understand just how good and ahead of the curve these favorites are on this particular type of track.

There have been six of the most diverse race tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule the past six races, but this week we go to what the series has the most of, a 1.5-mile track. There's 11 of them on the schedule and Saturday's race will be the fourth on what some like to call the cookie-cutter circuit.

The only thing really similar about the 1.5-mile tracks is the distance. Every driver will tell you that each of the layouts has their own special nuance that makes it unique among the other. Most of them are banked differently which drastically changes the set-up and speeds between them and some have newer or older pavement than others that change the overall complexion.

But there's no denying results when you put them all together. Last season Martin Truex Jr. won seven of the 11 races on 1.5s, including both Kansas races, and the effect was winning his first Cup Series Championship. He probably should have more than two Kansas wins.

“Winning three straight at Kansas would be pretty special,” Truex said. “We’ve been so good there the past three or four years but also had some heartbreakers after having the best car and not winning. Getting those two last year meant a lot. It was gratifying to get the job done but still feel the track owes us a few more.”

Truex has led 713 laps, second-most in Kansas history behind Matt Kenseth. He's had five races there leading 91 laps or more. Still, he's been a notch below Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch on these types this season finishing fifth at Atlanta in February and fourth at Las Vegas in March.

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