Kansas Speedway sets the stage for the NASCAR Cup Series

The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season and the introduction of the Next Gen car are a quarter of the way through the 36-race schedule, and already the competition has produced eight different pole winners and 10 different race winners – making this season tied with the 2001, 2014 and 2019 seasons for second-most race winners through 12 races in the Modern Era (1972-Present); behind 2000, 2003 with 11 different winners. Now the series turns its attention to Kansas Speedway for this Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Groundbreaking for Kansas Speedway was held on May 25, 1999. The official opening of Kansas Speedway was in 2001, with the first NASCAR Cup Series race being held on September 30, 2001. The event was won by Hendrick Motorsport’s driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet). Gordon would actually win the first two NASCAR Cup Series races held at Kansas (2001, 2002).

During the 2012 season, between the April and October events, the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway track underwent a repave, adding variable banking in the corners bringing them to 17-20 degrees.

In total, there have been 32 NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway; one event from 2001 - 2010 and two races per year since 2011. The 32 Cup Series races have produced 16 different pole winners and 16 different race winners (2001-2021).

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick leads the series in poles at Kansas Speedway with five (fall 2013, 2014 sweep, spring 2018, spring 2019).

This weekend, six of the 16 NASCAR Cup Series Kansas pole winners are active this weekend.

 

Active Kansas Pole Winners (6)	Poles	Seasons
Kevin Harvick	5	2019, 2018, 2014 sweep, 2013
Joey Logano	2	2018, 2015
Martin Truex Jr	2	2017, 2016
Ryan Blaney	1	2017
Brad Keselowski	1	2015
Kurt Busch	1	2011

 

Jeff Gordon (2001, 2002, 2014), Jimmie Johnson (2008, 2011, 2015), Kevin Harvick (2013, 2016, 2018), Joey Logano (2014, 2015, 2020) and Denny Hamlin (2012, 2019, 2020) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Kansas Speedway with three victories each.

This weekend, eight of the 16 NASCAR Cup Series Kansas winners are active.

 

Active Kansas Race Winners (8)	Wins	Seasons
Denny Hamlin	3	2020, 2019, 2012
Joey Logano	3	2020, 2015, 2014
Kevin Harvick	3	2018, 2016, 2013
Kyle Busch	2	2021, 2016
Brad Keselowski	2	2019, 2011
Martin Truex Jr	2	2017 sweep
Kyle Larson	1	2021
Chase Elliott	1	2018

 

This weekend’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway is scheduled for 267 laps (400 miles) and will be broken up into three stages. The first stage is 80 laps, the second stage is 85 laps and the final stage will be 102 laps.

The NASCAR Cup Series on-track activity at Kansas Speedway is scheduled to begin on Saturday, May 14 with practice from 5 – 5:35 p.m. ET directly followed by Busch Light Pole Qualifying at 5:35 p.m. ET – both events will be televised on FS1.