Kevin Harvick is 5/2 favorite to win fourth time at Texas

 

KEVIN HARVICK Four Time   KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (October 21, 2020) –Kevin Harvick drives the No. 4 car and his looking for his fourth consecutive victory in the fall NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.   Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), has a 41-point lead over the Championship 4 cutoff position with two races remaining in the Round of 8 of the Cup Series playoffs, but a victory at Texas automatically advances him to the winner-take-all season finale at Phoenix International Raceway.   In 2017, Harvick arrived at Texas with a three point advantage over the cutoff but, with 10 laps to go in the race, he got by Martin Truex Jr., for the victory and advanced to the Championship 4. The next year, he came into Texas with a 25-point lead over fifth place but led 177 laps and beat Ryan Blaney on a late restart to score the victory to advance once again.   Last year, he came to Texas 14 points outside the cutoff, but he led 119 laps en route to his third consecutive fall victory at Texas and, once again, advanced to the Championship 4.   Harvick comes to Texas this year with the largest margin ahead of the cutoff he’s had entering the race since 2017, but he knows first-hand that a victory is the easiest way to advance. Win and you are in.   He has three wins, two poles, 11 top-threes, 23 top-10s and has led a total of 654 laps in his 35 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Texas. But his last 12 races, all with crew chief Rodney Childers and SHR’s No. 4 team, have been outstanding.   He has finished in the top-10 in all 12 of those races with seven top-threes and two poles. Harvick will once again have the support of Hunt Brothers Pizza, which has partnered with Harvick in NASCAR for 11 years and last visited victory lane with him when he won the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.   Harvick has also won NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races with Hunt Brothers Pizza as the primary sponsor at Texas and at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, both in 2011. The company also sponsored him in the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race in 2014 and 2015 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Harvick finished second in both races.   Hunt Brothers Pizza moved up to the Cup Series for three races in 2019 and five races in 2020. With more than 7,800 locations in 30 states, Hunt Brothers Pizza is the nation’s largest brand of made-to-order pizza in the convenience store industry. Hunt Brothers Pizza offers original and thin crust pizzas available as a grab-and-go Hunk perfect for today’s on-the-go lifestyle, or as a customizable whole pizza that is an exceptional value with All Toppings No Extra Charge®. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Hunt Brothers Pizza is family owned and operated with more than 25 years of experience serving great pizza to convenience store shoppers through its store partners. To find a Hunt Brothers Pizza location, download the Hunt Brothers Pizza app by visiting www.huntbrotherspizza.com/app/   Harvick would like nothing better than to get to victory lane, for Hunt Brothers Pizza – and to clinch a spot in the Championship 4.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You are going to Texas. How confident are you that you can get the job done and lock down a spot in the Championship 4?   “Just going to go race and do the things we do every week. You never know how these things are going to play out. Our car was plenty fast to win the race (at Kansas Sunday) and just came up one short.”   Seeing how you got to size up Joey Logano at Kansas, you have two chances to build up your points before heading to Phoenix, a track you’re really good at. How confident are you about getting some points in the bank as you get to Texas?   “I feel better about Texas than I did (at Kansas). Our guys did a pretty good job of bringing a whole lot better car than what we had at the first race. If our car’s that much better at Texas than it was the first race, it should be a good weekend. You just never know how the cautions are going to fall, the strategy, anything like that. You just have to go lap by lap and see where it falls.”   Given your points situation, are you looking at Phoenix or is it still focus on everything you have to do to clinch first?   “I think everything has been pushed into the pile already. All these cars are pretty much prepared throughout the next three weeks, with the travel to Phoenix, Texas, back to Martinsville. Everything is already prepared. I don’t think we would do anything any differently than what we have right now just because of the fact that it’s tough to change course right now because of where we are in the schedule and the logistics that have to go with that.”   You’ve gone on and won a championship before, been in these situations. How do you feel about this team from the year you won the championship? Is everything in place, and do you have the same confidence level you can make it all happen?   “I feel a lot better after (Sunday), getting out of (Kansas) with a good day, leading laps there. I feel good about that leading into Texas. I think as you look at Martinsville, I feel a lot better about it than what we were the first race. Obviously, the first race we had a whole bunch of problems with no fans, alternator, all the things that went wrong. We ran well at Phoenix. I think we just have to see how the chips fall in the next three races and see where it all ends up.”

Logano coasts into NASCAR's Championship 4

Joey Logano is 14-to-1 to win this week at William Hill.

Joey Logano claimed the first berth into the Nov. 8 Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway by winning Sunday at Kansas Speedway in the first of three races during the Round of 8.

Three more invites are awaiting among the seven eligible drivers. Win at either Texas this week or Martinsville next week and get the automatic bid, or else score the most points to advance.

Logano wasn’t expected by most to be one of the Championship 4 drivers because he last won a race before the pandemic shutdown. He had won two of the four races before it, but none after the season was rebooted, until Sunday.

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook’s updated futures have Logano at 3-1 to win the 2020 Championship behind Kevin Harvick (6-5), and ahead of Denny Hamlin (7-2).

Logano has no pressure now and can coast into Phoenix where they’ll be using the race package with 750 horsepower which has proven to be his best package this season — he won at Phoenix in March. But he also showed signs of improved performance in the 550 hp package he won with Sunday at Kansas and it was apparent they were all better with it in the July 19 Texas race when he finished third after leading 22 laps.

Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas will be the 11th and final race on a 1.5-mile track and also the 20th and final race using the 550 hp package. Eight of the 10 races on 1.5s have been won by different drivers with Hamlin and Logano having multiple wins. Harvick has a series-leading nine wins on the season, but just one win on a 1.5 track (Atlanta, June 7). On Sunday at Kansas, Harvick was runner-up after leading a race-high 85 laps.

READ MORE HERE....GAMING TODAY

Odds to win 2020 AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas

Austin Dillon won the July Texas race, paid out 100/1.

NASCAR CUP SERIES

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK

ODDS TO WIN 2020 AUTOTRADER ECHOPARK AUTOMOTIVE 500

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2020 - 3:50 PM ET

Kevin HARVICK 5/2
Denny HAMLIN 4/1
Martin TRUEX JR 7/1
Chase ELLIOTT 7/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 7/1
Ryan BLANEY 7/1
Joey LOGANO 14/1
Alex BOWMAN 20/1
Kyle BUSCH 20/1
Kurt BUSCH 30/1
Aric ALMIROLA 40/1
Erik JONES 40/1
William BYRON 40/1
Matt DIBENEDETTO 60/1
Austin DILLON 60/1
Tyler REDDICK 100/1
Clint BOWYER 100/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 100/1
Christopher BELL 100/1
Cole CUSTER 100/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 300/1
Matt KENSETH 500/1
Ryan NEWMAN 500/1
Chris BUESCHER 1000/1
Darrell WALLACE JR 2000/1
John HUNTER NEMECHEK 5000/1
Michael McDOWELL 5000/1
TY DILLON 5000/1
Ryan PREECE 5000/1
Daniel SUAREZ 10000/1
Corey LAJOIE 10000/1
Brennan POOLE 10000/1
Quin HOUFF 10000/1
JJ YELEY 10000/1
Timmy HILL 10000/1
Josh BILICKI 10000/1
Joey GASE 10000/1
Reed SORENSON 10000/1
Garrett SMITHLEY 10000/1
Chad FINCHUM 10000/1

NASCAR Kansas Betting Preview: 2020 Hollywood Casino

NASCAR CUP SERIES
HOLLYWOOD CASINO 400
BETTING RESOURCES

Race:Hollywood Casino 400
Date: Sunday, October 18, 2020
TV-Time: NBC, 2:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Kansas Speedway
Location: Kansas City, Kansas

Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway will be the 10th of 11 races on 1.5-mile tracks and 19th of 20 races using the race package with engines producing 550 horsepower.

This will be the first of three races in the Round 8 and Kevin Harvick comes in as the No. 1 seed and Denny Hamlin comes in as No. 2.

Those two drivers have combined to win 11 of the 18 races using this week’s race package which is why they’re the favorites to win this week. William Hill sportsbooks think Harvick is the overwhelming 5/2 favorite (Bet $100 to win $250) with Hamlin at 4/1 while the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook posted both as 7/2 co-favorites.

I like the SuperBook’s number better, but I would go a step further and say Hamlin deserves to be the lone favorite because of his current form in his last two races on 1.5s.

He led the most laps at Kansas (57), winning his second straight race there and third overall, and Las Vegas (121) where he finished third after a strange turn of events with a caution while leading that made him restart in the back of the lead lap with 22 laps to go.

Read More Here - Top-5 Finish Prediction on VegasInisder.com

Chase Elliott is 10/1 to win 2020 Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas

Driver Chase Elliott on if the No. 9 team is doing anything differently this season to advance to Championship 4:
“I don’t know if we are necessarily taking a different approach. I think we’re just trying to build on what we’ve been working on over the past few years. I feel like every year we’ve been close; we just haven’t been able to get over that hump and really assert ourselves among that top group. I feel like we’ve been right there. I feel like we’re very capable of it. Just those little inconsistencies and some bad racetracks have been our biggest problems. So, we’re trying to be a little more consistent everywhere. I think it’s a goal. And eliminate bad tracks. You can’t have bad tracks at this level, and the guys who win often and win all the time and run (well) don’t have any bad tracks. It’s certainly possible and that’s just where we have to get to. The reality is that’s the only way to contend with them and I think we’re capable of doing it."

Crew chief Alan Gustafson on what it takes to advance to Championship 4:
“Yeah, we’ve got to find a way to get through. I feel like there's certainly been a couple times that I think we could have advanced in the last few years. Winning one of these next three is going to be what it takes, and I think we can do it. We're going to work really hard to do it. We have great support behind us. Everybody at Hendrick Motorsports is doing a great job. Greg (Ives) and Alex (Bowman) did a great job getting through. We have two with a shot to make it through. We'd certainly like to get them both.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, will be available to members of the media via video conference on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 1:15 p.m. ET. Visit NASCARmedia.com for details.

KING OF THE QUEEN CITY: Chase Elliott continued his recent dominance at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday by leading 27 laps on the way to his second consecutive victory on the track’s 2.28-mile road course. Earlier this year, Elliott won the second of two NASCAR Cup Series events and the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race on the track’s 1.5-mile oval layout. Additionally, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native led 38 laps and finished second in Charlotte’s annual 600-mile race in May.

ROAD-COURSE REIGN: Sunday’s win at the Charlotte roval was Elliott's fourth consecutive road-course victory, making him and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon the only drivers in Cup Series history to accomplish four road-course wins in a row.

2020 SEASON: Through 32 races, Elliott has garnered career bests in laps led (810), top-five finishes (13), top-10s (19), stage points (273) and stage wins (eight). His three wins are tied for his most and three runner-up results are the second most for him at the 32-race mark.

NAPA IN KANSAS: On Sunday at Kansas, Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will don the blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme. The Atlanta-based company is serving as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for a total of 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this season. In February, it was announced that NAPA AUTO PARTS and Hendrick Motorsports will continue their partnership for another two seasons through 2022. Click here to read the full release.

GUSTAFSON IN THE PLAYOFFS: Sunday’s win at the Charlotte roval gives No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson his 10th NASCAR Cup Series career win in the playoffs, the third most of all crew chiefs.

FOUR TO GO: As the NASCAR Cup Series enters the Round of 8 this weekend at Kansas, Elliott currently leads playoff drivers with the most points earned (239), stage points (73) and holds the best average running position (5.66) in the six playoff races. He has also run the most laps in the top five (1,176) and in the top 10 (1,567) of all drivers. In those six playoff races, the driver of the No. 9 holds the third-most laps led (280) and is tied for the second-most top-10s (4) in the playoffs with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman.

1.5-MILE TRACKS IN 2020: In nine 1.5-mile races in 2020, Elliott won at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28 and has two runner-up finishes. He has led the fifth-most laps (262) in the Cup Series and has collected the fourth-most points (329). Elliott’s three stage wins at 1.5-mile tracks are tied for most in the series this season with Bowman and Denny Hamlin.

KANSAS STATS: On Sunday, Elliott is set to make his 10th Kansas Speedway start in the NASCAR Cup Series. He holds the third-best average finish (11.6) at the track among drivers with at least two starts. In Elliott’s nine previous starts at Kansas, he garnered one win, four top-five finishes and five top-10s. Elliott has finished inside the top five in four of the last six races at the 1.5-mile track.

WELCOME HOME: No. 9 team jackman T.J. Semke hails from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, less than 40 miles from Kansas Speedway. Before stepping on the football field at the University of Kansas in 2012, Semke was a part-time bounty hunter. The 27-year-old was a defensive lineman for the Kansas Jayhawks for three years, earning Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honors twice. Semke signed with Hendrick Motorsports in October 2016.

​

​

​

​

2020 Season 4th in standings 32 starts 3 wins 1 pole position 13 top-five finishes 19 top-10 finishes 810 laps led      Career 181 starts 9 wins 9 pole positions 57 top-five finishes 93 top-10 finishes 2,654 laps led     Track Career  9 starts 1 win 0 pole positions 4 top-five finishes 5 top-10 finishes 97 laps led

​

​

​

​

Playoff driver outlook heading into the Round of 8

Entering the first race of the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Kansas Speedway this weekend, none of the postseason contenders can clinch a spot in the Championship 4 round on points, making this week’s win and automatic bid to advance that much more important.

Kevin Harvick 7/2 (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) enters the Round of 8 seeded first in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 4,067 points. Harvick is 45 points ahead of the Championship 4 cutoff and is looking to make the final round for the sixth time in his career (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019). Harvick has made 29 series starts at Kansas posting five poles (series-most), three wins (tied for series-most), nine top fives and 16 top 10s. He also leads several key categories in the pre-race Loop Data at Kansas with an Average Running Position of 8.906, series-best, a Driver Rating of 108.6, series-best and 5,351 Laps in the Top 15 (80.6%), series-most. He finished fourth at Kansas earlier this season.

Denny Hamlin 4/1 (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) enters the Round of 8 seeded second in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 4,054 points. Hamlin is currently 32 points ahead of the Championship 4 cutoff and is looking to make the final round for the third time in his career (2014, 2019). Hamlin has 24 series Kansas starts under his belt having posted three wins (tied for series-most), eight top fives and nine top 10s. He also ranks in the top 10 of several key pre-race Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of 13.004, ninth-best, a Driver Rating of 90.4, ninth-best and 4,359 Laps in the Top 15 (68.4%), fifth-most. Hamlin has won the last two consecutive races at Kansas Speedway (2019 Playoffs, 2020) and enters this weekend looking to become first driver in series history to win three in a row.

Brad Keselowski 7/1 (No. 2 Team Penske Ford) arrives in the Round of 8 seeded third in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 4,035 points. Keselowski is currently 13 points ahead of the Championship 4 cutoff and is looking to make the final round for the second time in his career (2017). The Michigan native has made 21 series starts at Kansas Speedway posting one pole, two wins, five top fives and 11 top 10s. He also ranks in the top 10 in several key Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of 12.645, eighth-best, a Driver Rating of 92.8, seventh-best and 4,057 Laps in the Top 15 (72.1%), eighth-most. Keselowski finished runner-up to Denny Hamlin at Kansas Speedway earlier this season.

Chase Elliott 10/1 (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) enters the Round of 8 seeded in the fourth and final transfer spot to the Championship 4 round in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 4,027 points – just five points ahead of the Championship 4 cutoff. Elliott is looking to make the final round of the Playoffs for the first time in his career. Elliott has made nine starts at Kansas Speedway posting one win, four top fives and five top 10s. He also ranks in the top 15 of several key pre-race Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of 12.583, seventh-best, a Driver Rating of 95.2, fifth-best and 1,724 Laps in the Top 15 (71.3%), 14th-most. Elliott finished 12th in the series’ first stop at Kansas earlier this year.

Joey Logano 12/1 (No. 22 Team Penske Ford) joins the Round of 8 seeded fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 4,022 points – just five points behind Chase Elliott in the final transfer spot to the Championship 4. Logano is looking to make the Playoff’s final round for the fourth time in his career (2014, 2016, 2018). Logano has made 22 series starts at Kansas putting up two poles, two wins, seven top fives and eight top 10s. He also ranks in the top 15 of several key pre-race Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of 15.234, 13th-best, a Driver Rating of 87.4, 12th-best and 3,345 Laps in the Top 15 (56.7%), ninth-most. Logano will be looking to rebound at Kansas Speedway this weekend, after a disastrous showing earlier this season that resulted in a 35th-place finish due to an incident.

Martin Truex Jr. 4/1 (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) enters the Round of 8 seeded sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 4,017 points. Truex is currently 10 points behind Chase Elliott in the final transfer spot into the Championship 4. The New Jersey native, Truex, is looking to make the Playoff’s final round for the fifth time in his career. The 2017 series champion has made 24 starts at Kansas Speedway posting two poles, two wins, nine top fives and 11 top 10s. Truex also ranks in the top five of several key pre-race Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of 11.215, fourth-best, a Driver Rating of 100.7, fourth-best and 4,565 Laps in the Top 15 (71.6%), third-most. Truex led 44 laps and finished third in the Kansas Speedway race earlier this season.

Alex Bowman 22/1 (No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) arrives in the Round of 8 seeded seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 4,009 points. Bowman, who recently signed a new deal to drive the Hendrick Motorsport’s No. 48 in 2021, is currently 18 points behind his teammate Chase Elliott in the fourth and final transfer spot to the Championship 4 round. Bowman is looking to make the Playoff’s final round for the first time in his career. The Arizona native, Bowman, has made 10 series starts at Kansas Speedway posting one top five and four top 10s. He also ranks in the top 25 of several key pre-race Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of 22.106, 25th-best, a Driver Rating of 69.8, 21st-best and 1,094 Laps in the Top 15 (40.7%), 18th-most. Bowman finished in the top-10 (eighth) in the Kansas race earlier this season.

Kurt Busch 30/1 (No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) enters the Round of 8 seeded in the eighth and final position in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 4,006 points. Busch is currently 21 points behind Chase Elliott in the final transfer spot to the Championship 4 round. Busch is looking to make the Playoff’s final round for the first time in his career. The 2004 series champion, Busch, has made 29 series starts at Kansas posting one pole, four top fives and 12 top 10s. He also ranks inside the top 15 in key pre-race Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of 14.196, 12th-best, a Driver Rating of 88.6, 11th-best and 4,301 Laps in the Top 15 (64.8%), sixth-most. Busch finished ninth in the series’ first stop at Kansas earlier this season.

 

Harvick and Hamlin favored to win at Kansas as Round of 8 begins

Six races have been completed in the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs with just eight drivers remaining eligible to win the Cup Championship after eight have been eliminated.

The Round of 8 begins Sunday at Kansas Speedway with the Hollywood Casino 400 and will continue at Texas the following week and conclude at Martinsville where four more drivers will bow out of contention giving us the Championship 4 to battle it out at Phoenix on Nov. 8.

Drivers will carry over their points from the season and what has been gained during the Playoffs. But when they get to Phoenix, all four drivers will come in with the same amount of points and whoever finishes the best among them will be our 2020 champion.

The key component in the Round of 8 is that there are two 1.5-mile tracks and the drivers will be using the race package with engines producing 550 horsepower that has been used 18 times this season on larger tracks and Sunday’s race will be the 10th time it has been used on a 1.5-mile track.

Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin have combined to win 11 of the 18 races using the 550 hp package and both are the drivers we need to start with here, although Harvick has only one win on a 1.5-mile track (at Atlanta, June 7).

The last two races on 1.5s have been dominated by Hamlin. He won July 23 at Kansas leading a race-high 57 laps, his second Kansas win in a row, and then he finished third at Las Vegas on Sept. 27 after leading a race-high 121 laps. He should have won in Vegas for the first time, but a late caution after he and the other leaders pitted put them at the tail end of the lead lap with 22 laps to go. It led to Kurt Busch earning his first career win in any series on his home track.

In three of the other races on 1.5s, there was a tire compound used that didn’t wear and allowed drivers to bypass tire changes and take fuel only on the final pit stop with the gamble paying off all three times. Joey Logano won at Las Vegas in February, Cole Custer won at Kentucky July 12 paying out 300-1 odds, and Austin Dillon paid out at 100-1 odds at Kentucky the following week.

READ MORE HERE....GAMING TODAY

Denny Hamlin is 4/1 to win 2020 Hollywood Casino 400

Denny Hamlin has three wins at Kansas.

Denny Hamlin

#11 FedEx Freight Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Hollywood Casino 400
Date/Time: Sunday, Oct. 18/2:30 p.m. ET
Distance: 267 laps/400.5 miles
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Track Shape: Tri-Oval
Banking: Turns: 17-20°; Straights 5-11°
2019 Winner: Denny Hamlin

Express Notes:

Press Kit: Download the 2020 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.

Charlotte Roval Recap: The #11 FedEx Ground Toyota started the race on the pole, but that was the only time Hamlin was at the front of the field during the 109-lap race around the road course/oval hybrid track. Morning showers required the field to start the race on rain tires and then make the decision of when to switch to regular racing slicks as the track dried. The changing conditions, plus rough contact in the corners, led to Hamlin spinning multiple times throughout the race. Despite trailing near the back of the pack for parts of the race, the #11 team was able to use pit strategy to get back up to third with 19 laps to go. However, a late pit stop was slowed when the pit crew had to work around body damage from earlier contact, knocking Hamlin back outside the top 25. He was able to rally in the remaining nine laps to cross the line 15th.

Kansas Preview: The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Kansas for the first event in the Round of 8 this weekend. “The Track That Will Blow You Away” will be the host on Sunday at 2:30 pm ET. Hamlin was reseeded second in the points standings behind Kevin Harvick after the Round of 12, but he will look to punch his ticket to the Championship 4 with a win at Kansas.

Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Kansas Speedway
Races: 24
Wins: 3
Poles: 0
Top-5: 8
Top-10: 9
Laps Led: 6276
Avg. Start: 12.5
Avg. Finish: 14.5

Hamlin Conversation – Kansas:

As you and the team look to Kansas, you’ve had success there in the past. How do you intend to use that experience?

“Our mentality is the same— win and win now. We’ve had success in the last two races at Kansas, and we’ll look to keep that going. I know my team is going to put a fast car on the track and then it’s up to me to get it across the finish line.”

There are three races left this season. What does it mean to you to be back in the position to possibly win your first championship?

“It means everything. I’ve been at it for 15 years, and to be back in a position to capture my first championship is everything. Right now I’m focused on Kansas, though, and how I can perform the best for myself and my team.”

FedEx Freight Along for the Ride at Kansas Speedway: For the Hollywood Casino 400 at the Kansas Speedway, FedEx Freight recognizes the company’s Midway, Ill., service center by featuring the call letters MDW on the #11 FedEx Freight race car. The Midway service center, which opened in 2018, has approximately 390 team members who are committed to making every FedEx experience outstanding.

FedEx Office – Closest to Kansas Speedway: 13450 W 87th St. Pkwy, Lenexa, KS 66215, (913) 894-2010

Odds to win 2020 Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas

Denny Hamlin has won the last two races at Kansas.

WILLIAM HILL SPORTSBOOKS
ODDS TO WIN 2020 HOLLYWOOD CASINO 400
KANSAS SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2020 - 2:20 PM ET

Kevin Harvick 5/2
Denny Hamlin 4/1
Martin Truex Jr. 4/1
Brad Keselowski 7/1
Chase Elliott 7/1
Ryan Blaney 12/1
Joey Logano 12/1
Kyle Busch 18/1
Alex Bowman 22/1
Kurt Busch 30/1
Aric Almirola 40/1
Erik Jones 50/1
William Byron 60/1
Jimmie Johnson 60/1
Matt DiBenedetto 60/1
Clint Bowyer 75/1
Tyler Reddick 75/1
Cole Custer 100/1
Austin Dillon 100/1
Christopher Bell 100/1
Matt Kenseth 200/1
Ryan Newman 300/1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 300/1
Chris Buescher 500/1
Bubba Wallace 1,000/1
John Hunter Nemechek 1,500/1
Ty Dillon 2,000/1
Michael McDowell 2,000/1
Ryan Preece 2,000/1
Daniel Suarez 2,500/1
Corey Lajoie 5,000/1
J.J. Yeley 5,000/1
Reed Sorenson 5,000/1
Joey Gase 5,000/1
James Davison 5,000/1
Brennan Poole 5,000/1
Timmy Hill 5,000/1
Quin Houff 5,000/1
Chad Finchum 5,000/1
Josh Bilicki 5,000/1

Cole Custer is 100/1 to win 2020 Hollywood Casino 400

 

COLE CUSTER Heading to the Midwest   KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Oct. 13, 2020) – This weekend, Cole Custer and his No. 41 HaasTooling.com team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) venture to the Midwest for Sunday’s 400-mile race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The intermediate oval event marks Custer’s 36th career Cup Series start and his second at Kansas.     At last Sunday’s Roval 400 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Custer started 28th, survived contact from a competitor that sent him spinning on the racing surface, and was able to recover by rallying to a ninth-place finish in his first Cup Series start on the “roval.”   The California native’s only previous Cup Series outing at Kansas was in July, when he started 24th and finished seventh. Custer started the final stage 22nd and was able to work his way forward to a top-10 despite a tight-handling Mustang.   Custer has four starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Kansas with a best finish of 11th in October of last year. In total, the Ford driver has an average Xfinity Series starting position of 10.2 and an averaging finishing position of 22.8, along with 85 laps led. He has one NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series start at Kansas when he started and finished inside the top-10.   In his last nine starts at intermediate tracks, Custer has one win – Kentucky Speedway in Sparta – and one other top-10 to bring his average finishing position to 17.0 on the intermediate ovals.   Even though Custer is out of contention for this year’s Cup Series championship, he still has four more opportunities to capture his second win of the season. This weekend, a limited number of fans will be allowed to attend the 267-lap event while following socially distancing guidelines.   So far this season, Ford has won 17 races, and Custer and his SHR teammate Kevin Harvick have both earned wins for the Blue Oval – one for Custer and nine for Harvick. Ford’s milestone 700th win in the Cup Series came at the hands of Harvick on Aug. 23 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Ford captured its first victory on June 25, 1950. Ford drivers made up 50 percent of this year’s starting playoff field. SHR No. 4 driver Harvick, continues on to the playoffs Round of 8 which begin this weekend at Kansas.   With Custer’s Cup Series win July 12 at Kentucky, he became one of 10 drivers who have won in each of NASCAR’s top three national series, as well as in ARCA and one of NASCAR’s developmental series.   Team co-owner Gene Haas’ newest holding, Haas Tooling, was launched as a way for CNC machinists to purchase high quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas’ cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users. Beginning July 1, HaasTooling.com products became available nationally. The cutting tools available for purchase at HaasTooling.com are even more important during the current COVID-19 pandemic as CNC machines have become vital to producing personal protective equipment.   SHR has 70 starts at Kansas with three wins – team co-owner Tony Stewart in October 2009, and Harvick with wins in October 2016 and May 2018. SHR also has four pole awards, 13 top-fives and 27 top-10s at the Kansas track. In total, SHR has an average starting position of 14.7 and an average finishing position of 15.3 along with 837 laps led.   Haas Automation, founded by Haas in 1983, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers and rotary tables and indexers. All Haas products are constructed in the company’s 1.1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California, and distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Factory Outlets.   Custer, who had a trio of starts in the Cup Series in 2018, clinched 2020 Rookie of the Year honors in his official rookie season in NASCAR’s most prestigious series. Competing against fellow rookie notables Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick, he was the only rookie to clinch a playoff spot this season. Custer was the highest finishing rookie last weekend at the Charlotte roval.

Cole Custer: Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

How do you approach Kansas?   “Kansas is a tough racetrack. You have to move around and work the different lanes. You have to have the speed, as well, obviously. Track position is going to be huge and how you work the strategy is important. It’s a track where you have to put everything together.”   Do you think the intensity will be different at Kansas this time since it’s in the playoffs?   “I think the Kansas playoff race is kind of treated the same as any other playoff race. You have to make sure you can work the lanes good, and work them from the bottom to the top of the track. It’s one of those tracks in the playoffs where you’ll see the intensity go up and more aggressiveness on restarts and things like that. You have to race as hard as you would anywhere else on any given week.”   What has been the highlight of your season so far?   “It has definitely been the win at Kentucky. That pretty much changed my whole season and was pretty unimaginable. It’s my rookie season and there have been so many peaks and valleys, it seems like. I’ve had some good races to look back on and be proud of. There are some really bad ones that I’m not proud of. It’s just trying to level those out more to be more consistent and be in the top-10.”   What do you think about Clint Bowyer leaving SHR and going to the FOX booth?   “I think anyone who works in NASCAR or is a NASCAR fan, they want to have the experience of what it’s like to be up close and personal with Clint. He’s such a personality and people want to know if what they see is what he’s really like in person. To have that experience with him this year is awesome. He’s so outgoing, so energetic and it was also cool to see what he had to say about the cars, the advice he gives and things like that. It was cool to get that experience with him in his last year. Going into the booth, I think that’s a match made in heaven. He’s going to knock it out of the park. I think he’ll be as good as anybody in the booth.”

Clint Bowyer is 75/1 to win final start at home track

 

CLINT BOWYER A Final Race Back Home   KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Oct. 12, 2020) – Clint Bowyer returns Sunday to Kansas Speedway in Kansas City no longer a playoff contender when the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 begins this weekend, but he’s still on a mission as important as any to the Emporia, Kansas native.   He wants to visit victory lane in his home state.   “I have said many times that I think after a Daytona 500 victory, the race I would most like to win is back home at Kansas Speedway,” said Bowyer, whose lone NASCAR victory at the 1.5-mile oval came June 4, 2011 when he led Johnny Sauter by 1.695 seconds in a Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race. “That place is home. I grew up around here and was standing in the infield watching when NASCAR first came here. Everyone who helped me early in my career lives here.”   Bowyer’s desire to win at Kansas takes on new significance Sunday because it will be his last appearance at the track as a driver.   Bowyer announced on social media last week that he will trade his firesuit for a suit and tie and join Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon in the FOX television booth in 2021. In a letter to fans, media and the NASCAR industry, Bowyer offered his appreciation to those who played a role in his career.   “I want to thank every owner who has paid a bill on my behalf, every crew member who has turned a bolt on my cars and every media member who has covered my racing career,” he said. “Thank you to every sponsor that has invested in me, and thank you to every fan who has cheered me along the way!”   Bowyer will have an audience at Kansas Speedway this weekend. COVID-19 postponed the track’s May race until July and fans were not allowed. A limited number of fans will attend this weekend’s race.   Bowyer arrives at Kansas after leading nine laps and finishing 10th Sunday on the roval at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway despite no power steering for the last 35 laps of the race. The finish ended his playoff run, leaving him 46 points short of transferring to the Round of 8. Although he fell out of the playoffs and knows this season is his last behind the wheel, Bowyer still has a lot of racing left at the final four stops of the 2020 Cup Series tour.   NASCAR resets the points for the non-playoff drivers so Bowyer arrives at Kansas 13th in the standings but just 33 markers behind ninth place with four races remaining in the season and his driving career. Even outside the playoffs, Bowyer said winning a race is enough motivation for any driver the rest of this season.    “We are still racing for a trophy,” Bowyer said. “A top-10 in points and a victory would make for a pretty good season and a good way to go out.”   There’s a reason Bowyer wants to celebrate in Kansas. The Kansas dirt is where he came from. He began racing motocross in 1985, collecting more than 200 wins and several championships. After moving from motorcycles to cars, Bowyer gained a reputation for success at Lakeside and I-70 Speedways in Kansas City. Scott Traylor and some local Kansas City businessmen built and put Bowyer in an ARCA car at Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway in August 2003, and Bowyer led 47 laps before finishing second. He got a call from NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Childress to come south and the rest, they say, is history.   Bowyer’s current home is in North Carolina, but he hasn’t turned his back on Kansas, especially the 25,000 residents of Emporia. He returns often to deer hunt, visit friends or just be part of the community. In March 2013, he bought the Clint Bowyer Autoplex car dealership on U.S. Highway 50, where he once worked as a lot attendant, dent specialist and detailer.   Across the street sits the Clint Bowyer Community Building, constructed in 2012 thanks to a $1.5 million donation from his foundation. Inside are 25 new computers at the public library. There is a scoreboard at the aquatic center, a video camera at the auditorium, shoes for the Big Brothers-Big Sisters program, backpacks for kids, Christmas trees for needy families. And, in nearby towns, playground equipment and the reconstruction of a tornado-ravaged community center – all of it and more paid for by Bowyer’s foundation, or out of the driver’s own pocket.   Bowyer even brought country music star Blake Shelton to Emporia for a concert. Emporia appreciates its native son, having renamed the street on which the family towing business resides as “Hon. Clint Bowyer Boulevard.” He’s even re-created a little bit of Kansas at his 650-acre farm near Mocksville, North Carolina. It’s everything one would expect at a Bowyer farm: vintage cars, trucks, racecars, cows, eagles, donkeys and goats.   “In Kansas, you might have two trees and the rest pastures but, in North Carolina, everything is woods, so you can’t see anything,” Bowyer said. “When I drove down the long driveway for the first time, you could see everything – the pasture, the lakes. This was the Promised Land for me. There’s literally something to do from sunup to sundown.”   It’s fitting on his return to Kansas, Bowyer will debut the national Future Farmers of America (FFA) organization and DEKALB brand corn paint scheme on his No. 14 Ford Mustang featuring, dual historical wings for both the FFA emblem and DEKALB winged ear of corn. The special wing-designed car represents iconic roots in agriculture with a tradition of leadership, personal growth and success.     With a legacy of performance, the FFA and DEKALB are focused on improving the future of agriculture and together will offer students the opportunity to qualify for the Winning Has Roots scholarship.     “My roots are not only in Kansas, but also in agriculture,” Bowyer said. “It’s a privilege to partner with DEKALB and FFA to bring ag students this scholarship.”     The Winning Has Roots scholarship will help one qualified student fund his or her continued education. The scholarship amount will be determined by the number of laps Bowyer completes Sunday in Kansas. A base amount of $6,400 is to be awarded to the Winning Has Roots recipient with an increase of $14 for every lap Clint completes. If all 267 laps are completed, the scholarship will increase to $10,138. If he wins the race, the scholarship will be increased to $14,000. This is the second annual scholarship program for the DEKALB brand.    Final scholarship amount, details and next steps will be announced following the race. For more information about the Winning Has Roots scholarship, visit DEKALB.com/Scholarship and follow the conversation with #WinningHasRoots and #GoClintGo.     Bowyer would like nothing better than to raise the dollar value of that scholarship, as well carry a trophy from the Jayhawk State back to the Tar Heel State. It would be a stellar way to close out a long career.

CLINT BOWYER, Driver of the No. 14 RushTruck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

How did you arrive at the decision to hang up the helmet and move to television?   “I have had a hell of a ride and this was a good time to do it. Ultimately, I found the opportunity that kept me doing everything that I love and that’s selling the story of NASCAR with a great team at an organization like FOX. It’s a perfect fit for me. I’m a fit guy. When I took over the No. 14, I said it was the perfect fit for me, and I think joining FOX is same way. They have made me feel like I fit in and they have a ton of fun.”   Has the decision sunk in yet?   “Until you hit send on that announcement, it doesn’t hit you. But, when you hit send, you instantly felt a huge relief. Then you think ‘Oh my gosh, what have I done?’ But then you start reminiscing about what you have done and where you have come from. It wasn’t the wins or things like that that mean the most, it’s the relationships. It’s walking into the garage and picking on someone or being picked on by someone else. That’s what I am proud of. The timing was right for me. I’m proud of my career and very appreciative to everyone who has played a role.”   What does it mean to friends and family at Kansas this weekend?   “Being able to have your family and friends there is everything. It’s not fun to do without people who make your life what it is, and forever it’s always been that way. I’m tired of COVID. I think we all are. We’re all doing what we have to do, whether it’s attached to racing, sports or life in general, you’re doing what you’ve got to do to survive. I’m looking forward to going back home. It’s such a special place for me with family and friends there and fans to watch us do what we do. Our sport is not what it is without fans. I mean, obviously television does a phenomenal job covering our sport, but fans at the track in real life in front of you are what this sport was founded on and ultimately what’s going to continue it on through the ages.”

Kevin Harvick is 7/2 favorite to win at Kansas

 

KEVIN HARVICK Ferdinand Magellan   KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (October 13​, 2020) – We’re on to the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, and Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), knows what he has to do.   Win and he’s in – the Championship 4.   Harvick has a 45-point lead over the final four cutoff, but in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019, he won a Round of 8 race to automatically advance his team to the winner-take-all season finale.   And in an election year like 2020, maybe he could find victory the way our past United States Presidents have done – traveling by train, or specifically on the Ferdinand Magellan train car. That’s because, pre-airplanes, that’s how folks traveled. The Ferdinand Magellan was used by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1940s and 1950s. Ronald Reagan took it out of storage in 1984 for a trip though Ohio.   Harvick could start out at the train station in downtown Charlotte and ride the Ferdinand Magellan north on the Crescent Line to Charlottesville, Virginia, then switch to the Cardinal Route, which would take him through Cincinnati, Indianapolis and then to Union Station in Chicago. From there, he would switch to the Southwest Chief and hit Kansas City Union Station in preparation for this weekend’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.   After Kansas, he could take the Missouri River Runner to Gateway Station in St. Louis, and then the Texas Eagle into Fort Worth Central Station for the 500-mile race at Texas Motor Speedway. After a brief stop in Fort Worth, he would continue on the Texas Eagle to San Antonio and then pick up the Sunset Limited to New Orleans, where the Crescent Line would then take him to Danville, Virginia, which is a short drive to Martinsville for the final race of the Round of 8.   With all that travel, let’s hope he has a Jimmy John’s sandwich or two to snack on.   Harvick enters Sunday’s race at Kansas with five poles, three wins, three second-place finishes, eight top-threes, 16 top-10s and has led a total of 864 laps in his 29 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile oval. He’s one of only three drivers who have participated in all 29 Cup Series races held there. The others are Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman.   Harvick is hoping the Round of 8 starts well – and gets him closer to the Championship 4.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John's Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Thoughts on advancing from the Round of 12 to the Round of 8?   “This wasn’t a great round for us, so we definitely need to do better. We need to display that our cars are fast and do a good job on pit road and do the things we did all year. Definitely two good racetracks coming up for us with Kansas and Texas and hopefully we can get a win at one of those two racetracks and go on with it.”   Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman and you are the only drivers to start all 29 races at Kansas Speedway. You’ve been racing there since 2001. Can you talk about the track as it approaches its 20-year anniversary?   “It makes you feel old (laughs). I did one of the first PR days at Kansas Speedway when it first opened and there was not one single thing around that racetrack other than the highway. So, what’s been built has been neat to see and how it’s all developed and how it’s all changed. It’s a fun racetrack because there is just so much to do around the racetrack and it’s been a successful racetrack for us.”   Why have you been so successful there recently?   “I don’t really know. It’s a racetrack where I’ve won a couple races and, for whatever reason, it just kind of fits my style and what we do with the cars. We’ve had a lot of good racecars there to capitalize on the good characteristics that fall into my driving style and we’ve been able to have some good results with it.”   Take us on a lap around Kansas.   “It’s definitely a little bit different just for the fact the (corner) entries are a little different than at most places. Turns three and four remind me of turns three and four at Chicagoland Speedway, but there’s a lot more grip and fresher asphalt than what Chicagoland has nowadays. It’s a very high-speed racetrack. You run the middle to the bottom of the racetrack. But I’m sure, as time goes on, that the groove will move back up. But, for right now, it’s very fast and very sensitive to your line and, with all the speed and how tricky the entrance is into turn one, you can miss your line easily. So, you have to be very specific about where you put your car and pay attention to what you’re doing.”

Kyle Busch is 18/1 to win 2020 Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas

 

KYLE BUSCH Looking for a 'Treat' at Kansas   HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Oct. 13, 2020) – It’s October and, as usual this time of year, M&M’S has brought back its Halloween-themed No. 18 M&M’S Toyota scheme for driver Kyle Busch this weekend at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. Not surprisingly, this is one of M&M’S busiest seasons.   But unique to 2020, M&M’S will add an exciting twist to the yearly October Halloween scheme as Mars Wrigley has launched TREAT TOWN – the world’s first digital trick-or-treat experience with the app featured on the No. 18 TREAT TOWN Toyota for Sunday’s race at Kansas. In the new app, fans can go door to door collecting candy credits, which can be redeemed for real candy. The No.18 M&M’S Halloween Toyota will actually be featured in the app, free M&M’S and SNICKERS candy credits will be given away to anyone who visits, while supplies last. Fans can find the TREAT TOWN app in the app store or by visiting treat-town.com to download.    Busch and his M&M’S themed Halloween TREAT TOWN Toyota will head to Kansas hoping to find a way to bring home their first win of the season. And for his part, Kansas hasn’t been nearly as spooky over his last 11 races there as opposed to a vastly stark record during his first 13 starts at the 1.5-mile oval, when he had eight finishes of 20th or worse.   With those Kansas finishes in mind from earlier in his career, Busch and his M&M’S TREAT TOWN team can look to the turning point being in April 2014 race there, when they started from scratch with a brand new car. They attacked the track in the Heartland of America with hope that a fresh outlook would produce vastly different results. While a pit-road speeding penalty cost them precious track position and an even better finish in that race, the result of 15th was still much different than the three previous trips. They began to turn the corner there in terms of competitiveness and results.   Starting with the October 2014 Kansas Cup Series race, Busch brought home his first-ever top-five finish at the track. Anyone who has ever followed Busch’s career knows the 2015 and 2019 Cup Series champion never cared much for moral victories. However, the momentum carried over from the October 2014 top-five to his next Kansas race in October 2015, when he finished a solid third.   Busch keeps making strides each time he goes back to Kansas. He broke through for his first Cup Series win there in May 2016 as the surface finally started to wear and become more agreeable to Busch’s driving style. He has nine finishes of 11th or better over the course of his last 11 starts there, a streak that at one point included five consecutive top-fives. During this year’s first Kansas race in July, Busch led 52 laps, but a late-race brush with the wall kept him out of contention for the victory.   So, as the Cup Series heads to the Heartland Sunday with Halloween fast approaching, Busch is hoping for a “treat” by the time the checkered flag falls and his colorful M&M’S TREAT TOWN Toyota lands in victory lane.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M'S TREAT TOWN Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

Have you looked forward to racing at Kansas more after you won there?   “I do. Also, it was – even the last few times before we won there for the first time in 2016, we had some really strong runs there. We finished in the top-10 a lot there over the last 10 races or so. We seem to have gotten a setup or a hold of this place, I’d say, and hopefully we don’t screw that up this time around and we can continue our strong runs and our fast pace of being able to have a shot to win. Looking forward to getting back in our M&M’S TREAT TOWN scheme and getting them a win in a car that always looks great every year.”   You’ve had a lot of fun Halloween-themed M&M’S schemes over the years. Do you enjoy that?   “For sure. We have the best sponsor out there with M&M’S, SNICKERS, Skittles, PEDIGREE, they all give us some great paint schemes that I’ve loved and I know the fans love from over the years. We get to have a couple of Halloween-themed schemes this year and we have the M&M’S TREAT TOWN app on our car this weekend at Kansas. With everything going on with the pandemic, Halloween is going to look a lot different this year and the TREAT TOWN app is pretty cool because you can go on there and trick or treat digitally if you want, send and receive M&M’S, SNICKERS or whatever you want from the Mars Wrigley products. So for those who won’t be comfortable going out to trick-or-treat or not, Halloween is definitely not cancelled this year and there’s an easy and safe way to send and receive candy with TREAT TOWN. It’s a pretty cool idea.”   Talk about this weekend at Kansas Speedway and your expectations on the track.   “Kansas has been a good place for our sport. You know the crowd, the reception, the racetrack, the community has really built up around the racetrack there over the last 10 years, or so. It’s been a lot of fun to see all that happen and I’m looking forward to the race. It’s been a great racetrack for us, lately. We’ve had some good runs there once the track aged. We’ve kind of seemed to maybe have figured out the place a little bit better. And, you know, we’re looking forward to the opportunity of being able to go out there and hopefully get ourselves a win with our M&M’s TREAT TOWN Camry.”   How much does the racetrack at Kansas change from the night race this summer to the day race in the fall?    “For me, it behaved a lot thelast couple of years, but we’ll see with what this package brings as far as changes from the night race this year. The night race, it just seemed like you had grip the entire run. You could really abuse the car and abuse the tires and everything just kind of stayed with you. But then, in the fall race when it’s sunny and warmer out, you really have to take care of your tires and kind of keep the heat out of them so you’re not sliding around as much and then falling back on the longer run.”   Kansas had been a frustrating place for you early in your career, but you and the team turned the corner there. Talk about that.   “We ran third there in the fall of 2014. I wasn’t there in the spring race of 2015 since that was the last race I was recovering from my injury, but (Erik) Jones ran up front until he ended up wrecking. The track really started to change and the groove started to spread out, and it makes me more comfortable when a track gets worn in. Adam (Stevens, crew chief) and the guys have been bringing really good racecars to the track every weekend and, when you have great cars and run up front, good things are going to happen.”