NASCAR at Kansas 2014: Start Time, Live Stream, TV Schedule and More
With the first cutdown of the 2014 NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup officially done, the 12 remaining drivers will look to get the second segment off to a strong start Sunday afternoon at Kansas Speedway.
A win means automatic advancement to the next round, so there is no question that those in contention will be aggressive in their pursuit of a victory. The most important thing in the first race of a segment, though, is avoiding a poor finish since that could very easily doom a driver's Chase chances.
Kansas Speedway has been a part of the Sprint Cup schedule since 2001, and it has produced several different winners. With that in mind, there is a large pool of contenders with a legitimate chance to take the checkered flag.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Here is everything you need to know about Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400, along with a look at drivers to watch and a prediction for who will come out on top.
Where: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas
When: Sunday, Oct. 5, at 2 p.m. ET
Watch: ESPN
Live Steam: WatchESPN
Radio: Motor Racing Network
Qualifying Order
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 4 |
| 2 | Brian Vickers | 55 |
| 3 | Aric Almirola | 43 |
| 4 | Joey Logano | 22 |
| 5 | Jeff Gordon | 24 |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski | 2 |
| 7 | Kyle Busch | 18 |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 88 |
| 9 | Tony Stewart | 14 |
| 10 | Kasey Kahne | 5 |
| 11 | Greg Biffle | 16 |
| 12 | Carl Edwards | 99 |
| 13 | Paul Menard | 27 |
| 14 | Jamie McMurray | 1 |
| 15 | Martin Truex Jr. | 78 |
| 16 | Austin Dillon | 3 |
| 17 | Ryan Newman | 31 |
| 18 | Kyle Larson | 42 |
| 19 | Clint Bowyer | 15 |
| 20 | AJ Allmendinger | 47 |
| 21 | Justin Allgaier | 51 |
| 22 | Marcos Ambrose | 9 |
| 23 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 17 |
| 24 | Kurt Busch | 41 |
| 25 | Denny Hamlin | 11 |
| 26 | Casey Mears | 13 |
| 27 | Matt Kenseth | 20 |
| 28 | Michael McDowell | 95 |
| 29 | Danica Patrick | 10 |
| 30 | Reed Sorenson | 36 |
| 31 | David Gilliland | 38 |
| 32 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 |
| 33 | Alex Bowman | 23 |
| 34 | Josh Wise | 98 |
| 35 | Landon Cassill | 40 |
| 36 | Michael Annett | 7 |
| 37 | David Ragan | 34 |
| 38 | JJ Yeley | 83 |
| 39 | Cole Whitt | 26 |
| 40 | Timmy Hill | 33 |
| 41 | Mike Bliss | 37 |
| 42 | Joey Gase | 32 |
| 43 | Mike Wallace | 66 |
*Highlighted drivers in Chase
Drivers to Watch
On the heels of his fourth win of the season, Jeff Gordon very well may be the Sprint Cup favorite. Gordon dominated down the stretch at Dover, and he is looking to do something similar at Kansas. Having won the Kansas race earlier in the year, the No. 24 team has to be feeling confident.
In fact, Gordon is the only three-time winner at Kansas on the Sprint Cup circuit, and he has managed an impressive 12 top-10 finishes in 17 starts. The No. 24 team always seems to be in the thick of things at Kansas, and that figures to be the case once again Sunday.
Gordon will start from the fifth position, but he is likely to fare even better than his starting spot would suggest. According to Bob Pockrass of Sporting News, he managed to pace the field in practice:
It is quite clear that Gordon is among the top championship contenders. Consistency has been the biggest key for Gordon and his team this season, and he believes that will help immensely as he chases a title, per Pockrass.
"[Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick] have been better than us at times. Our team has shown how strong it is when you have to close it out at the end of the race, we always seem to be there and we never go away. I love that. I think that is what is definitely going to contribute to winning a championship but we also haven't lost sight of the work ahead of us.
"
Gordon is in top form, and Kansas is among his best tracks, so a perfect storm seems to be brewing. As long as he hangs in there and stays near the front like he has for much of this season, he has a great shot at winning consecutive races.
Jimmie Johnson
The 2014 season has been an up-and-down one for six-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. Even so, he has won three times and finds himself among the final 12 drivers. JJ's consistency has improved significantly in recent weeks, but he has been unable to find his way to Victory Lane as of late.
That could very well change Sunday. Johnson's average Kansas finish of better than eighth place is tops on the Sprint Cup circuit. He has won there twice and finished outside the top 10 just twice in 16 starts. Coming off a strong third-place run at Dover, the No. 48 team is trending in the right direction.
Even though this year hasn't come easily for Johnson, he still fully expects to be among the final drivers vying for a championship, according to NASCAR on Fox:
If he is going to win at Kansas, though, he will have to overcome some adversity. Johnson struggled in qualifying, and he will start a disappointing 32nd. Per Nate Ryan of USA Today, this marks his worst Chase starting position in nine years:
Nobody has ever won a Sprint Cup race at Kansas starting worse than 25th, but Johnson is no stranger to overcoming the odds. His solid run in practice suggests that his car is much better than the starting spot would indicate. Because of that, don't be surprised if Johnson is in the running late in Sunday's race.
Matt Kenseth
Winning races in the Sprint Cup Series has never been more important than it is currently. Matt Kenseth is among the winningest drivers of the past decade, but he has been unable to find an elusive victory in 2014. Despite that, he finds himself among the final 12 drivers in the Chase.
Kenseth's ability to make it this far without winning is a testament to his consistency. Even though he isn't winning, he is turning in solid performances on a weekly basis. Considering how much success he has had over the years, it seems like it is only a matter of time before he breaks through.
Kansas presents a golden opportunity for the No. 20 team. Kenseth won at Kansas in both 2012 and 2013, and he will look to keep that streak going. Few are better than Kenseth at Kansas and on 1.5-mile tracks in general, as evidenced by this stat, courtesy of Motor Racing Network's Dustin Long:
Much like Johnson, though, Kenseth will have to start the race in an undesirable spot. He is a bit better off in the 27th position; however, he obviously has a lot of work to do in order to get toward the front.
Kenseth has displayed grit and determination by hanging in there all season long, and it could finally be rewarded Sunday.
Prediction
Aside from the obvious names like Gordon, Johnson and Kenseth, myriad drivers have a chance to win the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas.
Among other drivers in the Chase, Keselowski, Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman have all won at Kansas once before. Keselowski and Harvick are in the best form among those drivers, and they appear to be threats to win each and every week.
Harvick has been dominant in terms of winning poles, and he managed to do so once again this week. That doesn't always guarantee in-race success, but it does show that Harvick has some awesome equipment this weekend.
Carl Edwards is another Chase driver who bears watching. Although he has never won at Kansas, he has finished in the top 10 on 10 occasions.
Tony Stewart didn't make the Chase and Greg Biffle was eliminated last week at Dover, but both drivers realize that the season is far from over. They have each won twice at Kansas, and they stand the best chance of anyone to play spoiler.
When taking everything into consideration, though, nobody has more going for him right now than Gordon does. He knows how to win at this track and seems determined to win his fifth championship. All of those factors will push Gordon and the No. 24 team to yet another win at Kansas Speedway.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
