NASCAR at Kansas 2015: Start Time, Ticket Info, Lineup, TV Schedule and More
On Sunday, NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series tackles the middle leg of the Chase for the Sprint Cup's second round in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
With Joey Logano winning last week at Charlotte, the drivers left alive in the Chase have one more chance to place well in a rather predictable, standard event before things hit elimination territory at the unpredictable Talladega next week.
For the 12 about to become eight at Talladega, this is it. Sunday's event at Kansas Speedway is shorter than last weekend's race, and anyone and everyone is in play for the win.
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Here's a look at the must-see race.
Viewing Details
Where: Kansas Speedway
When: Sunday, Oct. 18, at 2:15 p.m. ET
Watch: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Live Extra
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Sprint Cup Standings
| 1 | Joey Logano | 3048 |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick | 3042 |
| 3 | Martin Truex Jr. | 3041 |
| 4 | Denny Hamlin | 3040 |
| 5 | Kurt Busch | 3039 |
| 6 | Carl Edwards | 3039 |
| 7 | Jeff Gordon | 3037 |
| 8 | Brad Keselowski | 3035 |
| 9 | Ryan Newman | 3029 |
| 10 | Kyle Busch | 3025 |
| 11 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 3016 |
| 12 | Matt Kenseth | 3003 |
| 13 | Jamie McMurray | 2130 |
| 14 | Jimmie Johnson | 2092 |
| 15 | Paul Menard | 2083 |
| 16 | Clint Bowyer | 2082 |
NASCAR at Kansas Lineup
| 2 | Brad Keselowski |
| 19 | Carl Edwards |
| 18 | Kyle Busch |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon |
| 78 | Martin Truex Jr. |
| 21 | Ryan Blaney |
| 41 | Kurt Busch |
| 31 | Ryan Newman |
| 20 | Matt Kenseth |
| 16 | Greg Biffle |
| 27 | Paul Menard |
| 22 | Joey Logano |
| 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
| 33 | Brian Scott |
| 14 | Tony Stewart |
| 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne |
| 42 | Kyle Larson |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 55 | David Ragan |
| 43 | Aric Almirola |
| 5 | Kasey Kahne |
| 3 | Austin Dillon |
| 15 | Clint Bowyer |
| 47 | AJ Allmendinger |
| 1 | Jamie McMurray |
| 10 | Danica Patrick |
| 51 | Justin Allgaier |
| 9 | Sam Hornish Jr. |
| 7 | Alex Bowman |
| 38 | David Gilliland |
| 83 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 34 | Brett Moffitt |
| 26 | JJ Yeley |
| 46 | Michael Annett |
| 13 | Casey Mears |
| 35 | Cole Whitt |
| 23 | Jeb Burton |
| 40 | Landon Cassill |
| 98 | Reed Sorenson |
| 32 | Will Kimmel III |
Drivers to Watch
Matt Kenseth
It's not panic time for Matt Kenseth.
Yet.
Going into Charlotte last weekend, Kenseth was one of the hottest drivers around, touting four checkered flags to his name dating back to August and riding four consecutive top-10s into the event.
Then he led 72 laps in Charlotte before finishing 42nd. In other words, Kenseth now looks 32 points away from advancement in the face.
He spoke with Fox News Radio's Steve Rappoport about what comes next: “You want to win every week and obviously you can’t do that so if you can’t get a win at one of those tracks you certainly want to make sure you get as many points as you can gather those two weeks.”
The series leader in wins stands as such likely because of this ability to compartmentalize starts, meaning the horrific finish last week and pressure to get a win this time out shouldn't deter Kenseth's strong form.
Expect him to be in contention Sunday.
Jeff Gordon gets publicity because this is his farewell tour and he has yet to secure a checkered flag, but it's easy to overlook the fact that he's been consistently improving as of late.
Despite starting 22nd at Charlotte, Gordon scratched and clawed his way to an eighth-place finish, even leading a lap before finishing ahead of four other Chase drivers to enter this weekend seventh in the standings.
Afterward, Gordon gave his crew the credit for the comeback, per Fox Sports's Jay Pennell:
"That's very solid. The pit crew was amazing. We've been working really hard on that and it certainly paid off for us today. We just put ourselves in such a hole starting 22nd. It was so hard to pass. I'm glad it was a day race because it widened the groove out and made passing more doable.
"
Everyone continues to wait for Gordon to get a win, but placing well in the points and staying alive gets the job done just the same. It's been a trying season for his whole team, as nickel-and-dime issues have continued to spur iffy results.
Last weekend, though, it all seemed to come together. If Gordon can build on the performance, he might just get the coveted win.
Joey Logano
Logano has six finishes outside of the top 10 dating back to February.
As if this alarming consistency wasn't enough, he led 227 laps last weekend to win at Charlotte, putting the rest of the Chase in a serious predicament—Logano won the Hollywood Casino 400 this time last year.
It's why some wouldn't raise an eyebrow at a back-to-back performance from the Penske Racing driver, per Fox Sports NASCAR:
One could presume Logano eases off a bit with a checkered flag already in hand, but the allure of putting down the competition must be strong.
In fact, he doesn't have to worry about Talladega too much now. Making it even more difficult on the rest of the drivers while racing with a peace of mind at a track he bested last year makes Logano the most dangerous driver on the track Sunday.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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