Logano Atones for Charlotte Catastrophe

Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, signs autographs for fans prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 16, 2016 in Kansas City, Kansas. Photo - Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, signs autographs for fans prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 16, 2016 in Kansas City, Kansas. Photo – Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Joey Logano got the absolute most from his No. 22 Team Penske Ford on Sunday, and, as was the case with Austin Dillon, a strong run at Kansas put Logano in position to advance in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with a solid performance next Sunday at Talladega.

Logano didn’t have a car to compete for the win on Sunday, but he ran third behind Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards to ameliorate the effects of a 36th-place finish at Charlotte a week earlier. Logano goes to Talladega tied for the last transfer spot with the Chase field to be cut there from 12 drivers to eight. Continue reading

This time, a Two-Tire Call Pays Off for Austin Dillon

Austin Dillon, driver of the #2 Ruud Chevrolet, walks through the garage area during practice for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway on October 14, 2016 in Kansas City, Kansas. Photo - Jeff Curry/Getty Images

Austin Dillon, driver of the #2 Ruud Chevrolet, walks through the garage area during practice for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway on October 14, 2016 in Kansas City, Kansas. Photo – Jeff Curry/Getty Images

On Sunday at Kansas Speedway, Austin Dillon disproved the colloquial definition of insanity—trying the same thing and expecting different results.

Last week at Charlotte, Dillon took two tires on a late pit stop and wrecked when Martin Truex Jr.’s attempt to push him on a restart went awry.

But late in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas, there was Dillon again, taking two tires and taking the lead for a restart on lap 226. Continue reading

Kevin Harvick Saves his Chase with Impressive Victory at Kansas

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He did it again.

Last in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings and faced with an uphill struggle to make the Round of 8, Kevin Harvick and his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team did what they do best—win with their backs to the wall.

Moments after a restart on lap 238 of 267, Harvick cleared Carl Edwards for the lead through turns one and two at Kansas Speedway and pulled away to win Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 by 1.183 seconds. Continue reading

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Preview

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will race 400.5 miles over 267 laps in the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, October 16th at 2:15 pm ET at Kansas Speedway. Television coverage begins at 1:30 pm ET on NBC with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

What to Watch For: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway for its second race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Round of 12. Jimmie Johnson leads the Chase Grid due to his win at Charlotte. He is followed by Matt Kenseth (31 points above Austin Dillon on the cutoff line), Kyle Busch (+27), Brad Keselowski (+25), Kurt Busch (+24), Carl Edwards (+20), Martin Truex Jr. (+19), Denny Hamlin (+3), Austin Dillon (three points behind Denny Hamlin on the cutoff line), Chase Elliott (-3), Joey Logano (-6) and Kevin Harvick (-8). Continue reading

Matt Kenseth Edges Teammate Kyle Busch for Kansas Pole

KANSAS CITY, KS - OCTOBER 14:  Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 DEWALT FLEXVOLT Toyota, poses with the Coors Light Pole Award after qualifying in the pole position for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 14, 2016 in Kansas City, Kansas.  (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

KANSAS CITY, KS – OCTOBER 14: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 DEWALT FLEXVOLT Toyota, poses with the Coors Light Pole Award after qualifying in the pole position for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 14, 2016 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

To learn how to master the track that continued to jinx him, Kyle Busch paid close attention to the way Matt Kenseth drove Kansas Speedway.

Though Kenseth was helpful, he apparently kept a thousandth of a second in his pocket. That was the margin by which Kenseth edged Busch in Friday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series knockout qualifying session at the 1.5-mile track.

Touring Kansas in 28.112 seconds (192.089 mph) to Busch’s 28.113 seconds (192.082 mph), Kenseth earned the top starting spot for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (at 2:15 p.m. ET on NBC), the fifth race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and the second race in the Chase’s Round of 12. Continue reading