In the wake of the 500-lap battle at Bristol this past week, NASCAR travels from the south to the heartland and goes intermediate oval racing this week. We visit Kansas Speedway for the spring event, which debuted in April of 2012. The AdventHealth 400 will take our competitors back to an intermediate oval for the first time since Las Vegas. The 1.5-mile oval of Kansas Speedway won't likely give us a sequel of what played out at Vegas, but the teams that performed well at the Nevada oval in the Pennzoil 400 should be in for another strong race weekend. The teams that dominated at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are sure to be licking their chops for this visit to America's heartland.
While Kansas only offers 17-to-20 degree variable corner banking compared to 20-degree corner banking at Las Vegas, the similarities are enough to warrant reconsideration of almost the same driver group that we had at the Nevada track. Both tracks are the "D" shaped configuration tri-oval so the handling characteristics will be much the same. Even the racing surfaces of the two tracks are similar. Both are older and worn which create tire wear and some racing/pit strategy. One thing is for certain, the remarkable parity we've seen so far this season should continue at Kansas Speedway. We've had five different race winners through the first eight events and we've by no means witnessed the end of first-time race winners in 2026. Kansas could offer a few more surprises
In the wake of the 500-lap battle at Bristol this past week, NASCAR travels from the south to the heartland and goes intermediate oval racing this week. We visit Kansas Speedway for the spring event, which debuted in April of 2012. The AdventHealth 400 will take our competitors back to an intermediate oval for the first time since Las Vegas. The 1.5-mile oval of Kansas Speedway won't likely give us a sequel of what played out at Vegas, but the teams that performed well at the Nevada oval in the Pennzoil 400 should be in for another strong race weekend. The teams that dominated at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are sure to be licking their chops for this visit to America's heartland.
While Kansas only offers 17-to-20 degree variable corner banking compared to 20-degree corner banking at Las Vegas, the similarities are enough to warrant reconsideration of almost the same driver group that we had at the Nevada track. Both tracks are the "D" shaped configuration tri-oval so the handling characteristics will be much the same. Even the racing surfaces of the two tracks are similar. Both are older and worn which create tire wear and some racing/pit strategy. One thing is for certain, the remarkable parity we've seen so far this season should continue at Kansas Speedway. We've had five different race winners through the first eight events and we've by no means witnessed the end of first-time race winners in 2026. Kansas could offer a few more surprises as well.
Since we're making our first stop of the season at Kansas Speedway, we need to take a brief look back at history at this intermediate oval. These numbers will be even more important than usual, since it's been since last September since we last competed at this oval. As you'll see in the table below, some of the hottest drivers in the series right now are making a very timely start at Kansas this weekend. Here are the loop stats for the last 36 races at Kansas Speedway.
| Driver | Avg. Finish | Quality Passes | # of Fastest Laps | Laps Led | Laps in Top 15 | Driver Rating |
| Kyle Larson | 12.4 | 999 | 546 | 924 | 4,602 | 104.1 |
| Christopher Bell | 11.6 | 616 | 186 | 240 | 2,628 | 100.3 |
| Chase Elliott | 9.9 | 1,053 | 224 | 302 | 4,250 | 98.1 |
| Denny Hamlin | 12.6 | 1,529 | 400 | 679 | 6,841 | 96.7 |
| Ryan Blaney | 15.2 | 938 | 236 | 178 | 4,664 | 94.1 |
| Kyle Busch | 15.4 | 1,428 | 405 | 463 | 6,241 | 90.2 |
| Brad Keselowski | 13.2 | 1,288 | 308 | 360 | 5,591 | 88.5 |
| William Byron | 14.2 | 656 | 184 | 160 | 2,518 | 88.5 |
| Tyler Reddick | 16.9 | 611 | 142 | 107 | 2,317 | 88.2 |
| Joey Logano | 16.7 | 1,108 | 266 | 514 | 5,281 | 86.2 |
| Alex Bowman | 14.9 | 779 | 133 | 191 | 3,120 | 81.3 |
| Ross Chastain | 16.5 | 536 | 32 | 103 | 2,039 | 74.8 |
| Bubba Wallace | 20.4 | 459 | 91 | 85 | 1,598 | 74.1 |
| Ty Gibbs | 24.6 | 230 | 32 | 5 | 933 | 73.5 |
| Chris Buescher | 16.9 | 482 | 40 | 77 | 1,953 | 72.4 |
| Erik Jones | 20.3 | 635 | 117 | 3 | 2,157 | 71.7 |
| Zane Smith | 21.5 | 148 | 6 | 3 | 530 | 71.0 |
| Austin Dillon | 17.5 | 667 | 25 | 9 | 2,353 | 69.3 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 20.5 | 506 | 72 | 75 | 1,870 | 67.5 |
| Carson Hocevar | 26.2 | 178 | 11 | 9 | 667 | 66.5 |
Our most recent Kansas winner, Chase Elliott, will be challenged to defend his turf this Sunday afternoon at the Kansas Speedway oval. The Hendrick Motorsports veteran came on strong late and was an upset victor in the Hollywood Casino 400 last September to claim his second-career victory at the oval. Elliott used good pit strategy, clever driving and a strong car to defeat Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell and some other contenders in the closing laps to take the win. Elliott and Hamlin weren't much of a factor in last weekend's Bristol race, so it will be interesting to see if they can rebound to contention this Sunday afternoon at Kansas Speedway.
The Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing will pose the biggest threat to Elliott's Kansas crown this weekend. Kyle Larson, Hamlin, William Byron and Christopher Bell have all raced well on the intermediate ovals we've competed on to this point and all are performing well entering Kansas weekend. Larson and Hamlin have past Kansas victories to their credit and shouldn't be underestimated in the AdventHealth 400. Aside from these two super-teams, some Ford drivers should pop onto our fantasy racing radar screens at Kansas. Joey Logano is a three-time Kansas winner. Ryan Blaney and Chris Buescher have both been competitive for the Ford camp of late and will be in the mix as well at Kansas. These will certainly be names to watch closely at Kansas Speedway. We'll highlight the fantasy racing drivers you need this Sunday afternoon to dominate this 400-mile battle at the Kansas oval.
The Contenders – Drivers in the Hunt for the Win
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 1:00 PM ET Wednesday
Kyle Larson (+600) – Larson is looking to build on the momentum of his third-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway this past Sunday and Kansas Speedway is a good place to stay on a roll. The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet has led over 900 laps at Kansas Speedway, and he cracks the Top 5 here at a strong 41-percent rate. Larson has improved those numbers in recent visits as he's won this event the last two seasons in a row and now has three-career Kansas victories dating back to 2021. The Hendrick Motorsports star was strong at the similar Vegas oval recently and led a lot of laps. The Kansas oval gives him an excellent opportunity to break into the win column this season.
Denny Hamlin (+500) – Coming off the mildly disappointing ninth-place at Bristol, Hamlin is looking to rebound in a big way coming to Kansas Speedway this weekend. The Joe Gibbs Racing star is a four-time Kansas Speedway winner and he's led close to 680 laps for his career at this facility. Hamlin has won or finished runner-up in four of his last seven trips to Kansas, including last September when he led 159 laps and finished runner-up in the Hollywood Casino 400. The No. 11 Toyota team have been very consistent on the intermediate ovals dating back to the end of last season. The veteran driver won a few weeks ago at Las Vegas and he can easily replicate that performance at Kansas Speedway.
Chase Elliott (+1400) – Elliott has started the season strong and rides into Kansas fifth in the driver point standings. He's a two-time winner at Kansas Speedway, including the Cup Series' last visit last September and two-time runner-up finisher at the track. With a very strong 40-percent Top-5 and 65-percent Top-10 rate, this is one of his favorite intermediate ovals. Elliott has a strong 9.9 career average finish at this oval spread across 20 starts. The Hendrick Motorsports star finished an impressive runner-up at the similar oval in Las Vegas in mid-March. It makes him a no-brainer fantasy racing play for this 400-mile Kansas battle.
Christopher Bell (+550) – Bell is looking to get back into the win column on these 1.5-mile ovals. He won the pole, led some laps and finished a strong fourth-place earlier this season at the similar Las Vegas oval. The Joe Gibbs Racing star has won four pole position and led 240 laps at Kansas Speedway and all since the 2022 season. Although Bell has never won at Kansas Speedway, he rides a strong five-race Top-10 streak at the track into this weekend's action. He also boasts an incredible 75-percent Top-10 rate and 11.6 average finish at the facility. Bell finished runner-up in this event one year ago and returned last fall to grab an equally impressive third-place finish in the Hollywood Casino 400.
Solid Plays – Near Locks for Top 10 with an Outside Shot to Win
Ryan Blaney (+900) – With his runner-up finish at Bristol, Blaney rides a three-race Top-10 streak into Kansas and sits a lofty runner-up in the points. The Kansas intermediate oval has held a good bit of success over the years for the No. 12 Ford team. With nine Top-10 finishes in 22 starts Blaney checks in at a reasonable 41-percent Top-10 rate and 15.2 average finish. His start in this event one year ago netted a strong third-place and was his second Kansas Top 5 in the last three events. Given the current momentum of this driver and team and Blaney's sound history at Kansas Speedway, he should be a good bet for a Top 10 in the AdventHealth 400.
William Byron (+850) – A four-race Top-10 streak came to an end after some misfortune for Byron at Bristol last Sunday. The Hendrick Motorsports star will look to rebound in the AdventHealth 400. Byron has Top 10's in two of his last three starts at Kansas Speedway, but he's never won in a Cup car at the track. That could change when the checkered flag waves at Kansas Speedway Sunday afternoon. Byron led 26 laps and finished an impressive third-place in mid-March at the very similar Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The notes from that race will come in very handy for the No. 24 Chevrolet team this weekend. He sports a strong 56-percent Top-10 rate at Kansas Speedway and respectable 14.2 average finish.
Ty Gibbs (+1400) – Gibbs is off to the best start of his five-season Cup Series career. The young driver appears to have finally made the adaptation to the Cup Series car. With the win at Bristol last week (the first of his career) and with six Top 10's in the first eight events of 2026, he rides a lofty fourth in the driver standings into Kansas. This has not been one of his better intermediate ovals with just one Top 10 in seven starts, but he's racing the best of his career right now and redefining expectations on a weekly basis. Gibbs grabbed a Top-5 finish in 2024 at Kansas Speedway so he certainly has that capability. A real confidence booster was his Top 5 in mid-March at the similar Vegas oval.
Tyler Reddick (+1000) – With four wins already this season and coming off the strong Top 5 at Bristol this past Sunday, you'll be challenged to find a hotter driver than our championship standings leader. Reddick will look to keep the good vibes rolling at Kansas Speedway this Sunday. He has kind of pedestrian stats at this oval but he is a one-time Kansas winner (2023). Reddick's last start at the oval netted a strong seventh-place finish in last September's Hollywood Casino 400. That lifted the 23XI Racing star's Top-10 rate at Kansas to a more reasonable 39-percent. This is not Reddick's best intermediate oval but he's currently performing well enough to be a solid bet for a Top 10 in the AdventHealth 400.
Sleepers – Drivers with Good History at Kansas & Solid Upside
Chase Briscoe (+850) – With two Top-10 and four Top-15 finishes in the last four events and coming off a strong Top 5 at Bristol, Briscoe is starting to turn around the slow start to his season. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver will look to stay on a roll at in the AdventHealth 400. Briscoe has just two Top 10's in 10-career starts at Kansas Speedway, but the good news is that they both came last year in his first season with JGR at the Kansas oval. He would finish fourth-place in both Kansas events last season and even win the pole position in the September Hollywood Casino 400, Briscoe's last look at the speedway. We like the direction of this driver and team and his notebook from last season at Kansas will certainly help.
Chris Buescher (+2500) – Kansas Speedway held a lot of struggles for a lot of seasons for the veteran driver of the No. 17 Ford. However, since joining Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, Buescher has begun to reverse his trends at this track. He has two Top 10's and four Top 15's in his last four visits to Kansas Speedway. That has lowered Buescher's average finish here to a more appealing 16.9 and increased his Top-10 rate here to 25-percent. Those are not eye-popping statistics by any means but the recent sample is noteworthy. The average finish over his last four visits is a sharp 9.0 which is well below his career average. Buescher was a strong sixth-place at the similar Las Vegas Motor Speedway in mid-March.
Brad Keselowski (+3500) – The two-time Kansas winner was an eighth-place finisher in his last start at the oval in last September's Hollywood Casino 400. For Keselowski that was his 15th-career Top-10 finish at the track which stands at a respectable 47-percent rate. The owner/driver of the No. 6 Ford has not finished outside the Top 15 in his last five events, so Keselowski has been very consistent thus far this season. That's a good sign heading into Sunday's AdventHealth 400. Speaking of earlier this season, Keselowski was a solid 10th-place finisher at the similar oval in Vegas back in mid-March. He should have that type of potential in Sunday's battle at Kansas Speedway.
Bubba Wallace (+2200) – Wallace has been impressive at Kansas Speedway over the past few seasons. He has one win, three Top-5 and four Top-10 finishes in his last eight starts at this 1.5-mile track. It's been a pretty good stretch for the 23XI Racing driver of late, and he's coming off a steady 11th-place finish this past Sunday at Bristol. Wallace sits eighth in the overall driver points coming to Kansas Speedway this weekend. Additionally, the driver of the No. 23 Toyota racked up a steady ninth-place finish a few weeks ago at the similar oval in Las Vegas. We believe this driver and team have what it takes to crack the Top 10 Sunday in Kansas City.
Ryan Preece (+6000) – With his eighth-place finish at Bristol this past Sunday, Preece has Top-10 and Top-15 finishes in six of the eight events thus far in 2026. That's a pretty good start to the season for the No. 60 Ford team. The veteran driver resides a respectable 13th-place in the point standings as we visit Kansas Speedway. Preece racked up a decent 11th-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway a few weeks ago, so his intermediate oval performance would appear to be in good shape entering the AdventHealth 400. He doesn't have stellar Kansas career marks so some fantasy players will skip over Preece this week. However, he did earn a strong seventh-place finish in this event one year ago and those notes will come in handy this weekend.
Carson Hocevar (+2500) – Hocevar has been racing well to start the season. He's earned a pair of Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes thus far and is coming off a strong 10th-place at Bristol this past Sunday. The young driver has been very competitive in the last three races leading up to this week. Hocevar now has five-career Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway so the experience is beginning to stack up. While he's not accomplished much here in his handful of attempts, the knowledge base is building and results will come. Last September he earned his best qualifying position at Kansas with a strong sixth-place on the grid. He could very well fetch his first Kansas Speedway Top 10 this Sunday afternoon.
Slow Down - Drivers to Avoid This Week
Joey Logano (+2000) – Logano looked impressive in the recent short track stint of the early schedule, scooping up Top 10's at both Martinsville and Bristol. However, the Cup Series returns to intermediate ovals this weekend at that will be a challenge for Logano and the No. 22 Ford team. Despite being a three-time Kansas victor, the last of those wins came back in 2020. Since then, Logano has only grabbed four Top 10's in the last 10 Kansas starts. His effort here last September in the Hollywood Casino was only good for 21st-place. Recent performances have dropped his average finish at Kansas to a subpar 16.9 and Top-10 percentage to 39-percent.
Kyle Busch (+6000) – The Richard Childress Racing star is coming off a subpar 25th-place finish at Bristol so optimism is not in abundance coming to Kansas Speedway this weekend. He has no Top-10 finishes yet this season and a 22.0 average finish across the eight events. Busch is a two-time winner at this facility, and the last was this event five years ago. With over 450 laps led at Kansas Speedway and a steady 44-percent Top-10 rate, Busch has been a good performer at this intermediate oval. However, the No. 8 Chevrolet team finished a disappointing 19th-place at Kansas last September and that's not a good look going into this 400-mile Kansas battle.
Josh Berry (+10000) – Berry's sweet spot thus far this season has been the superspeedways and short tracks. Intermediate ovals have been a real struggle thus far. 38th-place at Atlanta and 31st-place at Las Vegas have been his body of work to this point. The Wood Brothers Racing driver has five-career Cup starts at Kansas Speedway and only one Top 10 to show for to this point. That places Berry at a lowly 20-percent Top-10 rate and inflated 23.4 average finish at the Kansas oval. His last start here in last September's Hollywood Casino 400 ended prematurely in a crash and 33rd-place finish. That's his second DNF in Berry's last three Kansas starts.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+25000) – Outside of his runner-up finish in the Daytona 500, Stenhouse has struggled to find any speed or consistency this season. He's generally been an outside the Top-25 finisher since Daytona with the exception of his 17th-place effort at Bristol this past Sunday. The No. 47 Chevrolet team is trying to get it together but intermediate ovals are not likely where it's going to happen for this driver and team. Stenhouse has 26-career starts at Kansas Speedway and just one Top 10 to show for which is a lowly 4-percent Top-10 rate. His average finish of 20.5 at the Kansas oval speaks volumes. Stenhouse has only cracked the Top 15 twice in his last 13 starts in Kansas City.
