AdventHealth 400
Location: Kansas City, Kan.
Course: Kansas Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile tri-oval
Laps: 267
AdventHealth 400 Race Preview
Ty Gibbs finally secured his long-awaited first NASCAR Cup Series victory last week in a track-position showdown with Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson. With his win, Gibbs became the fifth different driver to capture a victory this season and earned Toyota its sixth victory of the year. However, that early Toyota advantage appears to be slipping. Chase Elliott took the victory at Martinsville, and although Gibbs won in Bristol, Larson and Blaney commanded the front, leading a combined 474 laps.
This week, the battle for supremacy continues at Kansas Speedway. Last season, Chevrolet swept the victories at the track for the second consecutive season, with Larson and Elliott both making their way to Victory Lane. In the two seasons prior, Toyota accomplished the same feat, sending four drivers (including Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin) to Victory Lane. As the competition at the front of the field intensifies, the championship standings are becoming increasingly contested. With only four races left until the All-Star Race weekend, the early-season pecking order is starting to shift.
Key Stats at Kansas Speedway
- Number of races: 40
- Winners from pole: 8
- Winners from top-5 starters: 20
- Winners from top-10 starters: 27
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 3
- Fastest race: 152.057 mph
Previous 10 Kansas Winners
2025 fall - Chase Elliott
2025 spring - Kyle Larson
2024 fall - Ross Chastain
2024 spring - Kyle Larson
2023 fall - Tyler Reddick
2023 spring - Denny Hamlin
2022 fall - Bubba Wallace
2022 spring - Kurt Busch
2021 fall - Kyle Larson
2021 spring - Kyle Busch
Kansas Speedway is a 1.5-mile intermediate oval that can produce side-by-side racing throughout the field. The track's progressive banking and relatively smooth pavement opens multiple lanes for drivers to use either to make passes or suit the handling of their car. While track position is still preferable, this track is less aerodynamically sensitive than others and moves through the field can be made given the wide racing line. The oval's relatively smooth pavement also produces tire wear throughout a run, but it isn't as pronounced as some of the other tracks on the schedule. That combination of multiple lines and manageable tire wear means the track tends to favor cars that can maintain speed over long runs. That trend is characterized by a handful of drivers dominating recent races. However, long-run pace can be interrupted by late cautions. When this happens, lane choice on restarts can make or break a race. Making the right choice and outdueling the other leaders in those instances could mean the difference between winning and losing.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the AdventHealth 400
Based on Standard $50k Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Denny Hamlin - $11,000
Christopher Bell - $10,700
Kyle Larson - $10,500
Ryan Blaney - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chase Briscoe - $9,800
Tyler Reddick - $9,500
Ty Gibbs - $9,200
Chase Elliott - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Bubba Wallace - $8,500
Chris Buescher - $8,300
Ross Chastain - $8,100
Brad Keselowski - $7,900
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Alex Bowman - $7,600
Ryan Preece - $7,500
Erik Jones - $6,600
Zane Smith - $6,500
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the AdventHealth 400
Kyle Larson - $10,500
Chase Elliott - $9,000
Bubba Wallace - $8,500
Brad Keselowski - $7,900
Alex Bowman - $7,600
Zane Smith - $6,500
Kyle Larson's (DK $10,500, FD $14,000) impressive form at Bristol could be a sign that Hendrick Motorsports is starting to get the feel for their new Chevrolet body styles. He led 284 laps and finished third after starting eighth. Larson also dominated at Kansas last season, leading 221 laps and winning from pole in the spring. With three victories, nine top-fives, and 13 top-10s from 22 Kansas starts, including top-10s in seven of eight races with the current generation of car, Larson should be looking at this week as one of his best chances yet to open his 2026 race win account.
Hendrick teammate Chase Elliott's (DK $9,000, FD $10,000) Kansas consistency makes him a valuable fantasy option. He has two wins at the track including last fall when he led 24 laps to keep the Chevrolet victory streak at the circuit alive. He also has six finishes of 11th or better from the last eight Kansas stops, leading laps four of those times. Fantasy players looking for a reliable top-10 contender at this track need to look no further than the No. 9.
No lineup this week would be complete without Toyota representation. For this option, former Kansas winner Bubba Wallace (DK $8,500, FD $9,000) sits at an appropriate price point. His consistency at this track, as well as this season, helps to drive his cost down, which leaves room for significant upside potential at a place he has been pretty good at. Last week's race at Bristol may have shown his ability to move past his damaging Martinsville reaction, which also helps give some more comfort in his chances this week. At Kansas specifically, Wallace won in 2022 and led 13 laps in a fifth-place finish last fall.
Brad Keselowski (DK $7,900, FD $7,500) now has top-15 finishes in the last five races. That run has him 11th in the championship standings and in a close points battle with teammate Chris Buescher. At Kansas, Keselowski is a two-time winner with nearly half of his 32 starts resulting in top-10 finishes. One of those was from last fall when he finished eighth despite starting 31st. A finish differential like that is worth choosing him, but even a small improvement in qualifying this week could boost him to another top result, too.
Alex Bowman (DK $7,600, FD $8,200) returned to action at Bristol after being sidelined for several weeks with vertigo. His return could have come at a great time for him to get the season back on track, too. Kansas Speedway is a venue that has been quite good for him. From 20 races, he has 11 top-10 finishes with a streak of seven straight finishes of 11th or better that led up to last fall's race. This week's race could be a great opportunity for him to put the physical issues behind him and get back to climbing up the championship standings.
One under-the-radar selection to consider at Kansas is Zane Smith (DK $6,500, FD $5,800). The Former NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion only has four Cup Series starts at the track but two of those results were 16th and 10th. Last fall he crashed out in dramatic fashion, but he was quick enough to score stage points in the first segment and was setting up another respectable result until the crash. He has two top-10s already this season and should be fighting among the top 15 by the end again this week.
NASCAR Cup Series Betting Picks for the AdventHealth 400
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 1:00 PM ET Saturday
Race Winner - Kyle Larson +500
Top-Five Finish - Chase Briscoe +135
Top-10 Finish - Alex Bowman +260
Kyle Larson is knocking on the door of Victory Lane. After a slower than usual start to the season, the Hendrick Motorsports organization now has a win, through Chase Elliott at Martinsville, along with a very strong outing at Bristol from Larson. Add Larson's seventh-place run at Las Vegas to that recent step up in form and you have a driver that should be winning his first race of the season shortly. Even better for wagerers this week is that Larson is getting more lucrative odds than other top contenders like Denny Hamlin.
After consecutive Kansas fourth-place finishes, Chase Briscoe looks like a reliable choice to land another top-five finish this week. He also had a slower start to the season, but he got off the mark with a good run at Bristol a week ago to earn his second top-five of 2026 and move up to 17th in the championship standings, just one point out of the Chase positions. Briscoe's Kansas results have also taken a noticeable step forward since joining Joe Gibbs Racing, and after starting on pole, leading 19 laps, and finishing fourth last fall, he should be poised to battle amongst the fop five again this week.
Alex Bowman's return to action was a welcome turn after missing several races with vertigo. The result was his third (of four races this season) outside of the top 30, and this week's trip to Kansas should help to perk him up. Bowman has been pretty good at this track in the past with 11 top-10s from 20 starts. He finished fifth in this race last year despite starting 21st, and that result was his seventh consecutive finish of 11th or better at the track. After making his return last week, this race could be the one that gets his season truly off and running.
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