NASCAR National Series News and Notes-Kansas Speedway
NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: AdventHealth 400
The Place: Kansas Speedway
Track Length: 1.5 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Sunday, May 11
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
The Purse: $11,055,250
TV: FS1 & FOX Deportes, 1:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 400.5 miles (267 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 165), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 267)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: BetMGM 300
The Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Track Length: 1.5 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Saturday, May 24
The Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $1,651,939
TV: CW, 4 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 300 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Next Race: Heart of Health Care 200
The Place: Kansas Speedway
Track Length: 1.5 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Saturday, May 10
The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $782,900
TV: FS1, 7:30 p.m. ET
Radio: NRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 201 miles (134 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 134)
Where To Watch NASCAR This Week:
Friday, May 9
ARCA Race: Tide 150 (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM at 8 p.m. ET)
Saturday, May 10
NCTS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (FS2 at 2 p.m. ET)
NCS Practice & Busch Light Pole Qualifying (Amazon Prime, MRN, SiriusXM
at 4:30 p.m. ET)
NCTS Race: Heart of Health Care 200 (FS1, NRN, SiriusXM at 7:30 p.m. ET)
Sunday, May 11
NCS Race: AdventHealth 400 (FS1 & FOX Deportes, MRN, SiriusXM at 3 p.m.
ET)
NASCAR Cup Series
Kansas Storylines and Insights:
· This weekend marks the 39th running of a NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, and the 25th since the repave following the 2012 season.
· The last six NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway were won by six different drivers; Kyle Larson with two victories is the only repeat winner in the last nine races. The record for different Cup Series winners at Kansas is seven, and it has happened twice: 2002-2008 and 2020-2023.
· A total of 20 different drivers have won a Cup Series race at Kansas, and nine of the 20 are active this weekend: Denny Hamlin (2012, 2019, 2020, 2023), Joey Logano (2014, 2015, 2020), Kyle Busch (2016, 2021), Brad Keselowski (2011, 2019), Ross Chastain (2024), Tyler Reddick (2023), Bubba Wallace (2022), Kyle Larson (2021), Chase Elliott (2018).
· Christopher Bell won the pole for the last three races at Kansas, the last driver to win the pole for four straight races at a track was Kyle Larson at Sonoma between 2017 and 2022.
· Kevin Harvick was the last driver to win three straight poles at Kansas (2013-2014), a driver has never won four straight poles at Kansas. Christopher Bell’s four Kansas poles rank second all-time to Harvick with five.
· A total of 19 different drivers have won a Cup Series pole at Kansas, and seven of the 19 are active this weekend: Christopher Bell (2022, 2023, 2024 sweep), Joey Logano (2015, 2018), William Byron (2023), Tyler Reddick (2022), Ryan Blaney (2017), Brad Keselowski (2015), AJ Allmendinger (2012).
· The pass for the win came in the final two laps in three of the last four Kansas Speedway races including two last lap passes.
· The closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history came at Kansas Speedway last May, Kyle Larson beat Chris Buescher by 0.001 second.
· There were 37 lead changes at Kansas in May 2023, the most in a 400 mile race on a 1.5 mile track in series history.
· The driver leading the most laps failed to win the last five Kansas races, the longest streak ever at Kansas.
· Three of 23XI Racing’s eight Cup Series wins came at Kansas Speedway, all three were in the last six races.
· Denny Hamlin has finished inside the top-10 in the last seven Kansas Cup races, the longest active streak.
· Alex Bowman’s 10 top 10s at Kansas are his most at a track.
· Chase Elliott’s 12 top-10 finishes at Kansas are his second most at a track behind 13 at Martinsville.
· William Byron’s eight top-10 finishes at Kansas are tied for his second most at a track behind nine at Phoenix.
· Tyler Reddick led in the last seven Kansas Cup races, tied for the longest streak by a driver at Kansas. Christopher Bell led in the last six Kansas races, the second longest active streak at the track behind Reddick with seven.
· Kyle Larson’s nine wins on 1.5 mile tracks rank fifth among active drivers, all nine came in his 32 starts on them with Hendrick Motorsports (29% win percentage on them with Hendrick)
· Kyle Larson is the only driver to finish inside the top-10 in all three 1.5 mile races this season.
· Kyle Larson’s average finish of 4.67 on 1.5 mile tracks in 2025 is five positions better than second place William Byron with 9.67.
· Joey Logano, with two, is the only repeat winner in the last seven races on 1.5 mile tracks.
· A Ford driver won only one of the last 11 races at Kansas, Joey Logano in October 2020.
· Spire Motorsports won the pole for two of the three 1.5 mile races this season.
· Kyle Busch finished outside the top-10 in the last seven races on 1.5 mile tracks, he is on a 11-race streak without a top-five finish on 1.5 mile tracks.
· The final lead change came within the last laps two laps in five of the 11 races this season.
· Hendrick Motorsports’ 1,135 laps led in 2025 leads all teams by 419 laps and are the team’s most since 2010.
· 27 top-10 finishes are the most ever by Hendrick Motorsports through 11 races.
· Alex Bowman (two) and William Byron (two) are the only repeat pole winners in 2025.
· Hendrick Motorsports won the pole for four of the last eight races of 2025.
· Kyle Larson leads all drivers with 596 laps led in 2025 in Cup and 440 laps led in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
· William Byron ranks second in 2025 laps led with 386.
· Kyle Larson leads all drivers with seven top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes in 2025. Larson’s seven top-five finishes, eight top-10 finishes and 596 laps led in 2025 are his most ever through 11 races in a season.
· Kyle Larson is 148 laps away from 10,000 laps led in Cup, 67% of his laps led came in his five seasons with Hendrick Motorsports.
· Hendrick Motorsports drivers won six of the last eight stages.
· William Byron’s average finish of 8.91 in 2025 leads all drivers and is the best by a Hendrick driver through 11 races since Jimmie Johnson in 2013 with 6.7.
· Hendrick Motorsports had at least one car finish top-five in the last 19 races, the team’s third longest streak all-time and the longest since the team’s longest streak at 24 between 2012 and 2013.
· Hendrick Motorsports is the only team with at least one car finishing in the top-five in all 11 races in 2025, no other team had at least one car finish top-10 in all 11 races this year.
· The top-three drivers in 2025 based on average finish are William Byron (8.9), Kyle Larson (10.6) and Chase Elliott (11.4).
· Three of the top-four in points are Hendrick drivers with Byron 1st, Larson 2nd and Elliott 4th…Alex Bowman is 10th.
· Kyle Larson leads all drivers with six stage wins in 2025, William Byron ranks second with three.
· Austin Dillon finished top-10 in the last three races, tied for his longest top-10 streak in Cup.
· Team Penske has three top-five finishes in the last two races including two wins, in the first nine races of 2025 the team had only three top-five finishes.
· Joe Gibbs Racing led only 16 laps on 1.5 mile tracks in 2025, the team’s fewest through three 1.5 mile track races since 2017.
· Brad Keselowski is looking for his first top-10 finish of 2025, he had four top fives and five top 10s after 11 races in 2024.
· The 305 lead changes through 11 races in 2025 are the fourth most all-time.
· The race winner led less than 10 laps six times this year, more than any other season through 11 races.
· Four races ended with a last lap pass in 2025, the most ever through 11 races.
· Nine different pole winners through 11 races in 2025 is tied for the most all-time.
· For only the second time since 1983, the Wood Brothers have led at least 150 laps in a season’s first 11 races (169 in 2025, 233 in 2017).
· Zane Smith’s average finish through 11 races in 2025 is 9 positions better than it was through 11 races in 2024
· Legacy Motor Club’s five top-10 finishes in 2025 is one less than their 2024 season total (six). Their three top fives are more than 2023 and 2024 combined (two).
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Looking Ahead – Charlotte Storylines and Insights:
· In a few weeks, Charlotte Motor Speedway will host their 80th NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the second-most Xfinity races held at a track all-time (behind only Bristol with 82 NXS races). Charlotte has hosted a NASCAR Xfinity Series race every season since the series
inception in 1982.
· NASCAR Xfinity Series driver point standings leader, Justin Allgaier, is the only former Xfinity Series Charlotte race winner running full-time this season.
· The last 12 NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway have been won by 12 different drivers (2015-2024). Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott is the most recent Xfinity winner.
· Chase Elliott won last year’s Charlotte Xfinity Series race by 0.500-second over Brandon Jones, the 16th closest finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the series.
· Two of the last 20 Charlotte Motor Speedway Xfinity Series races finished with a last-lap pass for the win (May 2016 race and May 2020 race).
· Six of the last 20 Xfinity Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway have resulted in the final pass for the win occurring with 10 laps to go or less (2011-2, 2012-2, 2013-2, 2016-1, 2017-1 2020-1).
· Justin Allgaier leads the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings following Texas by 50 points over Austin Hill in second and 86 points up on Sam Mayer in third.
· Justin Allgaier leads all active fulltime Xfinity Series drivers at Charlotte in poles (two), top fives (six), top 10s (12), and laps led (200).
· Justin Allgaier leads the Xfinity Series in average finishing position at Charlotte with 6.0 in 22 starts.
· Allgaier (6.0) is one of three fulltime drivers with an average finish inside the top-10 at Charlotte along with Sammy Smith (6.5) and Parker Retzlaff (10.0).
· Three drivers are currently riding top-10 finish streaks of three consecutive top 10s – Austin Hill, Jeb Burton and Harrison Burton.
· 13 different drivers have won a stage this season, led by Austin Hill with six stage wins.
· Nine drivers have won the Xfinity Fastest Lap Award this year, led by Justin Allgaier with three.
· 101 leaders through the first 12 NASCAR Xfinity Series races of the season, is the second-most all-time behind only 2007 (106).
· 181 lead changes through the first 12 NASCAR Xfinity Series races of the season, is third-most all-time behind only 2013 (201) and 2011 (198).
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Kansas Storylines and Insights:
· This weekend marks the 30th running of a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway (2001-2025). This is the only Kansas race in 2025, after multiple Kansas races in each of the previous three season and three in 2020.
· Kansas is the second of a six consecutive week stretch of Truck races, the longest stretch of the season, this stretch will go through Michigan the first week of June.
· Kansas Speedway is the fourth of five conventional 1.5-mile tracks on the 2025 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule – Homestead, Las Vegas, Texas, Kansas and Charlotte. All five 1.5 mile track races will be completed before the end of May.
· A total of 24 different CRAFTSMAN Truck Series drivers have won at Kansas Speedway, and four of the 24 are active this weekend: Matt Crafton (2013, 2015, 2020), Corey Heim (2024 sweep), Grant Enfinger (2023) and William Byron (2016).
· Corey Heim swept both Kansas races in 2024, the 10 races prior to that were won by 10 different drivers.
· Corey Heim (three wins) is the only repeat CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race winner in 2025.
· Corey Heim won or was passed for the win in five of the last six Kansas races.
· The pass for the win came in the final eight laps in 10 of the last 15 Kansas races.
· Tyler Ankrum ended a 130-race winless streak at Rockingham, the most starts between wins in Truck series history.
· Two drivers finished top-10 in the first three 1.5 mile track races of 2025: Tyler Ankrum, Corey Heim
· Texas Motor Speedway was the only race to go into overtime in the last 22 Truck Series races.
· Tyler Ankrum leads all drivers with six top-five finishes in 2025, tied for his most ever in a season.
· Corey Heim is the only driver to lead in all eight races in 2025.
· Two drivers are on the longest top-10 streak of their careers: Tyler Ankrum 7, Rajah Caruth 4 (tie).
· Corey Heim’s four consecutive top fives and five consecutive top 10s are tied for the second-longest streaks all-time at Kansas.
· Corey Heim needs 64 laps led to pass Kyle Busch for most laps led all-time at Kansas in the Truck Series.
· Corey Heim’s 697 laps led on 1.5-mile tracks is eighth all-time and the seven drivers ahead of him have all led 1000+ laps.
· A total of 19 different drivers have won the pole in CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at Kansas Speedway, and only two are active this weekend: Matt Crafton (2019) and Ty Majeski (2024).
· Four drivers in the field finished runner-up at Kansas but never won – Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Carson Hocevar and Layne Riggs.
· Morgen Baird, from Grass Lake, Michigan, is making his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut this weekend.
· Five drivers in the field have never made a Truck Series start at Kansas – No. 2 Dennison, No. 17 Ruggiero, No. 22 Baird, No. 66 Baldwin and No. 77 Perez.
· The 120 lead changes in 2025 are the most ever through eight races in a season.
· Corey Heim led 218 of the 442 laps races on 1.5 mile tracks in 2025 (49%).
· Only Kyle Busch (twice) has a better average finish than Corey Heim’s 1.67 average finish in 2025 through three races on 1.5 mile tracks.
· Brandon Jones is in the No. 1 truck this weekend at Kansas, he is a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series winner at Kansas Speedway (2019, 2020).
· Nathan Byrd’s best CRAFTSMAN Truck Series finish is 14th, in each of the last two races… he made his Truck Series debut at Kanas last Fall (finished 19th).
· William Byron won his only CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Kansas in May 2016, it was his first Truck win.
· Dawson Sutton finished a Truck Series career-best fifth at Kansas last September, he got his second Truck Series top-10 finish last week at Texas (ninth).
· Ty Majeski’s average start at Kansas in eight races is 5.5, his average finish of 17.8 is 12.3 spots lower.
· Each of the last three Kansas races had green flag pit stops.
· Three of the four Kansas races won from a starting position outside the top-10, came in the last four races; including last Fall when Heim won from 33rd.
· Corey Heim is two wins away from tying Matt Crafton for 10th in all time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins with 15.
· Corey Heim currently leads the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series driver point standings by 46 points over Chandler Smith in second place.
NASCAR & Kansas, Etc.
Historical & Significant Events at Kansas Speedway:
· In 1996, International Speedway Corporation (now NASCAR) began exploring options to build a speedway in the Midwest. Lesa France Kennedy spearheaded the search process. In 1997, Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, were selected as the site for the new speedway at the intersection of interstates 70 and 435.
· On December 18, 1997, International Speedway Corporation (now NASCAR) announced plans to build a 1.5 mile speedway to seat approximately 75,000.
· Architecture firm HNTB designed the facility and Turner Construction provided construction management. Construction began on the 1,200 acre, 1.5 mile speedway in May of 1999.
· Completion was targeted for 2000 but was delayed by weather and lawsuits from nearby landowners. Paving began in September 2000 and the speedway completed in early 2001.
· Estimated project cost was $250 million. The speedway had a significant impact on the area even before construction was finished. New commercial and entertainment developments sprung up near the speedway, including a movie theater complex, an outdoor retail mall, and hotels.
· The official opening of Kansas Speedway was in 2001, with the first events being an ARCA Menards Series race and an ARCA Menards Series West race on the same day – June 2.
· The first NASCAR Cup Series race was on September 30, 2001. The event was won by Hendrick Motorsport’s driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet).
· In 2011, the track held the Kanrocksas Music Festival, a rock music festival. The event was first announced on April 26, 2011, and was held in August; the inaugural festival featured acts such as Eminem, The Flaming Lips, Kid Cudi, Primus, and others.
· Following the 2012 STP 400, the track underwent a massive renovation project that included repaving the track surface, reconfiguration of the oval, and addition of a new infield road course. NASCAR’s in-house design and construction group utilized state of the art computer modeling to develop track geometry with up to 20 degrees of variable banking. Construction crews removed the existing oval track asphalt pavement and regraded the underlying soil to create the variable banking. In addition to the turns, the frontstretch, backstretch and pit road were reconstructed.
· The Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway overlooking turn 2 opened February 3, 2012 with 2,000 slot machines, 52 gaming tables and 12 poker tables on a 100,000 square-foot gaming floor. It also features 28,000 square-feet of other amenities including restaurants, clubs and nightlife attractions.
· The casino is estimated to bring 440,000 tourists per year and create 1,050 full time jobs elevating the state to a first class, year-round tourist destination.
· The inside of the $411 million Hollywood Casino facility is modeled after the golden age of Hollywood. There are soaring columns with ornate scrollwork, video screens rolling historic clips of Grace Kelly and James Stewart and vintage movie posters of Steve McQueen in “Le Mans” and James Garner in “Grand Prix,” a nod to the motorsports element of the unique partnership.
· Prior to the fall race in 2015 Kansas Speedway added 1,250 linear feet of SAFER barrier to the backstretch and 525 linear feet to the frontstretch; all outside walls are now protected by SAFER barrier. 1,700 linear feet of barrier was also added to the interior walls at the entry and exit of the corners. In total Kansas Speedway added a total of 3,475 feet or 6 tenths of a mile of SAFER barrier in 2015.
· Since 2016, the track has been the host of the American Royal World Series of BBQ competition.
· Kansas Speedway is located in the state of Kansas, 13 miles west of Kansas City, Mo.
· There have been 38 NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway, one event from 2001 – 2010 and two races per year since 2011.
The information provided is by NASCAR Communications, Racing Insights and Kansas Speedway for use in your coverage of NASCAR.
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