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Christopher Bell Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
After winning the previous drafting track race at Atlanta, Christopher Bell was unable to repeat the feat at Talladega after a hard crash on lap 52. Bell had driven from his 11th starting position to second behind Chase Briscoe for most of the first stage when the Toyotas worked together to drive from the field. The caution came out for a pit road crash after Bell had pitted but before many of the leaders did, allowing Bell to reinherit the second position after the drivers who stayed out pitted. Restarting alongside Chris Buescher, Bell received a bad bump draft from his teammate Denny Hamlin, which sent him into Buescher and then head on into the inside retaining wall. While this wreck would have likely caused a significant injury in the '90s, he was unhurt but dropped to 82 points behind the points leader William Byron for the regular season championship.
Source: Racing Reference
Source: Racing Reference
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Kyle Larson has A Perfect Points Day and Dominates Kansas
Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson completely dominated the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday. Larson started second in the race after practice and qualifying were canceled due to rain. After the initial restart, Larson passed Joey Logano and never looked back, leading almost every lap of the first stage and taking the stage win. The second stage, much like the first, was dominated by Larson, with only Denny Hamlin and Austin Cindric able to challenge the No. 5 Chevrolet driver. Larson went on to win the second stage without much issue. In the final stage, Larson continued his dominance, leading most of the stage outside of pit stops, but Chase Briscoe finally challenged him. The two drivers ended up competing for the win in the later laps of the final stage, with Briscoe edging ahead on lap 238. Larson kept pace with Briscoe until Briscoe brushed the wall on lap 257, allowing Larson to challenge for the win again. On lap 261, Larson got by Briscoe for the final time as Briscoe fell back to fourth after hitting the wall a few more times. Despite Cindric making a run to catch Larson on the final lap, Larson had enough of a gap ahead of Cindric to hold on for his second win of the season. Larson led 235 of 267 total laps, setting a new track record, and he had a perfect points day by sweeping the stages, earning the fastest single lap, and winning the race. After his second win in now the last three races, Larson extends his championship lead to 26 points over Hamlin with six races left in the season.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Austin Cindric Earns his First Runner-Up Finish of 2026 at Kansas
Austin Cindric had one of his best performances of the year so far in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. Cindric started the race from 11th after practice and qualifying were canceled due to rain. He quickly established himself as one of the top drivers early in the race, moving from 11th to third in the first stage and earning eight stage points. In the second stage, he ran inside the top three through the entire stage, mostly chasing down the dominant driver of the day, Kyle Larson. Despite his best efforts, Cindric never got close enough to Larson to make a pass for the lead in the stage, and settled for second and nine stage points. In the final stage, Cindric continued to run well, but was passed by Chase Briscoe, who had the speed to compete against Larson for the race win. Cindric ran behind Larson and Briscoe through most of the stage until the closing laps, when Briscoe grazed the wall a couple of times, causing him to lose some of the speed in his car. As a result, Cindric passed Briscoe for second. Although he was gaining on Larson for the win, Cindric didn't have enough laps to try to pass Larson and settled for second. With his best finish of the season, Cindric moves to 10th in the championship standings after 30 races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Denny Hamlin Finishes Third at Kansas with A Great Points Day
Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin posted another strong result in The Chase, finishing third in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. Hamlin started sixth but ran well throughout the race. The No. 11 Toyota driver stayed in the top five in each stage, placing second behind Kyle Larson at the end of stage one, and third behind Larson and Austin Cindric in the second stage. In the final stage, Hamlin fell further behind Larson and Cindric while his teammate Chase Briscoe and Ryan Blaney got ahead of him in the latter parts of the stage. Hamlin continued to ride around the top five until he moved past Blaney and then eventually Briscoe after Briscoe brushed the wall multiple times in the closing laps. This allowed Hamlin to regain third place, but he did not have the speed to catch Larson and Cindric to compete for the win. After the 30th race of the season, Hamlin maintains second place in the Cup Series standings, but is now 26 points behind Larson for the championship with six races left to go.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Chase Briscoe Loses the Lead Late and Finishes Fourth at Kansas
Chase Briscoe was one of the main contenders for the win in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. However, that came late in the race, as Briscoe started from 23rd after rain canceled practice and qualifying. In the first stage, Briscoe posted faster speeds than most drivers in the field, climbing to 12th by the end of the stage but falling short of stage points. In the second stage, Briscoe continued his ascent as he raced to fourth by the end of the stage and earned seven stage points. The final stage saw Briscoe move to the front of the pack, eventually catching Kyle Larson by lap 238. After passing Larson and leading for a while, Briscoe brushed the wall on lap 257, allowing Larson to fight back for the win. After Larson passed Briscoe on lap 261, Briscoe couldn't get back to Larson and fell further behind after hitting the wall a few more times. Briscoe lost the handling of his car and fell back to his eventual finishing position of fourth behind Austin Cindric and Denny Hamlin. With his 11th top-5 finish of the season, Briscoe now sits eighth in the Cup Series standings after 30 races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Ryan Blaney Places Fifth at Kansas After Starting in the Back
Ryan Blaney of Team Penske placed fifth in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. Blaney had an uphill battle at the beginning of the race as he would start from 25th after practice and qualifying were canceled due to weather on Saturday. The No. 12 Ford driver showed plenty of speed early as he climbed up to 10th by the end of the first stage, scoring one stage point. The second stage saw Blaney continue to run inside the top 10 through most of the stage, and he ended up seventh. During the final stage, Blaney made a few more moves for position and finished inside the top five by the end of the race. Blaney is now fifth in the Cup Series standings after 30 races this season, with six races left to go for the season.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Should Fantasy Managers Roster William Byron at Kansas?
William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports will start eighth for this week's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway after practice and qualifying were canceled due to rain on Saturday. In 17 Cup starts at Kansas, Byron has 10 top-10 finishes, including the last two Cup events there, with an overall average finish of 13.8. Through the first 29 races this season, Byron has 13 top-10 finishes, including every single race at a 1.5-mile Intermediate Oval track, with an average finish of 16.2. Although Byron doesn't offer high upside from his starting position, his overall consistency at this track type and at Kansas in the past makes him worth consideration for all DFS formats this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Carson Hocevar Offers Little Upside to Kansas DFS Lineups
Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar is starting in fourth for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. This will be the highest starting position of Hocevar's Cup career in a Kansas race. In six prior Cup starts at the site, Hocevar's best finish is 13th with an average finish of 24.0. After 29 races completed this year, Hocevar has one win, 11 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 15.8. Hocevar does not have a favorable track history at Kansas and has a high starting position, putting him at risk of losing Place Differential. Because of his history at Kansas and low upside, Hocevar is recommended only for tournament lineups, but even then, other racers offer more upside in his salary range.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Could Chris Buescher be A Solid DFS Option for Kansas Lineups?
Chris Buescher of RFK Racing will start 12th for the Hollywood Casino 400 after practice and qualifying were canceled due to rain. In 21 Cup starts at Kansas, Buescher has six top-10 finishes with an average finish of 16.6. Buescher has also placed in the top 15 in each of the last five Kansas Cup races. In 29 races completed this season, Buescher has 10 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.4. Kansas has been one of Buescher's better tracks over the past couple of seasons. Considering his equipment and track history in relation to his starting position, he is a solid driver to consider for all DFS formats with a chance of placing in the top 10.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering for DFS at Kansas?
Team Penske's Austin Cindric will be starting 11th in this week's race at Kansas Speedway, the Hollywood Casino 400, after practice and qualifying were canceled due to weather. In 10 Cup starts at Kansas, Cindric's best finish at the site is 11th, with an average finish of 23.1. Through 29 races so far this season, Cindric has seven top-10 finishes and an average finish of 16.6. Cindric's starting position just outside of the top 10 does not provide much upside in comparison to other drivers around his salary range. Considering his track history at Kansas, Cindric is difficult to recommend for most lineups in this week's race. Fantasy players looking to use the No. 2 Ford driver this week should mainly consider him as a contrarian option for tournaments.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Could Ryan Preece be A Sneaky DFS Option for Kansas Lineups?
Ryan Preece will start in the ninth position for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. It will be the first time that Preece will start inside the top 10 in a Cup Series race at the site. In 13 previous races at Kansas, Preece has only one top-10 finish, but has finished 11th or better in two of the last three races at the site. After 29 races completed this season, Preece has nine top-10 finishes and one win with an average finish of 16.1. With his starting position being close to the front, Preece does not carry as much upside as some drivers around his salary range. However, his equipment has been fast enough through several races this season and in past Kansas races that he is worth consideration in all formats, especially tournaments.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Points Leader Kyle Larson Poised for Solid Kansas Run
The new points leader of the NASCAR Cup Series, Kyle Larson, is poised to have another solid run at Kansas Speedway this weekend. Thanks to qualifying being cancelled, Larson will start from second place for the Hollywood Casino 400, and he's the favorite to be the early dominator in the race. Larson has been great at Kansas Speedway as of late, with first- or second-place finishes in six of the last 10 races at the track. Earlier this spring, Larson led 78 laps en route to a second-place result. As far as DFS goes, Larson ($11.0K) is a great pick this weekend because of his dominator and race-winning upside. Although he's the highest-priced driver on the slate, there are still plenty of routes for the Hendrick driver to make it into the optimal lineup.
Source: Speedway Digest
Source: Speedway Digest
Christopher Bell Should Be Strong at Kansas
Look for Christopher Bell to be strong at Kansas Speedway this weekend. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished eighth or better in five of the last six races at this track and has also led 43 or more laps in three of the last four. This weekend, the No. 20 Toyota will roll off the starting grid from third-place, as the starting lineup was set by the metric. That starting position makes Bell a very interesting DFS tournament option, as he has little Place Differential upside, but very good dominator potential. The No. 20 Toyota has had some of the best speed at Kansas and similar tracks as of late, ranking second-best behind his teammate, Denny Hamlin, in Average Speed Index at this track type. Finish-wise, Bell has finishes of second at Chicagoland, second at Charlotte, and fourth at Las Vegas to his credit this season.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Ryan Blaney a Question Mark at Kansas
Ryan Blaney's Championship hopes took a massive hit at Bristol last weekend, as the Team Penske driver had one of the best cars all night but was wrecked out and ended up finishing 33rd. If he was going to stay in the title hunt, Blaney needed a great run at Bristol. Now the Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway, and although Blaney does have two top-five finishes here over the last four races, that type of finish is by no means a guarantee. It's not a secret that the Team Penske Fords struggle a bit on the intermediate ovals, as Blaney hasn't cracked the top five on them all season. He finished seventh at Chicagoland, eighth at Michigan, seventh at Charlotte, and 10th at Texas. And while those aren't terrible finishes, they're not great by any means. Blaney ($9.8K on DraftKings) starts back in 25th for this weekend's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas, and while that definitely makes him a solid Place Differential pick, you have to question whether or not that salary is worth it for a driver that may be fringe top 10 at best.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Chase Briscoe Needs a Good Run at Kansas
It has been a rough couple of weeks for Chase Briscoe, who came into the Chase as a potential sleeper for the Championship. He finished 27th at Bristol last weekend after a late-race mechanical failure, and that followed a 32nd-place finish after wrecking at Gateway. The No. 19 team desperately needs a good run this weekend at Kansas, and the good news is, this could be just the track for them to get it. Chase has finished top-five in each of the last three Kansas races, including a career-best third-place run here back in the spring. Additionally, at similar tracks this season, Briscoe won at Chicagoland and came home eighth at Texas back in March. This weekend, he will start back in 23rd place for the Hollywood Casino 400, which gives the Joe Gibbs Racing driver massive Place Differential upside in DFS. At $9.6K on DraftKings, Briscoe is an excellent Place Differential daily fantasy pick to complement dominators in your lineup.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Can Chase Elliott Get Back on Track at Kansas?
It has been a while since Chase Elliott has been a contender on race day. In fact, since his win at Texas back in May, Chase has mustered just two top-10 finishes over the last 18 races, and over the last five he has ended up 23rd or worse four times. Not great for an elite driver like Elliott at an elite organization like Hendrick Motorsports. But can the No. 9 team turn it around at Kansas Speedway this weekend? Chase is the defending winner of this race at Kansas, as he won the fall event last year after starting fourth and leading 24 laps. He has some more work to do to get to the front this weekend, though, as the No. 9 Chevrolet will roll off the starting grid from 18th-place for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400. There's hope, though, as Elliott ranks fourth-fastest in Average Speed Index at Kansas and similar tracks as of late. As far as DFS goes, Chase Elliott ($9.0K on DraftKings) is a solid Place Differential pick on Sunday who could surprise some people with a good run--something we haven't seen out of him in a while.
Source: Hendrick Motorsports
Source: Hendrick Motorsports
Is Alex Bowman a Must-Play in DFS at Kansas?
Qualifying got rained out at Kansas Speedway this weekend, which means the starting lineup was set by the metric. That also means that Alex Bowman will roll off the grid from 33rd-place for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400. That's obviously not a great start for the No. 48 team this race weekend, but it is great news for DFS players. The intermediate tracks (like Kansas) are where Bowman has excelled this season, and his 33rd-place starting spot gives him massive Place Differential upside on Sunday. Additionally, he's pretty affordable on DraftKings at his $7.3K salary. Bowman struggled here at Kansas in the spring (18th-place finish) but he wound up fifth at Chicagoland, third at Texas, and seventh at Las Vegas this season. On 1.5-mile tracks specifically, Bowman sports an average finish of 10.8, which is fourth-best among active drivers. He's not a must-play in DFS this weekend, but he's one of the best values on slate for sure.
Source: Speedway Media
Source: Speedway Media
Joey Logano Walks Away from Bristol with his Third Win of the Season
Joey Logano of Team Penske won the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway after missing out on winning last week's race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Logano began the race from second place, but slipped back to third after being passed by William Byron in the opening laps. The No. 22 Ford driver remained in third until a competition caution on lap 40, when he stayed out of pit road while others went in and he inherited the lead. Logano went on to lead the rest of the laps in the first stage, and despite a challenge from Kyle Larson, Logano held on for the stage win. In the second stage, Logano went to pit road during the stage break and restarted the stage from just outside the top 15. The Penske driver then steadily moved through the field to make it back up to third by the end of the stage and earn eight more stage points. In the final stage, Logano remained inside the top five, outside of pit stops, through most of the stage. Logano tried to make gains to the front, but only made it as high as fourth until lap 494, when Ty Gibbs, Carson Hocevar, and Larson all started making contact with each other for the race win. This left a lane open for Logano to take advantage of with momentum, and he passed all three drivers without issue. After leading the final few laps of the race, Logano took his third victory of 2026 and moved to third in the championship standings. Through 29 races, Logano is now 16 points behind Larson for the championship title with seven races left in The Chase.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Kyle Larson Gains the Championship Lead After Runner-Up Finish at Bristol
Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson finished as the runner-up in Saturday Night's Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway after a strong performance. Larson started the race from the pole and led the opening 40 laps until a competition caution sent most drivers to pit road, including Larson. After falling behind in the pack since a couple of drivers stayed out during this caution, Larson spent the rest of the stage regaining positions. The No. 5 Chevrolet driver made it up to second by the end of the first stage, falling short of passing Joey Logano for the stage win. In the second stage, Larson was up-and-down, falling behind during pit stops but making up positions on track throughout the stage. By the end of the second stage, he placed ninth and gained two more stage points. In the final stage, Larson stayed inside the top 10 and slowly moved to the front as the stage progressed. The Hendrick driver chose to stay out on older tires after a lap 432 caution to keep track position and continued to battle inside the top five through the rest of the race. Larson had a chance to steal the win on lap 494 after Ty Gibbs and Carson Hocevar made contact with each other, but was unable to pass both of them without contact. Joey Logano passed Larson for the win after Larson passed Gibbs, then beat Hocevar at the checkered flag for second place. Despite missing the Bristol win, Larson's second-place run let him take the championship lead after 29 races, sitting one point ahead of Denny Hamlin.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Carson Hocevar Places Third After Dramatic Day at Bristol
Carson Hocevar was one of the main contenders for the win in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Hocevar began the race from fifth position, but did not fight for the lead during the first two stages. The No. 77 Chevrolet driver finished eighth at the end of stage one, and then placed seventh at the end of stage two. In the final stage, Hocevar made his way up to the top five and kept off of pit road until a lap 397 caution. As a result, Hocevar inherited the lead as all other drivers were a lap down except Ryan Blaney, who fell behind Hocevar after a commitment line violation penalty. Hocevar led until lap 432, when Ty Gibbs took the lead from him. Gibbs and Hocevar traded the lead back and forth several times until the end of the race, but in the process, Hocevar also bumped Blaney up the track and crashed him. On lap 494, Hocevar and Gibbs made contact, causing the two of them to fall back to Kyle Larson, who also made contact with them for the win. Joey Logano, however, got by all three drivers and went on to win, while Hocevar settled for third as he fell behind Larson. After the race, Blaney confronted Hocevar, and the two drivers got into a physical post-race altercation involving several pit crew members and each other. With 29 races completed this season, Hocevar is now ranked eighth in the regular season standings.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Ty Gibbs Scores Top-Five Finish at Bristol After Strong Performance
Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing was one of the top performers of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, but ended up falling short of the win. Gibbs began the race from the 13th position, but quickly showcased plenty of speed in his car. In the first stage, he climbed from 13th to fifth and earned six stage points at the end of the stage. The second stage saw Gibbs ascend to second after heading to pit road during the stage break and restarting further back in the field. Gibbs collected nine more stage points at the end of stage two after placing second by the end of the stage. In the final stage, Gibbs continued to run behind Ryan Blaney until lap 324, when he passed Blaney during green-flag conditions. Gibbs lost the lead after heading to pit road on lap 387, but regained it from Carson Hocevar on lap 431. After several cautions and restarts, Hocevar and Gibbs made contact on lap 494, causing Gibbs to lose the lead for good after losing momentum to eventual winner Joey Logano, who passed them both for the win. Gibbs went on to finish fifth and moved to fifth in the Cup Series standings after 29 races this season.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
