RADIO
Denny Hamlin Leads the Most Laps at Kansas but Misses Out on Victory
Denny Hamlin was the most dominant driver of the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, leading 131 total laps, but he was unable to score the victory late in the race. Hamlin began the race from second and quickly took the lead after four laps from Tyler Reddick. He went on to dominate the rest of the first stage and win it. In the second stage, Hamlin lost the lead to Kyle Larson and other positions to Chase Elliott and Reddick, but eventually regained them as the stage progressed by passing them on track. Hamlin couldn't overtake Larson, though, in the second stage, and he ended it in second, gaining nine further stage points. In the final stage, Denny Hamlin ran second behind Christopher Bell before cycling back to the lead through green flag pit stops. He was set to win the race until Cody Ware spun his car before Hamlin caught the white flag, forcing one more pit stop and restart. Although Hamlin tried to keep the lead, Larson got to the side of Hamlin and moved him up the track, causing Hamlin to fall out of contention for the win. The No. 11 Toyota driver went back up and finished in fourth place, earning another top-5 finish at Kansas. Hamlin now sits second in the regular-season standings, 105 points behind Reddick.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Christopher Bell Falls Out of Contention for Kansas Victory on Final Restart
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell finished 20th despite being one of the main contenders for the victory in Sunday's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Bell began the race from 11th, but moved up through the field as the first stage progressed. He ended the first stage in fifth, scoring six stage points. The second stage saw Bell continue to run inside the top five through most of the stage without incident. Bell ended the second stage in fifth and earned six more stage points. Between the second and final stage, Bell went to pit road and gained positions, restarting the final stage in second. From there, Bell took the lead from his teammate Denny Hamlin and led 47 laps before heading to pit road. Bell stayed out on track longer than Hamlin and Tyler Reddick, and lost the lead after his pit stop while Hamlin and Reddick passed Bell with fresher tires. Bell ran inside the top five from there until the final restart when he competed for the win, but got into the wall after contact with Reddick, causing the car to lose speed, spin out on pit road, and fall back to his eventual finishing position of 20th. This crash ended a streak of five consecutive Kansas races with a top-10 finish, and the No. 20 Toyota driver is now 10th in the regular season standings after nine races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Kyle Larson Should not be Underestimated for the Win at Kansas
Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports will start in the fourth position for this week's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, marking the third consecutive race at Kansas where he will start inside the top five in a Cup race. In 22 races at Kansas, Larson has three wins, 13 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.1, which ranks third-best among active drivers. With eight races now completed in the 2026 season, Larson ranks sixth in the regular-season standings with five top-10 finishes and an average finish of 13.5. In practice for this week's race, Larson ranked first in overall lap averages and 26th in five consecutive lap averages. As the winner of the last two spring Kansas races, Larson should not be overlooked to compete for the win this week, even if he did not set long run practice speeds.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Can Denny Hamlin Dominate at Kansas Again?
Last fall at Kansas Speedway, Denny Hamlin put on a dominating effort en route to his runner-up finish, leading 159 of the 273 laps and sweeping the Stages before ultimately losing out on the race win to Chase Elliott. Still, it was another top-five finish for Denny at Kansas, a mark that he has hit in 15 of his 35 career starts. He also has four total wins at the track. Flash forward to this season, and Hamlin did something simiar at Las Vegas, which is the sister track to Kansas. In that race, Denny led 134 of the 267 laps and ended up in victory lane--beating out Chase Elliott in the end. All signs point to a similar effort out of the No. 11 Toyota on Sunday in the AdventHealth 400. Hamlin ranked fifth-best in 10-lap average during practice and will start from the outside pole when the race goes green. He's a prime DFS pick this weekend, even with his hefty salary on DraftKings ($11,000). Let's just hope Kyle Busch doesn't ruin his day...
Source: Motorsport
Source: Motorsport
Christoper Bell Should Contend for First Win at Kansas
Watch for Christopher Bell to contend at Kansas Speedway on Sunday afternoon. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has never went to victory lane at this race track, but over the last nine races here, he's finished eighth or better all but once, and in the two races at Kansas last season, Bell wound up finishing second and third. This weekend, CBell had a bad practice group/qualifying draw and had a bit of a disadvantage there, but still had one of the fastest cars in both of those sessions, which is promising for race day. The No. 20 Toyota was fastest in 25- and 30-lap average during practice and Bell will roll off the starting grid from 11th-place after his qualifying effort. In terms of DFS playability, Bell ($11,700 salary on DraftKings) is a premier option on Sunday, providing good Place Differential, dominator, and finishing position potential.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Tyler Reddick Fastest in Practice and Qualifying for Kansas Race
Tyler Reddick is fast once again this week, as the No. 45 Toyota was the quickest in both practice and qualifying at Kansas Speedway on Saturday afternoon and will lead the field to the green for the AdventHealth 400 on Sunday. Reddick is a previous Kansas winner (back in 2023) and ended up finishing seventh here last fall. Now the question is, will he be able to stay up front this weekend? His team owner, Denny Hamlin, starts on the outside pole this weekend and was dominant in the fall race here at Kansas last season as well as the Las Vegas race this season. However, Reddick showed good speed in practice here on Saturday, ranking the best in 15- and 20-lap average during the session. Reddick should be at least a top-five contender on race day, and it wouldn't be surprising if he challenged for the win. In DFS, he could be a solid value pick ($9,500 salary) if he can grab dominator points early.
Source: RACER
Source: RACER
Ryan Blaney Could Score another Top-10 Finish at Kansas
Ryan Blaney of Team Penske will start in ninth for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, marking the seventh time this year that he will start inside the top 10 in a race. In 22 races at Kansas, Blaney has nine top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.2. After eight races so far this year, Blaney is second in the regular-season standings with one win and six top-10 finishes with an average finish of 9.1. In practice for this week's race, Blaney ranked 31st in overall lap averages and displayed top-10 speeds in the 10-30 consecutive lap average categories. Blaney is a driver who is capable of placing in the top 10 and competing for a top-5 finish based on equipment, season-wide performance, and track history.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Ty Gibbs Poised to Continue Hot Streak at Kansas
Ty Gibbs is on a hot streak, to say the least. Over the last six Cup Series races, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver hasn't finished worse than sixth, and he's coming off of his first-ever Cup win at Bristol last weekend, too. And he looks poised to continue running well at Kansas this weekend. Gibbs will roll off the starting grid from third place when the AdventHealth 400 goes green on Sunday afternoon, and in practice, the No. 54 Toyota looked stout, ranking fifth-best in 15-, 20-, and 25-lap average. Gibbs has a shaky history at Kansas Speedway (five finishes of 25th or worse in seven starts), but he did end up fifth here in 2024, and he ran fifth at Las Vegas earlier this season as well. From a DFS perspective, Ty Gibbs is a tournament play on DraftKings ($9,200 salary) and should be a top-five contender all day in the AdventHealth 400.
Source: Speedway Digest
Source: Speedway Digest
Chris Buescher Always Consistent, Has Speed Heading Into Kansas
Chris Buescher is no stranger to running well at Kansas Speedway. Over the last four races at the track, Buescher has the fifth-best average driver rating (96.5) and has not had a result worse than 15th during that span--including his near-win here back in the spring of 2024. As far as intermediate tracks in general, Buescher is as reliable as they come. He's posted top-15 finishes in five of the last six, including a sixth-place run at Las Vegas a month ago. Las Vegas is the sister track to Kansas Speedway, and it appears that Roush-Fenway Keselowski Racing brought a similar hot rod here this weekend, as the No. 17 Ford ranked second-best in 20-lap average during practice and Buescher ended up qualifying seventh after that. He should be a solid top-10 threat on race day, and could be a sleeper for a top five. Buescher is a risky tournament-style play on DraftKings ($8,300 salary).
Source: Driver Averages
Source: Driver Averages
William Byron is A Solid DFS Option for Kansas Lineups
Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron will start the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway from the 14th position after qualifying. In 16 Cup starts at Kansas, Byron has nine top-10 finishes, including the last two Fall races at the site. Through eight races so far this year, Byron is ranked seventh in the regular-season standings with four top-10 finishes and an average finish of 13.3. In practice for this week's race, Byron ranked 11th in overall lap averages while displaying top-10 speeds in the 15-30 consecutive lap average categories, including ranking second in 30 consecutive lap averages. Overall, Byron is a solid driver capable of placing in the top 10 based on practice speeds and past track history at Kansas.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Carson Hocevar Poised for Career-Best Run at Kansas
Don't be surprised if Carson Hocevar has a career-best run at Kansas Speedway this weekend in the AdventHealth 400. Now, to be fully transparent, it's not going to take a lot to accomplish that, as Hocevar's track record at Kansas is absymal; he's never finished better than 20th at the 1.5-mile track in five career starts. However, Hocevar noted during practice on Saturday that this was the best car he's ever had at Kansas, and he has been a top 10 contender in the past before running into issues. When it came to speed, the No. 77 Chevrolet ranked 10th-fastest on the speed chart on Saturday, and Hocevar will roll off the starting grid from sixth on race day. At $7,700 on DraftKings, Hocevar is a very risky play due to his limited Place Differential upside. It's probably best to stay away from him, but don't avoid completely.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Is Chase Briscoe Worth Rostering for DFS at Kansas?
Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, will start in the fifth position after qualifying for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, marking the second time in his Cup career that he will start in the top five at the site. In 10 races at Kansas, Briscoe has an average finish of 18.0 with two top-5 finishes, both of which were last year's races at the site. In eight Cup races so far this year, Briscoe ranks 17th in the regular-season standings with three top-10 finishes and an average finish of 18.9. In practice for this week's race at Kansas, Briscoe ranked 35th in overall lap averages, while ranking as high as sixth in 10 consecutive lap averages. Kansas has proven to be a strong track for Briscoe since joining JGR in 2025, and he will be a top-5 threat once again due to his equipment and practice speeds for this week's race.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Chase Elliott Is A Favorable DFS Option for Kansas Lineups
Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports qualified 13th for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, marking his first starting position outside of the top 10 in a race at the site since September 2024. In 20 Cup races at Kansas, Elliott has two wins, 13 top-10 finishes, and a series-leading average finish of 9.9. He is also the track's most recent winner in the Cup Series. Through eight Cup races so far in the 2026 season, Elliott ranks fifth in the Cup Series standings with one win, four top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 10.6. In practice for Sunday's race at Kansas, Elliott ranked 18th in overall lap averages and displayed top-10 speeds in the 10-25 consecutive lap average categories. Elliott is a solid overall DFS option who can be used in all formats this week, especially due to his favorable track history and top-10 practice speeds at Kansas.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Could Joey Logano be Considered Playable In DFS This Week at Kansas?
Team Penske's Joey Logano will start 15th for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. This will be a lower starting position compared to last year's spring Cup race at Kansas (fifth). In 33 Cup races at Kansas, Logano has three wins, 13 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 16.7. In eight races so far this season, Logano ranks 12th in the regular-season standings with three top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.6. In practice for this week's race, Logano ranked 33rd in overall lap averages, but ranked as high as 10th in 30 consecutive lap averages. Although Logano is a playable and decent DFS option who can maintain a top-15 finish based on track history and practice speeds, there are more favorable options with higher upside around his salary range for DFS this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Bubba Wallace is A Favorable Driver to Consider for Kansas Lineups
Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing will start in 10th after qualifying for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. It will be the second time in Wallace's Cup career that he has had back-to-back top-10 starting positions in two Kansas races in a row since the 2019 season. In 16 Cup races at Kansas, Wallace has one win and four top-10 finishes, which were all scored within his last eight Cup appearances at the site. Through eight races so far in the 2026 season, Wallace ranks eighth in the regular-season standings with four top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.6. In practice for this week's race, Wallace ranked 17th in overall lap averages but displayed top-5 speeds in most categories, including first in 10 consecutive lap averages. Considering his positive history, top-notch equipment, and upside from his starting position with a car capable of placing in the top five, Wallace is a great driver to consider for all DFS formats this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
