Due to hurricane Matthew being one of the main topics (beside the president election) in the USA, let’s first touch that. The main question is will it affect the race in any way, as the weather is one of the main factors of determining the outcome of any race. About that I only have good news, as it seems as Kansas will be left untouched for the upcoming race. We can expect temperatures ranging from 20° to 26° and participation of around 20%.
Kansas Speedway is known as one of the best 1.5 mile track in NASCAR, it’s also a race of a big importance for the Chase drivers, as they will want to finish as high as possible, before they head to Talladega Superspeedway, which can be compared to a lottery. With 267 laps, 17-20 degrees of banking in the corners, 9-11 degrees of front stretch and 5 degrees down the backstretch, the drivers will have to be highly concentrated when they race in Kansas. For the upcoming race, we will take a look at 4 racers, we think will perform up to par.
Martin Truex Jr.
To be fair, his performances on Kansas Speedway are not spectacularly good, his average finish being only 17th place. But still, we find him as a strong favourite before heading into this race, as intermediate tracks as this one suit his style. With 4 wins this season, 3 of them came from tracks fairly similar to this one, so that only confirms my statement. No.78 car had series best driver rating in May race at Kansas, led the most laps (172) and won the pole. All of that is something to take into consideration, so I expect him to show what he is capable.
Average odds to win: 5.88
Jimmie Johnson
He has led the most laps in both of the 1.5 mile races in the Chase, 155 laps in Charlotte and 118 laps at Chicago). He seems to have the fastest car since the Chase has started. In addition he can brag with 3 wins at Kansas. Similar as Martin Turex, he seems to like tracks like Kansas Speedway. With that in mind, he is a racer worth following for the upcoming Hollywood Casino 400.
Average odds to win: 8.15
Chase Elliot
Despite this year being his rookie campaign, he has showed some good performances. In Charlotte, Chase has held a lead for 103 laps, but sadly wrecked his car. Prior to that unlucky event, he has consistently finished in the top 10 at Kansas, and I believe he can be expected show us a good performance in the upcoming race.
Average odds to win: 12.35
Kevin Harvick
Overlooking this racer would be a mistake, especially after his recent performances at Kansas. With 3 wins in this season’s Chase, he has proven he is capable of stepping on the highest step. With the race at Kansas Speedway, he has a great opportunity to clinch his spot for the nest round. With that in mind, expect the No.4 team driving with the best car they have in order to get a good result.
Average odds to win: 6.45
