As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway for Sundays Hollywood Casino 400, choosing a favorite might seem easy. Then again past statistics might actually mean nothing at all and it could be anyone’s race.
For the first time in the history of the Chase and since 1999, the top three contenders for the title are the same three who have won the last three races at the track the series is racing at. Denny Hamlin won here in the spring, Jimmie Johnson won this race last season and Brad Keselowski won the Kansas race last spring. You might think it would be easy to pick those three as the favorites this week. You’d be wrong.
Kansas has been repaved since the last visit here and the turns now have variable banking – 17 degrees to 20 degrees – that replaces the 15 degrees (apron to wall) of the former layout. Teams got a chance to try out the new surface this week during a short two day testing session, but don’t except past success to equal future victory. MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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