NASCAR

NASCAR at Kansas: Schedule, watch info, picks for Hollywood Casino 400

The second round of the NASCAR playoffs begins at Kansas Speedway this Sunday on USA Network.

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The first race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off Feb. 18. Here are the keys dates for the upcoming season.v

And then there were 12.

Four drivers were eliminated from the NASCAR playoffs last week, as the second round is set to get underway Sunday at Kansas Speedway.

Kansas has hosted a playoff race every year since 2004, when the first postseason was held. The 1.5-mile oval produced the closest finish in NASCAR history earlier this season, when Kyle Larson edged Chris Buescher at the finish line by 0.001 seconds.

So, who is racing in Kansas? What’s the schedule for TV and streaming? And what drivers could contend for the win? Here’s everything you need to know for 2024 Hollywood Casino 400:

When is the NASCAR race in Kansas?

The Hollywood Casino 400 is set for Sunday, Sept. 29 at 3 p.m. ET.

Before the race, there were practice and qualifying sessions on Saturday. The 38 drivers were split into two groups (found here) with each group getting 20 minutes of free practice and then competing in two-round qualifying. Here’s how it worked:

  • Each driver will make one lap in the first round, with the five fastest drivers in each group advancing.
  • In the final round, the remaining drivers each get one lap to set the top 10 starting order. The fastest driver overall will start on the pole, the fastest driver in the other group will start second.
  • Positions 3 through 10 are set on final round times – Group A filling the even-numbered positions (4th, 6th, 8th, 10th), Group B filling the odd-numbered positions (3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th).
  • Positions 11 through 38 are set based on first round times – Group A filling the even-numbered positions, Group B filling the odd-numbered positions.

You can find the full starting lineup here, with Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs starting on the front row.

What is the NASCAR TV schedule this weekend?

Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Jeff Burton (analyst) and Steve Letarte (analyst) will be on the call for NBC Sports all weekend. Marty Snider, Kim Coon, and Parker Kligerman will serve as pit reporters. Here’s the full TV and streaming schedule:

Saturday, Sept. 28 (streaming)

Sunday, Sept. 29 (USA Network and streaming)

NASCAR Kansas entry list, drivers

Thirty-eight drivers will race at Kansas – the 34 full-timers, plus four others.

The headliner is seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who will drive the No. 84 for his seventh of nine starts this season. Then there’s Ty Dillon and Kaz Grala, who will continue their part-time schedules for Kaulig Racing and Rick Ware Racing, respectively. Elsewhere, J.J. Yeley will make his fifth start of the season for NY Racing Team.

Also of note, Justin Haley and Corey LaJoie will swap rides after a trade was announced last week between Spire Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing. Haley takes over the No. 7 for Spire, LaJoie will finish the season in the No. 51 for RWR.

Here’s the full entry list for Kansas:

Car numberDriverTeamSponsor
1Ross ChastainTrackhouse RacingKubota Tractors
2Austin CindricTeam PenskeMenards
3Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingBass Pro Shops
4Josh BerryStewart-Haas RacingBed Bath & Beyond
5Kyle LarsonHendrick MotorsportsHendrickCars.com
6Brad KeselowskiRFK RacingSolomon Plumbing
7Justin HaleySpire MotorsportsGainbridge
8Kyle BuschRichard Childress RacingBetMGM
9Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsUniFirst
10Noah GragsonStewart-Haas RacingBed Bath & Beyond
11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingFedEx
12Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeWurth
14Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas RacingMahindra Tractors
15Kaz GralaRick Ware RacingRemixers.com
16Ty DillonKaulig RacingFitRx
17Chris BuescherRFK RacingFastenal
19Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingBass Pro Shops
20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingRheem
21Harrison BurtonWood Brothers RacingMenards
22Joey LoganoTeam PenskeShell/Pennzoil
23Bubba Wallace23XI RacingColumbia Sportswear
24William ByronHendrick MotorsportsValvoline
31Daniel HemricKaulig RacingSouth Point Hotel & Casino
34Michael McDowellFront Row MotorsportsHorizon Hobby
38Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsRasmussen Air & Gas Energy
41Ryan PreeceStewart-Haas RacingHaas Tooling
42John Hunter NemechekLegacy Motor ClubPye-Barker
43Erik JonesLegacy Motor ClubAdventHealth
44J.J. YeleyNY Racing TeamUrban Racing School
45Tyler Reddick23XI RacingDraftKings
47Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty RacingDillons/NOS Energy
48Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsAlly
51Corey LaJoieRick Ware RacingChildren's Mercy Hospital
54Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingMonster Energy
71Zane SmithSpire MotorsportsFocused Health
77Carson HocevarSpire MotorsportsPremier Security
84Jimmie JohnsonLegacy Motor ClubFamily Dollar/Dollar Tree
99Daniel SuarezTrackhouse RacingWorldwide Express
2024 Hollywood Casino 400 entry list

NASCAR Kansas predictions, picks, favorites

Two drivers have ruled this track in recent years: Larson and Hamlin.

Since 2022 at Kansas (five races), the two have combined for two wins, nine top-fives, 10 top-10s and 444 laps led – ranking first or second in all four categories. Larson won there in May, while Hamlin won the spring race last year.

Beyond Larson and Hamlin, many of the other playoff drivers are set up for success at Kansas. Elliott leads all drivers with a 10.2 average finish in 17 starts, with top-12 finishes in 13 of his last 14 races. There’s also Reddick, who won the Kansas playoff race last fall for 23XI Racing.

The Toyotas of Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing and the Chevrolets of Hendrick Motorsports are typically leading the pack at Kansas. Aside from Hamlin, JGR has Bell (four Kansas poles, including 2024) and Truex (12.6 average finish). Wallace is a past Kansas winner for 23XI, and the duo of Byron (seven top-10s) and Bowman (four straight top-10s) have strong Kansas history to match their HMS teammates Larson and Elliott.

Aside from the powerhouse Toyota and Chevy drivers, Ford teammates Logano and Blaney expect to make some noise. The former is a three-time Kansas winner, though he hasn’t found victory lane since 2020. Blaney is a two-time stage winner at Kansas, but the defending champion hasn’t quite had the finishes there recently (one top-10 in last seven starts). 

NASCAR Kansas winners list, race history

Ten of the 38 drivers in the field are past winners at Kansas, including seven with multiple victories.

Hamlin leads all drivers with four Kansas wins, followed by Johnson and Logano with three apiece. Busch, Truex, Larson and Keselowski have two wins each, and the one-time winners are Elliott (2018), Wallace (2022) and Reddick (2023).

NASCAR playoff standings entering Kansas

The standings are reset for the Round of 12, with each driver getting 3,000 points plus their playoff points earned in the first 29 races. Cindric, Suarez, Bowman and Briscoe are below the cut line, but they have three races to either win or put themselves into the top eight.

You can find a full explanation of NASCAR’s playoff format right here.

Here’s the playoff standings entering Kansas:

RankDriverPoints
1.Kyle Larson3,047
2.Christopher Bell3,032
3.Tyler Reddick3,028
4.William Byron3,022
5.Ryan Blaney3,019
6.Denny Hamlin3,015
7.Chase Elliott3,014
8.Joey Logano3,012
9.Austin Cindric3,008
10.Daniel Suarez3,006
11.Alex Bowman3,005
12.Chase Briscoe3,005
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