Kyle Larson snapped a two-race skid with a win at Darlington last week, sealing his spot in the Round of 12.
Now the attention turns to those sitting close to the cutoff line, with Christopher Bell currently holding the final spot by a one-point margin over Bubba Wallace.
Just behind them are Kevin Harvick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who are just two and four points behind Bell, respectively. It provides the chance for considerable movement at Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
“If we do our job, I feel like we can transfer through rounds,” Stenhouse said. “We’re focused on the first round. We’ll see where we end up after Bristol Motor Speedway and figure it out from there.
“Darlington was probably the least of the best tracks for us. I’ve run good at Kansas before, and Bristol is my favorite track by far.”
The spring race at Kansas featured 38 lead changes, the most in a 400-miler in NASCAR history.
HOLLYWOOD CASINO 400
Kansas Speedway
The Date: Sunday, Sept. 10, 3 p.m. ET
The Distance: 400 miles on 1.5-mile track
Defending Champion: Bubba Wallace
Cup Series Leader: Kyle Larson
TV: USA Network
Radio: SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
BEST BETS
Denny Hamlin (+500 at BetMGM)
Hamlin turned Larson’s car into the wall on the final lap en route to winning the spring race at Kansas Speedway, the 42-year-old’s record fourth career victory at the track. He has been backed by the most total bets (7.8 percent) and second most money (11.4 percent) at the book this week.
Kyle Larson (+525)
Larson was clipped by teammate William Byron for the pole in the spring and then by Hamlin for the checkered flag on race day. Larson acknowledged that his car wasn’t handling well at the end, but proved throughout the weekend that he can run very strong at Kansas. Larson now has four wins in a hot-and-cold season that also includes six DNFs.
William Byron (+725)
Byron finished third in the spring race after earning the poll, one of his 14 top-10s this season. He enters the weekend second in the standings and first in the Cup Series with five victories. Bell is coming off a fourth place at Darlington and has a streak of three consecutive top-10 finishes that began with a win at Watkins Glen.
Tyler Reddick (+900)
Reddick is third in the standings following a runner-up at Darlington last weekend — his fourth finish of eighth or better in his past five races. He also finished ninth at Kansas Speedway in the spring. Reddick has been backed by the most money at BetMGM at 12.1 percent, making him the book’s third biggest liability this week.
Bubba Wallace (+1300)
Wallace won at Kansas last September after failing to qualify for the playoffs. He returns as the defending champion and very much in contention for a spot in the Round of 12. Wallace is coming off a seventh at Darlington, but is still seeking his first win of the year.
LONGSHOT PICK
Chase Briscoe (+35000)
Briscoe is the book’s biggest liability this week, drawing 2.5 percent of the total bets with his longshot odds. He finished 36 at Kansas Speedway in the spring, but the Stewart-Haas driver does have six top-10s and three top-5 this season.
–Field Level Media
