Kevin Harvick is finally up to speed in the Chase. After a slow start, the reigning Sprint Cup champion has now finished first and second in his last two races heading into the Hollywood Casino 400.
Joey Logano is through to the Eliminator Round after winning the Bank of America 500 last time out. Will it be Harvick’s turn to punch his ticket to the last eight with a win at Kansas?
Get a full breakdown of the Chase’s next stop with our preview below. And for more top Sunday viewing, click here our preview of the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Patriots and Colts.
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Hollywood Casino 400 Preview
Where: Kansas Speedway, Kansas City
When: Sunday, October 18, 2:15 PM ET
TV Broadcast: NBC
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Kevin Harvick
With a win at Dover followed by a runner-up finish at Charlotte, Kevin Harvick is very much in championship form. The defending champ is +350 to retain his title, and a win at Kansas would definitely help his case.
[sc:NASCAR240banner ]Harvick is a fan of intermediate courses like Kansas Speedway. He has 11 career wins in those tracks, and finishes in the top five a quarter of the time (51 in 204 starts). However, he only owns one win in Kansas despite three poles. He was the pole-sitter in last season’s race, but finished way back in 12th.
Nevertheless, Harvick will likely be in the mix once again, and is the worthy favorite at +450 to win.
Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch has yet to rediscover his magic touch in the Chase after going on a winning spree during the middle of the regular season. Through the first four Chase races, Busch’s average finish is 17th. He followed up a big runner-up finish at Dover with a disappointing 20th-place finish last time out at Charlotte.
Busch is a +600 favorite to snap his 10-race winless drought, but Kansas Speedway has not been kind to him. In 15 career starts on the track, Busch has yet to grab a single win or pole. His best finish was third (last season), while his average finish through his last five races at Kansas is 22.5.
Joey Logano
With his spot in the Eliminator round secured following his win at Charlotte, Joey Logano will be racing with significantly less pressure at Kansas. That freedom could allow Logano to be more aggressive with his driving. Logano, of course, is the reigning champion in this race, and is +700 to successfully defend his title.
Logano is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in each of the first four Chase races (sixth, third, tenth, first) and has finished in the top five in four of his last five races at Kansas.
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Sleepers
Denny Hamlin
Who’s the only driver that has recorded three top-five finishes in the first four Chase races? That would be Denny Hamlin, who kicked off the Chase with a win at Chicagoland and is +1,000 to get another one at Kansas.
Hamlin owns one win and three top-five finishes in 14 career starts at Kansas Speedway, but he has struggled mightily on the track over the last five races. His average finish in those five races was 22.5.
Carl Edwards
Another driver who has performed well during the Chase is Carl Edwards, whose average finish of seventh through the first four races is third behind only Logano and Hamlin. Edwards finished as the runner-up to Hamlin in Chicagoland, and is similarly priced at +1,000 to go one spot better at Kansas. Edwards is still winless in 16 career starts at Kansas, but has finished in the top-five on six occasions.
Long Shot
Aric Almirola
Aric Almirola might not be in contention for the Chase, but he’s still putting up some impressive performances nonetheless. He’s finished in the top-10 in three of the last four races, including a top-five finish at Dover.
The 31-year-old has just seven career races at Kansas Speedway, but he once qualified in third and finished in the top-10 three times. Of the truly long shots, Almirola at +10,000 might be the most realistic play.
Writer’s Prediction
Harvick (+450) holds off his main challengers to claim his second career win at Kansas.
