Hollywood Casino 400 Betting News and Notes

Kansas Driver Tale of the Tape

1 - Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.3
2015 Rundown
· Four wins, 18 top fives, 24 top 10s,
· Led 1090 laps
· Average Finish of 8.1

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· One win, four top fives, four top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 18.583, 18th-best
· Average Running Position of 17.894, 18th-best
· Driver Rating of 82.3, 17th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.647, 15th-fastest
· 1434 Laps in the Top 15 (44.7), 20th-most

2 - Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Budweiser / Jimmy John's Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.1
2015 Rundown
· Three wins, 20 top fives, 24 top 10s,
· Led 2031 laps
· Average Finish of 8.9

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· One win, four top fives, nine top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 9.400, second-best
· Average Running Position of 10.775, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 102.1, fourth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 168.445, fourth-fastest
· 2923 Laps in the Top 15 (73.9), sixth-most
· 534 Quality Passes, sixth-most

3 - Martin Truex, Jr (No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.3
2015 Rundown
· One win, eight top fives, 19 top 10s,
· Led 536 laps
· Average Finish of 12.6

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· Four top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 17.500, 16th-best
· Average Running Position of 13.237, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 93.3, eighth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 168.184, sixth-fastest
· 2327 Laps in the Top 15 (63.1), 11th-most

4 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 86.5
2015 Rundown
· Two wins, 12 top fives, 16 top 10s,
· Led 521 laps
· Average Finish of 13.1

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 16.357, 14th-best
· Average Running Position of 14.632, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 86.5, 13th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.872, 11th-fastest
· 2364 Laps in the Top 15 (64.1), 10th-most
· 487 Quality Passes, ninth-most

5 - Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 85.5
2015 Rundown
· Two wins, ten top fives, 16 top 10s,
· Led 765 laps
· Average Finish of 10.9

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, five top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 17.600, 17th-best
· Average Running Position of 16.083, 14th-best
· Driver Rating of 85.5, 14th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.763, 12th-fastest
· 2230 Laps in the Top 15 (56.4), 14th-most
· 455 Quality Passes, 11th-most

6 - Carl Edwards (No. 19 Sport Clips Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.0
2015 Rundown
· Two wins, five top fives, 12 top 10s,
· Led 362 laps
· Average Finish of 14.9

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· Six top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 10.000, fifth-best
· Average Running Position of 12.208, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 96.0, seventh-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 168.125, eighth-fastest
· 2729 Laps in the Top 15 (69.0), seventh-most
· 571 Quality Passes, third-most

7 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 3M Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.5
2015 Rundown
· Three top fives, 15 top 10s,
· Led 209 laps
· Average Finish of 15.3

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· Three wins, 11 top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 11.267, sixth-best
· Average Running Position of 9.929, third-best
· Driver Rating of 100.5, sixth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 168.485, third-fastest
· 3316 Laps in the Top 15 (83.9), second-most
· 628 Quality Passes, second-most

8 - Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.8
2015 Rundown
· One win, six top fives, 20 top 10s,
· Led 611 laps
· Average Finish of 11.3

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· One win, two top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 12.545, eighth-best
· Average Running Position of 13.562, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 90.8, 12th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.735, 13th-fastest
· 1955 Laps in the Top 15 (66.5), ninth-most
· 415 Quality Passes, 13th-most

9 - Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 72.5
2015 Rundown
· Five top fives, 14 top 10s,
· Led 19 laps
· Average Finish of 13.6

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 19.733, 21st-best
· Average Running Position of 19.670, 23rd-best
· Driver Rating of 72.5, 23rd-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.160, 22nd-fastest
· 1339 Laps in the Top 15 (33.9), 23rd-most
· 355 Quality Passes, 15th-most

10 - Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Halloween Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 78.8
2015 Rundown
· Four wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s,
· Led 682 laps
· Average Finish of 12.6
Kansas Speedway Outlook:

· One top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 20.286, 22nd-best
· Average Running Position of 17.965, 19th-best
· Driver Rating of 78.8, 19th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.523, 18th-fastest
· 1885 Laps in the Top 15 (51.1), 16th-most
· 442 Quality Passes, 12th-most

11 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr (No. 88 HALO 5: MASTER CHIEF Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.8
2015 Rundown
· Two wins, 13 top fives, 18 top 10s,
· Led 203 laps
· Average Finish of 11.1

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· Three top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.643, 11th-best
· Average Running Position of 14.853, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 91.8, 11th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.959, 10th-fastest
· 2295 Laps in the Top 15 (62.3), 12th-most
· 499 Quality Passes, eighth-most

12 - Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 104.9
2015 Rundown
· Five wins, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s,
· Led 771 laps
· Average Finish of 13.4

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, six top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 11.333, seventh-best
· Average Running Position of 10.814, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 104.9, second-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 168.313, fifth-fastest
· 2979 Laps in the Top 15 (75.4), fourth-most
· 509 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Hollywood Casino 400
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

This is supposed to be where the cream rises to the top in NASCAR.

It's crunch time!

Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway will be the fifth race of the Chase and it will also be the eighth race this season on a 1.5-mile layout and third of five in the Chase format. We should have a pretty good idea of who is going to run well this week, even though the 1.5s have been a tale of two seasons.

The first four 1.5s were dominated by Chevrolet with Jimmie Johnson winning three of them (Atlanta, Texas, Kansas) and Kevin Harvick winning the other one (Las Vegas) -- as well as finishing runner-up to Johnson three times. But then in one sweeping change, the Joe Gibbs Toyota's won the next four races on 1.5s (Charlotte, Kentucky, Chicago), which also includes the mid-May non-point All-Star race. Johnson and Harvick weren't factors at as all during that stretch as all four Gibbs' drivers got on a roll simultaneously.

But then on Sunday, we had another owner and manufacturer crash the 1.5 season party. Joey Logano took his Penske Ford out front at Charlotte and pretty much stayed there the entire race leading 227 laps. Only Denny Hamlin finished in the top-five among Gibbs cars, Harvick was back running second and another Chevy driven by Martin Truex Jr. came in with a strong third-place run. Truex Jr. led a race-high 95 laps in the May Kansas race before settling for ninth.

So what's it going to be this week? Are things cycling around? Is the cream rising to the top? Has Harvick found his groove back? And could Logano be ready to keep his roll going and show he's got a whole bunch more wins to grab?

Penske obviously found something to be so dominant Sunday. By virtue of winning last week, Logano gets an automatic ticket into the next round where the final eight drivers will be decided after next weeks race at Talladega. He can go all out with no fear and just win the race for the fun of it. Logano has a top-five finish in his past four Kansas start, including winning this race last season.

Matt Kenseth put himself in a rough spot last week with a 42nd-place finish. He's going to need lots of help and maybe even have to win one of the next two races to advance. Of his five wins this season, none of them came on a 1.5-mile track. But last week at Charlotte he was one of the few to lead laps other than Logano, 72 in all, before crashing. It's a good desperation angle to play with him as he tries to win his first Championship since 2003 -- the year before the first Chase format started.

While Logano is getting all the love from Ford right now as a championship contender, let's not forget about teammate Brad Keselowski who has finished ninth or better in all eight races on 1.5-mile tracks. Logano has been sixth or better in six of the eight.

Keselowski only has one win on the season -- he led only one lap at Fontana, the one that counted -- but Kansas has always been a place he's run well at, winning in 2011. However, he appears to be in championship mode and he's only going to take what's available to him. He isn't going to risk anything. He knows he's got a top-8 type of car all year and he's not going to try and do more than its capable of. He saw Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin make the Championship race last season without winning in the Chase and by playing it smart. Keselowski is doing the same thing.

Kesenth is a two-time winner at Kansas while Kyle Busch finished a career-best third there last season (he missed the May race due to injury). Hamlin won there in 2012 and Edwards has a 10.8 average finish. Only Johnson and Jeff Gordon have a better average than Edwards, and they each have three wins.

Outside of Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet doesn't look so hot this week -- maybe Truex Jr. Harvick won in 2013 and has finished second in two of the past three races there. He led 53 laps in the May race.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Logano win again this week just because he can let it all fly, but I have the feeling we're going to see Kenseth be the best on Sunday. Every Chase participant wants to win on Sunday to avoid Talladega, but only five of them really have a shot. I'd love to see Gordon finally win a race and Johnson, who is not in the Chase, is going to be a factor, but I see Toyota celebrating in the end.

Top-5 Finish Prediction:

1) #20 Matt Kenseth (8/1)
2) #22 Joey Logano (7/1)
3) #4 Kevin Harvick (5/1)
4) #18 Kyle Busch (7/1)
5) #11 Denny Hamlin (10/1)

Driver Handicaps: Kansas
By: Jeff Wackerlin
Racingone.com

MRN.com's detailed notes and statistics to help you set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Who's HOT at Kansas

• Kevin Harvick has posted one win, two runner-up finishes and has led the most laps (371) in the last four races.
• Matt Kenseth, who finished sixth in May, is the only multiple race winner in the six races since Kansas was repaved.
• Joey Logano, who won this race last year, finished fifth in May for his fourth consecutive top five.
• Jimmie Johnson has finished ninth or better in five of the six races since the repave, including a win in this year's spring race.
• Jeff Gordon has one win and a 5.5 average finish in the last four races.
• Martin Truex Jr. led 95 laps in the spring en route to his second consecutive top 10.

Who to Keep an Eye On at Kansas

• Kyle Busch, Paul Menard, Aric Almirola, Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, Ryan Blaney, Harvick and Johnson participated in the NASCAR open test at Kansas last month.
• Almirola, Johnson, Martin Truex Jr. and JJ Yeley took part in the Goodyear tire test at Kansas last month. The same tire combination from the May race will be used again this weekend. Truex (95), Harvick (53) and Keselowski (43) were the top three lap leaders in that race.
• Keselowski is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in every race at a 1.5-mile track this season. However, his team will have one of the last pit stall selections this weekend due to four written warnings.
• Denny Hamlin won the Chase opener at Chicago and has finished eighth or better in the last four races at 1.5-mile track.
• Ryan Newman has finished in the top 10 in his last two Kansas starts.
• Kurt Busch, who finished eighth at Kansas in May, has posted top 10s in his last five starts at 1.5-mile tracks this season.
• Carl Edwards ranks first among all drivers with a 3.2 average finish in the last four races at 1.5-mile tracks.
• In three starts, Kyle Larson has posted the third-best Driver Rating at Kansas.
• Almirola has finished 10th in the last two races at 1.5-mile tracks.
• Paul Menard has finished in the top 10 in four of the six races since the Kansas repave.

MRN.com Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Kevin Harvick
Pete Pistone: Matt Kenseth
Robbie Mays: Joey Logano
John Singler: Jeff Gordon

Driver Notes - Ordered by Top 20 in Average Finish in the Five Races at Kansas

Kevin Harvick leads all drivers with a 6.7 average finish in the six races since Kansas was repaved. He won this event in 2013 with Richard Childress Racing and has posted two runner-up finishes in his last three track starts with Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick, who has led a combined 233 laps with SHR at Kansas, participated in the open test at the track last month. This weekend, Harvick will return in the same car (chassis No. 899) that he last led 216 laps with at New Hampshire before running out of fuel.

Jeff Gordon has the third-best average finish in the six races since Kansas was repaved. One of his three wins at the track came in that span - 2014 spring race. This past May Gordon finished fourth for his third top five in the last four races. He's only led laps on the new track surface.

Matt Kenseth is the only multiple winner at Kansas since the track was repaved six races ago. The victories came in the first two races on the new surface and the 2013 sprig win came with Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth, who ranks second among all drivers with a 7.0 average finish in the seven races, finished sixth in May.

Kyle Larson has posted a 9.7 average finish in three starts at Kansas. Last year in this event he finished second.

Joey Logano won this event last year after leading 122 laps. He finished fifth in May for his fourth consecutive top five. This season, Logano leads all drivers in laps led (447) and average finish (5.6) in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks. He is the last winner at a 1.5-mile track with his dominating victory last weekend at Charlotte.

Carl Edwards finished 20th in his first Kansas start with Joe Gibbs Racing after pitting towards the end of the race because of a vibration. The finish snapped a streak of three finishes of sixth or better at the track with his previous team, Roush Fenway Racing. Over the last four races this season at 1.5-mile tracks this year, Edwards ranks first among all drivers with a 3.2 average finish.

Martin Truex Jr. led 95 laps and finished ninth at Kansas in May. The finish marked his second consecutive top 10 at the track with Furniture Row Racing and one of six top 10s this year at 1.5-mile tracks. Truex participated in the Goodyear tire test at Kansas last month.

Kasey Kahne started second and finished 17th in his first Kansas start with crew chief Keith Rodden in May. In the six races since Kansas was repaved, Kahne has posted a 10.5 average finish and three top-five finishes, with the last coming in the 2014 spring race.

Jimmie Johnson won the May race for his fifth top 10 in the six races since Kansas was repaved. The win was his third overall, but first since the repave. Johnson participated in both the NASCAR open test and Goodyear tire test at Kansas last month. He is a three-time winner this season at 1.5-mile tracks.

Paul Menard finished 18th in May to raise his average finish to 10.7 in the six races since Kansas was repaved. Kansas is Menard's best track on the circuit based on his 15.8 average finish in 13 overall starts. Menard did participate in the NASCAR open test at Kansas last month as he still looks for his first top 10 at a 1.5-mile track this season.

Aric Almirola finished 11th in May to lower his average finish to 16.2 in the six races since Kansas was repaved. Almirola, who has finished 10th in the last two races at 1.5-mile tracks, participated in the NASCAR open and Goodyear tire test last month.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third at Kansas in May for his third top 10 in five starts since the track was repaved. The finish is one of five top 10s he's posted this season with crew chief Greg Ives at 1.5-mile tracks. However, his last three starts at 1.5-mile tracks have resulted in finishes of 12th or worse and a 20.3 average finish.

Greg Biffle has yet to finish in the top 10 in the six races since Kansas was repaved. His 12th-place finish in May is the best in that span. Biffle's two wins at Kansas came in the old surface/configuration with the last coming in 2010. He did participate in the NASCAR open test at the track last month.

Ryan Newman is coming off his second consecutive top 10 in the six races since Kansas was repaved. This season, Newman has posted a 10.0 average finish in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks.

Brad Keselowski finished seventh in May to lower his average finish to 14.5 in the six races since Kansas was repaved. Keselowski does have one win at Kansas, but it came on the old surface/configuration in the 2011 spring race. Keselowski, who is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in every race at a 1.5-mile track this season, participated in the NASCAR open test at Kansas last month. His team will have one of the last pit stall selections this weekend due to four written warnings from NASCAR.

Clint Bowyer has posted a 14.5 average finish in the six races since Kansas was repaved. In his last three starts, Bowyer has yet to record a top-15 finish and owns a 20.7 average finish in that span. Bowyer did participate in the NASCAR open test at Kansas last month and he's coming off his best finish at a 1.5-mile track this season - 11th at Charlotte.

Austin Dillon finished eighth in this event last season helping lower his average finish to 16.3 in three Kansas starts. Dillon, who scored his first top 10 of the season at a 1.5-mile track last weekend at Charlotte, will debut a new car (chassis No. 528) this weekend.

AJ Allmendinger has posted a 22.0 average finish in five starts since Kansas was repaved. His best finish in that span came last year in this event, in 11th.

Kurt Busch led 20 laps and finished eighth in May in his first Kansas start with crew chief Tony Gibson. The finish was the start of five consecutive top 10s at 1.5-mile tracks this season. This weekend, Busch will return in the same car (chassis No. 837) that he raced at Kansas in May. This car was last raced at Michigan in August, where Busch finished 20th.

Jamie McMurray has posted a 19.2 average finish in the six races since Kansas was repaved. He finished 13th in his first track start with crew chief Matt McCall in May and also participated in the NASCAR open test last month.