Return To Kansas Speedway

Kansas Speedway

 

Clint Bowyer returns to his home state of Kansas with the wind at his back, savoring his third victory of the 2012 season and another position closer to leading the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™. The Emporia, Kan., veteran ranks fourth in the standings 28 points behind leader Brad Keselowski.

Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Bank of America 500 ended Keselowski’s run of top-10 finishes – he finished 11^th – and cut his points lead to seven points over Jimmie Johnson. Denny Hamlin remains third but only 15 points out of the lead.

Interestingly enough, the last three winners at Kansas Speedway were (in order) Hamlin, Johnson and Keselowski.

For Kansas Speedway – and this weekend’s competition – the past is the past. The 1.5-mile track was resurfaced and reconfigured following April’s STP 400. The 15-degree turns were revised with three distinct lanes of variable banking measuring 17 to 20 degrees. Computer modeling suggests the high lane will be the fastest way around and the track has been using a special machine (plus drivers in retired NASCAR Sprint Cup cars) to put down rubber over the entire track surface.

NASCAR Sprint Cup teams will test Wednesday and Thursday prior to the beginning of official activities on Friday.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series makes its only trip of the season to Kansas Speedway with Charlotte winner Joey Logano looking for his third consecutive victory – a streak that’s eluded Logano in his short but successful NNS career. In his previous four starts at Kansas he has two victories and hasn’t finished any further back than seventh.

NNS point standings remain close: Elliott Sadler enters the season’s final four races with a 13-point advantage over reigning champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitors have one more bye week before saddling up for the Oct. 27 Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. Ty Dillon, who finished second in Martinsville’s spring race, holds a one-point lead over James Buescher with four races remaining on the schedule.