CONCORD, N.C. – This weekend’s 1.5-mile Kansas oval is a favorite to many drivers and crew chiefs.
“I feel really good heading into Kansas,” No. 48 team crew chief Chad Knaus said. “It’s one of our favorite tracks, it's fast and we’ve won there a few times. The mile-and-a-half tracks have really been the bread and butter for the No. 48 Lowe’s team.”
Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 American Red Cross Chevrolet SS, shared that confidence.
“Kansas is a great track for us, and it has been ever since it opened up,” he said. “I like the transitions from the straightaways to the corners. That track just suits me as a driver. I just feel comfortable there."
Tune in to FOX Sports 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday to see why Kansas Speedway is such a favorite among those in the Sprint Cup Series. But before you watch the green flag wave under the lights, here is what you should know.
THIS WEEK’S PAINT SCHEMES: Kasey Kahne will drive the No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet SS tomorrow night at Kansas Speedway, while Gordon debuts the No. 24 American Red Cross Chevrolet SS. Jimmie Johnson will pilot the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will race the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS at this weekend’s event.
QUALIFYING: Qualifying for Kansas’ race will take place tonight, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Two practice sessions will also air on FOX Sports 1 today at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. ET.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT KANSAS: With five victories at Kansas, Hendrick Motorsports ranks first among teams all-time at the 1.5-mile speedway. Gordon ranks first all-time with three wins at the track, while Johnson’s two victories at Kansas rank tied for second with three other competitors. Gordon also ranks first with 10 top-five finishes, while Johnson ranks first with 14 top-10 finishes and 586 laps led at Kansas.
KANSAS POLE WINNER: With three pole positions at Kansas, Kahne is tied for first all-time at the 1.5-mile oval with teammate Johnson. Kahne last scored the No. 1 starting spot there in October 2012.
KAHNE AT KANSAS: Kahne has qualified in the top 10 in nine of his 15 races at Kansas Speedway. Kahne also is tied with Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Newman for the series’ most runner-up finishes at Kansas with two each. Crew chief Keith Rodden has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-888 for Saturday's race at Kansas. Most notably in 2014, Kahne led 70 laps and finished sixth driving the chassis at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.
GORDON AT KANSAS: Gordon, defending race-winner and driver of the No. 24 American Red Cross Chevrolet SS, has the most victories and top-five finishes at Kansas while he is tied for most starts. Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-914 for Saturday night’s race. The chassis has been raced twice– once in 2015 at Atlanta and once in 2014 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
PENDING MILESTONES: Driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet SS did not finish outside of the top-three the entire month of April. If he finishes in the top-five this weekend in Kansas, it will mark Johnson’s 200th top-five and 300th top-10 finish in 482 career starts.
JOHNSON AT KANSAS: Johnson owns the series-best driver rating at Kansas with a score of 112.1. He has an average finish of 9.5 at the mile-and-a-half track. Johnson also leads the series in laps led at Kansas with 586. For this weekend’s event, Knaus has selected chassis No. 48-910, which was the race-winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March.
EARNHARDT AT KANSAS: In 266 Cup starts on intermediate (one- to two-mile) tracks, Earnhardt has recorded six wins, eight pole positions, 56 top-five finishes and 112 top-10 finishes. He has an average starting position and an average finishing position of 16.1 on these racetracks. This weekend at Kansas, crew chief Greg Ives and the No. 88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-920. Earnhardt first raced the chassis to a third-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March.