Preview: NASCAR Heads to Kansas Speedway for Round of 12 Playoff Race
This weekend, NASCAR will be heading to Kansas Speedway for the middle race in the Round of 12 playoffs. Kansas Speedway marks the first 1.5-mile speedway in the playoffs since Ross Chastain's victory at the Coca-Cola 600. The 36-race schedule includes only seven 1.5-mile races, a significant decrease from previous years when half of the playoff races were held on 1.5-mile tracks.
Following Kansas Speedway, the next 1.5-mile track on the schedule will be Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which will also feature a new right-side tire to provide teams with more strategic options. Kyle Larson dominated the Cup Series race at Kansas earlier this year, leading 221 of 267 laps and setting a record for most laps led in a 400-mile race on a 1.5-mile track. Ross Chastain, who was not in the playoffs at the time, claimed victory at Kansas Speedway last September.
In addition to the Cup Series race, the ARCA and Xfinity Series will also be in action at Kansas Speedway this weekend. Aric Almirola won the Xfinity race at Kansas last year, while Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar were the most recent ARCA winners at the track. The weekend schedule includes practice and track activities on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with favorable weather conditions expected throughout the weekend.
Friday's forecast predicts mainly sunny skies with a high of 84 degrees and a minimal chance of rain. Saturday will see similar weather conditions with a high of 84 degrees and light winds. Sunday's race day forecast includes sunny skies with a high of 87 degrees and a slight chance of rain. The weekend promises exciting racing action across all series at Kansas Speedway.