Power Rankings – Kansas Speedway – Hollywood Casino 400
Sep 27, 2014; Dover, DE, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Brad Keselowski climbs into his car prior to practice for the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
Power Rankings Kansas Speedway is for Chase race #4 — the Hollywood Casino 400.
The last race of the Challenger round of the Chase kept most fantasy players on the edge as “not now honey” was a common phrase used in most homes while we witness Kasey Kahne making it into the Contender round. Many of us went home with our tails between our legs as brackets blew up across the country. Darn!
Final standings before advancing Chase drivers had their points reset at 3000 points at the conclusion of the Challenger round:
1-Brad Keselowski- 1 Chase win 2140 pts
2-Joey Logano- 1 Chase win -4
3-Kevin Harvick- -17
4-Jimmie Johnson -19
5-Jeff Gordon- 1 Chase win -23
6-Kyle Busch -29
7-Dale Earnhardt Jr -36
8-Matt Kenseth -43
9-Ryan Newman -49
10-Carl Edwards -49
11-Denny Hamlin -59
12-Kasey Kahne -61
The Contender round of the Chase will reset at 3000 points; this means all the drivers will start the second round with the same points, regardless of how many wins during the regular season and the Chase.
Jeff Gordon leads the pack on intermediate tracks this year with four wins, seven top fives and 14 top 10s. Jeff won earlier this year at Kansas after starting 13th. It was a statement win last week for Jeff, and it’s no fluke with an average of 8.4 on intermediate tracks.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted the second best stats this year on intermediate tracks with two wins, eight top fives and 13 top 10s. He posted a fifth place finish earlier in the year and needs to improve at Kansas if he’s going to be a contender.
Brad Keselowski won the Challenger round of the Chase and looks to match those runs. His 4.1 average start on this type of track tops all drivers and he’s an odds on favorite to possibly hoist the Sprint Cup. Brad finished third earlier this year at Kansas.
Matt Kenseth has the fourth best average finish on 1.5 mile tracks this year with nine top fives and 13 top 10s and an average finish of 11.5. If the Toyotas had any horsepower this year, Matt would be contending really strong for the title.
Jimmie Johnson has the best stats over the past five years at Kansas with a win, four top fives and eight top 10s. The sleeping giant is starting to wake up after posting a third place finish last week at Dover. The reset in points will benefit most drivers, but to Jimmie, it’s a second chance at another championship.
Chevrolet leads all manufacturers in wins with six, followed by Ford with three wins and Toyota with two.
Pole winners at Kansas:
Jimmie Johnson- 3
Kasey Kahne- 3
Kevin Harvick- 2
Matt Kenseth- 2
Greg Biffle- 1
A.J. Allmendinger- 1
Dale Earnhardt Jr- 1
Brad Keselowski- 1
Kurt Busch- 1
Joe Nemechek – 1
Here are the power rankings for Kansas, using stats from the last five years:
10 Denny Hamlin- 1 win, 2 top 5s and 2 top 10s, average finish 12.3.
9 Paul Menard- 1 top 5 and 4 top 10s, average finish 11.8.
8 Jeff Gordon- 1 win, 4 top 5s and 5 top 10s, average finish 11.4.
7 Dale Earnhardt Jr- 2 top 5s and 4 top 10s, average finish 10.6.
6 Kasey Kahne- 4 top 5s and 5 top 10s, average finish 10.6.
5 Brad Keselowski- 1 win, 2 top 5s and 4 top 10s, average finish 10.3.
4 Carl Edwards- 3 top 5s and 6 top 10s, average finish 8.4.
3 Kevin Harvick- 1 win, 3 top 5s and 5 top 10s, average finish 6.5.
2 Matt Kenseth- 2 win, 4 top 5s and 7 top 10s, average finish 5.5.
1 Jimmie Johnson- 1 win, 4 top 5s and 8 top 10s, average finish 5.0.
Power Rankings — Kansas Speedway is for the drivers who excel at Kansas Speedway, not an ongoing who’s hot lately.
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