AdventHealth 400 Preview: Return to Intermediate Ovals

This article is part of our Weekly Preview series.

In the wake of a bruising battle at Dover this past week, we're in for a change of pace this weekend. For the fourth time in 2024, the NASCAR Cup Series goes intermediate oval racing. We visit Kansas Speedway for the spring event, which debuted in April of 2012. The AdventHealth 400 will take our competitors back to an intermediate oval after a short break from these style tracks. The 1.5-mile oval of Kansas Speedway won't likely give us a sequel of what played out at Texas a few weeks ago, but the teams that performed well at the Fort Worth oval in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 should be in for another strong race weekend. The teams that dominated at Texas Motor Speedway are sure to be licking their chops for this visit to America's heartland. 

While Kansas only offers 15-degree corner banking compared to 20 and 24-degree corner banking at Texas, the similarities are enough to warrant reconsideration of almost the same driver group that we had at the Fort Worth speedway. Both tracks are the "D" shaped configuration (Texas a quad oval, Kansas a true tri oval) so the handling characteristics will be much the same. Even the racing surfaces of the two tracks are similar. Both are older and worn which create tire wear and some racing/pit strategy. One thing is for certain, the remarkable parity we've seen so far this season should continue at Kansas Speedway. We've had seven different race winners through the first 11 events and we've by no means witnessed the end of first-time race winners in 2024. Kansas could offer a few more surprises as well.

Since we're making our first stop of the season at Kansas Speedway, we need to take a brief look back at history at this intermediate oval. These numbers will be even more important than usual, since it's been since last September since we last competed at this oval. As you'll see in the table below, some of the hottest drivers in the series right now are making a very timely start at Kansas this weekend. Here are the loop stats for the last 32 races at Kansas Speedway.

Our most recent Kansas winner, Tyler Reddick, will be challenged to defend his turf this Sunday afternoon at the Kansas Speedway oval. The 23XI Racing veteran came on strong late and was an upset victor in the Hollywood Casino 400 last September to claim his first-career victory at the oval. Reddick used good pit strategy, NASCAR overtime and a strong car to supplant Denny Hamlin and some other contenders in the closing laps to take the win. Both Reddick and Hamlin were minor factors in the recent Texas race, so it will be interesting to see if they can rebound to contention this Sunday afternoon at Kansas Speedway. 

The Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports camps will pose the biggest threat to Reddick's Kansas crown this weekend. Kyle Larson, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. have all raced well on the intermediate ovals we've competed on to this point and all are performing well entering Kansas weekend. Larson, Elliott, Hamlin and Truex have past Kansas victories to their credit and shouldn't be underestimated in the AdventHealth 400. Aside from these two super-teams, some Ford drivers should pop onto our fantasy racing radar screens at Kansas. Joey Logano is a three-time Kansas winner. Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher have both been competitive for the RFKR Ford camp of late and will be in the mix as well at Kansas. These will certainly be names to watch closely at Kansas Speedway. We'll highlight the fantasy racing drivers you need this Sunday afternoon to dominate this 400-mile battle at the Kansas oval.

The Contenders – Drivers in the hunt for the win

Denny Hamlin – Coming off the big Dover win, Hamlin has to be smiling wide coming to Kansas Speedway this weekend. The Joe Gibbs Racing star is a four-time Kansas Speedway winner and he's led close to 450 laps for his career at this facility. Hamlin rides a five-race Kansas Top-5 streak into this weekend, which includes one win and two runner-up finishes in his last three starts alone at the Kansas oval. The No. 11 Toyota team have been very consistent on the intermediate ovals dating back to the end of last season. The momentum that Hamlin and his JGR team bring into the AdventHealth 400 is reckonable and it seems the rich will only continue to get richer after this 400-mile battle in the heartland.  

Kyle Larson – Larson is looking to build on the momentum of his runner-up finish at the Monster Mile this past Sunday and Kansas Speedway is a good place to stay on a roll. The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet has led over 630 laps at Kansas Speedway, and he cracks the Top 5 here at a strong 39-percent rate. Larson has improved those numbers in recent visits as he's collected one win and two runner-up finishes at Kansas Speedway in his last five starts at the track. This event one year ago saw the Hendrick Motorsports star lead 85 laps and finish runner-up to Denny Hamlin. The Kansas oval gives him an excellent opportunity to get back into the win column this season.

Tyler Reddick – Both 23XI Racing drivers are due fantasy racing consideration this weekend. Reddick's No. 45 Toyota team won the last time the Cup Series raced at Kansas Speedway last September. He led just 2 laps, but took an upset victory in last September's Hollywood Casino 400. Reddick has been impressive on intermediate tracks this season with runner-up and fourth-place finishes at Las Vegas and Texas. Reddick has led laps in the last five Kansas Speedway events and been a factor among the leaders. The 44-percent Top-10 rate at Kansas Speedway isn't dazzling, but we believe Reddick has the recent experience to rise above that Sunday afternoon and challenge for his second win at this facility.   

William Byron – Byron is looking to rebound from his crash and DNF at the Monster Mile This past Sunday. The good news is that he's going to be strong on certain tracks this season, intermediate ovals included. He has 10th- and third-place finishes recently at Las Vegas and Texas, and those are good indicators heading into the AdventHealth 400. Byron has Top 10's in seven of his last nine starts at Kansas Speedway, but he's never won in a Cup car at the track. That could change when the checkered flag waves at Kansas Speedway Sunday afternoon. Byron won the pole, led 10 laps and finished an impressive third-place in this event one year ago. The notes from that race will come in very handy for the No. 24 Chevrolet team this weekend.  

Solid Plays – Near locks for a Top 10 with an outside shot to win

Brad Keselowski – The owner/driver of the RFK No. 6 Ford was on a roll until his mishap and poor finish at the Monster Mile this past week. No worries though, the veteran driver should be rebound minded for the AdventHealth 400. Keselowski is a two-time winner at Kansas Speedway and his 14 Top 10's checks in at a strong 50-percent rate. In his last start at the Kansas oval, he led 23 laps and finished a respectable ninth-place in last September's Hollywood Casino 400. Keselowski is coming off a sparkling runner-up finish at the similar sized oval in Texas a few weeks ago, and that's a great indicator heading into the AdventHealth 400.     

Chase Elliott – Elliott has overcome a slow start to the 2024 season with a recent string of strong finishes. He has one win and four Top 5's in the last five events, and has moved from ninth- to third-place in the driver standings during this span. He's a one-time winner at Kansas Speedway and two-time runner-up finisher, with a very strong 63-percent Top-10 rate. Last season alone the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet led 52 laps and collected seventh- and sixth-place finishes at the Kansas oval. Elliott has been on a heater of late and he has a very strong career history at this facility. It makes him a no-brainer fantasy racing play for this 400-mile Kansas battle.  

Martin Truex Jr. – Coming off an impressive third-place finish at Dover this past weekend, the two-time Kansas winner sets his sights on grabbing his third win at this intermediate oval this Sunday afternoon. Truex swept both victories at Kansas Speedway in 2017, so he's no stranger to victory lane at this facility. The Joe Gibbs Racing star is beginning to heat up and turn the corner on his 2024 season. Truex has an impressive string of eight Top 10's in the last nine Kansas starts coming into Sunday's AdventHealth 400. Those finishes and his 900+ laps led at Kansas Speedway and 55-percent Top-10 rate speak to his career-long excellence at this facility. Continue to ride the No. 19 Toyota team while they're hot.  

Bubba Wallace – Wallace has been impressive at Kansas Speedway over the past couple seasons. He has one win, two Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes in his last four starts at this 1.5-mile track. It's been a rocky stretch for the 23XI Racing driver of late, but the good news is that Wallace has been consistent on the 1.5-mile tracks dating back to the end of last season. He has three Top-10 finishes in his last four intermediate oval starts. The driver of the No. 23 Toyota's most recent mid-sized oval effort was 5 laps led and a strong seventh-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway a few weeks ago. This driver and team should be primed for a bounce back effort in the AdventHealth 400.      

Sleepers – Drivers with good history at Kansas & solid upside

Ryan Blaney – With his seventh-place finish at the Monster Mile, Blaney seems to have shook off the disappointments of his recent Texas and Talladega outings. The Kansas intermediate oval has held a good bit of success over the years for the No. 12 Ford team. With seven Top-10 finishes in 18 starts Blaney checks in at a reasonable 39-percent Top-10 rate and 16.2 average finish. His last start at the speedway last September netted a 12th-place finish in the Hollywood Casino 400. Given the current momentum of this driver and team and Blaney's sound history at Kansas Speedway, he should be a good bet for a Top 10 in the AdventHealth 400.

Kyle Busch – The Richard Childress Racing star is coming off an encouraging and good finish at the Monster Mile, so Busch has to be more optimistic heading to Kanas Speedway. He has three Top 10's in his last five starts on the 1.5-mile tracks, including a steady ninth-place finish most recently at Texas. Busch is a two-time winner at this facility, and the last was this event three years ago. With over 400 laps led at Kansas Speedway and a steady 47-percent Top-10 rate, Busch is a good performer at this intermediate oval. This driver and team are still trying to get their legs under them and find some consistency, but Busch is trending in the right direction heading into this 400-mile Kansas battle.   

Ross Chastain – The Trackhouse Racing veteran has had good speed in these intermediate oval races in 2024. Chastain collected seventh- and fourth-place finishes at Atlanta and Las Vegas earlier this season. He was also fast recently at Texas, leading 33 laps, but ran into some trouble and crashed out late in that event. Chastain has 10-career starts at this oval, but nothing special there until he joined Trackhouse Racing two seasons ago. The veteran driver has one Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes in his last four starts at Kansas Speedway. Chastain has not been a big lap leader here, but he should come close to meeting those finishes Sunday at the Kansas oval.

Alex Bowman – Bowman has had a resurgence this season. He enters this weekend a respectable ninth-place in the driver points. The Hendrick Motorsports veteran is riding a two-race Top-10 streak into the AdventHealth 400 this Sunday. Bowman hasn't been overwhelming in intermediate oval races this season, but he's been pretty good everywhere else. He owns eight Top-10 finishes in 16-career starts at the Kansas oval for a very good 50-percent Top-10 rate. The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet rides a three-race Kansas Top-10 streak into this weekend's action, that includes a whopping 107 laps led and strong fourth-place finish in this event one year ago. Last September Bowman cruised to a respectable 10th-place finish in the Hollywood Casino 400.

Joey Logano – Logano's season is still a bit slow to take off so we've placed him in the sleepers list this week. He'll look to heat up at Kansas Speedway and the AdventHealth 400. The change back to intermediate oval should help the No. 22 Ford team. Logano has had good speed on these tracks this season (one pole and 43 laps led) but the finishes have been lacking a bit. The Penske Racing star is second only to Denny Hamlin for active wins at Kansas with three. It's been a very good oval for Logano with a 31-percent Top-5 rate and over 500 laps led for his career. Last season he collected sixth- and fifth-place finishes in the two Kansas events, so we have a very strong feeling that Logano is motivated to rebound big in this 400-mile battle. 

Ty Gibbs – The young driver will be making just his fourth Cup Series start at Kansas Speedway this weekend. Gibbs raced to a respectable 14th-place finish here in last September's Hollywood Casino 400. That's been his best effort here in the three prior starts. The driver of the No. 54 Toyota has been reasonably good in his last four intermediate oval races, dating back to the end of last season. Gibbs has scored finishes of seventh-, 10th-, fifth- and 13th-place on these similar sized tracks. He sat on the outside pole and led 5 laps most recently at Texas before finishing a respectable 13th-place in that event. Gibbs should be poised to post another career-best finish at Kansas Speedway.    

Slow Down - Drivers to avoid this week

Michael McDowell – McDowell has had some struggles this season. However, the short tracks and superspeedways have not disappointed. As to intermediate ovals, those have been a real puzzle for the No. 34 Ford team. McDowell nabbed a Top 10 at Atlanta, but that has been the outlier. Finishes of 22nd-, 25th- and 35th-place have been his body of work at tracks like Homestead, Las Vegas and Texas. When we combine that with McDowell's career record at Kansas Speedway, it's not very encouraging. The Front Row Motorsports driver's 25 starts at this track have not yielded a single Top-10 finish and an elevated average finish of 27.5, which is in line with his last two finishes at Kansas of 26th-place in each of last year's events.

Christopher Bell – It's no secret that Bell and the No. 20 Toyota team have been struggling. He rides a four-race Top-10 drought into Kansas this weekend and has slipped from sixth in the points to 17th-place during that span. Intermediate ovals have been a problem for this driver and team in 2024. Bell has finishes of 34th-, 33rd- and 17th-place on the 1.5-mile tracks, with a conspicuous lack of laps led. The young driver has fantastic Kansas Speedway stats with two pole positions and five Top-10 finishes (63-percent), but don't let that sucker you into a fantasy start this weekend. This struggling driver and team will find it difficult to stop their slide and find their footing the AdventHealth 400.  

Austin Cindric – Currently mired in the deepest of funks, Cindric and the No. 2 team limp into Kansas Speedway this weekend. The Penske Racing youngster has just one Top 10 on the season and have only cracked the Top 20 once in the last five events. During that span Cindric has been mired in 19th-place in the driver standings. The search for answers this weekend could be fruitless once again for this driver and team. Cindric has five-career starts at Kansas Speedway and no Top 10's to this point. His last four starts on intermediate ovals have netted just one Top 10 and a subpar 17.5 average finish. Cindric's current struggles are very concerning, and we consider him a high-risk fantasy selection for the AdventHealth 400.

Chris Buescher – For a pretty long stretch, everything Buescher touched seemed to turn to gold. However, that time may now be past. The veteran driver of the No. 17 Ford has cooled a bit in the last month and comes to Kansas Speedway in a four-race Top-10 drought. During that time, he's slipped from 12th- to 14th-place in the driver points. The Top 10's that he reeled off in March and early-April have now dried up. Buescher will look to hit the reset button at Kansas, but will face a tall task. Intermediate ovals have not been his best tracks this season. In addition, the Kansas oval has only yielded three Top 10's in 16-career starts (19-percent). Buescher has failed to crack the Top 10 in his last five Kansas Speedway starts.