Hollywood Casino 400 Betting News and Notes

Kansas - Driver Tale of the Tape

1 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 110.4
2016 Rundown
· Two wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s,
· Led 474 laps
· Average Finish of 14.6

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· Three wins, eight top fives, 16 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 7.882, series-best
· Average Running Position of 9.513, series-best
· Driver Rating of 110.4, series-best
· 3721 Laps in the Top 15 (82.9), series-most
· 778 Quality Passes, series-most

2 - Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.4
2016 Rundown
· Two wins, six top fives, 14 top 10s,
· Led 595 laps
· Average Finish of 14.4

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 11.059, fifth-best
· Average Running Position of 9.939, second-best
· Driver Rating of 107.4, second-best
· 3510 Laps in the Top 15 (78.2), third-most
· 574 Quality Passes, sixth-most

3 - Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 83.8
2016 Rundown
· Four wins, 13 top fives, 19 top 10s,
· Led 1370 laps
· Average Finish of 12.2

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 18.125, 20th-best
· Average Running Position of 16.425, 18th-best
· Driver Rating of 83.8, 17th-best
· 2416 Laps in the Top 15 (57.2), 15th-most
· 506 Quality Passes, 11th-most

4 - Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Team Penske Ford Fusion)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.6
2016 Rundown
· Four wins, 15 top fives, 20 top 10s,
· Led 458 laps
· Average Finish of 9.1

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· One win, two top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 12.077, eighth-best
· Average Running Position of 12.943, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 91.6, 10th-best
· 2477 Laps in the Top 15 (71.2), fifth-most
· 497 Quality Passes, 12th-most

5 - Kurt Busch (No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet SS)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.5
2016 Rundown
· One win, seven top fives, 18 top 10s,
· Led 237 laps
· Average Finish of 12

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· Two top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 16.059, 12th-best
· Average Running Position of 14.834, 14th-best
· Driver Rating of 88.5, 13th-best
· 2765 Laps in the Top 15 (61.6), 13th-most
· 539 Quality Passes, ninth-most

6 - Carl Edwards (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.4
2016 Rundown
· Two wins, seven top fives, 16 top 10s,
· Led 773 laps
· Average Finish of 12.6

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· Six top fives, 12 top 10s
· Average finish of 9.941, fourth-best
· Average Running Position of 12.459, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 95.4, seventh-best
· 3082 Laps in the Top 15 (68.7), sixth-most
· 629 Quality Passes, third-most

7 - Martin Truex Jr (No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota Camry)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.5
2016 Rundown
· Four wins, seven top fives, 15 top 10s,
· Led 1594 laps
· Average Finish of 12.1

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· Four top fives, five top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 17.125, 16th-best
· Average Running Position of 12.610, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 95.5, sixth-best
· 2769 Laps in the Top 15 (65.6), 11th-most
· 443 Quality Passes, 14th-most

8 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 86.6
2016 Rundown
· Three wins, ten top fives, 17 top 10s,
· Led 406 laps
· Average Finish of 12

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· One win, four top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 16.750, 14th-best
· Average Running Position of 14.450, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 86.6, 14th-best
· 2680 Laps in the Top 15 (63.5), 12th-most
· 534 Quality Passes, 10th-most

9 - Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 71.0
2016 Rundown
· Four top fives, 11 top 10s,
· Led 8 laps
· Average Finish of 14.5

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· Two top 10s
· Average finish of 20.333, 26th-best
· Average Running Position of 20.755, 27th-best
· Driver Rating of 71.0, 26th-best
· 501 Laps in the Top 15 (31.1), 26th-most
· 115 Quality Passes, 27th-most

10 - Chase Elliott (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 79.3
2016 Rundown
· Nine top fives, 15 top 10s,
· Led 239 laps
· Average Finish of 14.2
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· One top 10
· Average finish of 9.000, second-best
· Average Running Position of 16.412, 17th-best
· Driver Rating of 79.3, 20th-best
· 92 Laps in the Top 15 (34.5), 25th-most
· 20 Quality Passes, 39th-most

11 - Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford Fusion)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 85.6
2016 Rundown
· One win, 11 top fives, 20 top 10s,
· Led 390 laps
· Average Finish of 11.1

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, five top fives, five top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 18.714, 23rd-best
· Average Running Position of 16.356, 16th-best
· Driver Rating of 85.6, 15th-best
· 1943 Laps in the Top 15 (51.9), 17th-most
· 389 Quality Passes, 16th-most

12 - Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart Hass Racing Chevrolet SS)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.4
2016 Rundown
· Three wins, 14 top fives, 22 top 10s,
· Led 1219 laps
· Average Finish of 9.6

Kansas Speedway Outlook:
· One win, five top fives, ten top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 9.353, third-best
· Average Running Position of 10.244, third-best
· Driver Rating of 103.4, third-best
· 3392 Laps in the Top 15 (75.6), fourth-most
· 612 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Hollywood Casino 400
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

We've got six races left in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season and two races remaining during this round of 12 playoff stage until we're left with just eight eligible drivers to win the title.

This Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway is almost a must-win situation for a couple of drivers that got the round started on the wrong foot last week just because the final race of this round next week is at the volatile Talladega Superspeedway, where drivers get knocked out of the race more than any other track on the circuit.

Sunday's race will be the ninth of 11 races on 1.5-mile tracks and the third of five in the Chase. Drivers like Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin all had finishes of 30th or worse last week at Charlotte.

Harvick was listed as the Sprint Cup favorite coming into the round last week, but now because of the current situation it's Charlotte winner Jimmie Johnson who is the 5/2 favorite (Bet $100 to win $250) to win his seventh title.

"Johnson is favored to win just because he's already made it through to the next round," said Westgate SuperBook manager Ed Salmons. "But there's no denying how fast fast Hendrick Motorsports has been."

Johnson could finish dead last in the next two race and still advance just because of winning in this round. He won two of the first fives races this season (Atlanta and Fontana), but hadn't won again until Sunday, one of the largest droughts of his career and also for the Hendrick stable of four drivers. No Hendrick driver has won a race other than Johnson this year.

But something clicked for the team during a Chicagoland test session in August. They found speed, and found something to elevate their game above the Joe Gibbs Racing gang which has won 15 of the 30 races this year.

When the actual Chicago race rolled around to kick off the Chase Sept. 18, the entire Hendrick team did well. Johnson led the most laps (118), but settled for 12th, and the other three finished in the top-10 highlighted by Elliott's third-place finish. Elliott also led the second most laps (75).

On their next visit to a 1.5-mile track last week at Charlotte, they duplicated what they did at Chicago expect they got the win. Johnson led the most laps (155) and Elliott led the second-most with 103, although he was involved in a late accident and finished 33rd.

Kasey Kahne even got into the fun with a third-place finish, his best of the season. Kahne's been 12th or better in his last six starts overall and has the most points among all non-Chase drivers. He's a nice long shot look this week to win at Kansas.

So what's it going to be this week at Kansas? Will the Hendrick domination trend continue on 1.5s? It is the most current and relevant trend going right now. Or will Gibbs jump back into the mix? They won at the first Kansas race in May with Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. led the most laps (172). Or do we see a desperate Kevin Harvick, who sits last in points after one race of this round, come up with a clutch win? He won in 2013 and has been runner-up in three of the past five races there, including the May race.

There's a lot to chew on, but I'm sticking with Hendrick current for this race. Johnson is a three-time Kansas winner and Elliott finished ninth in his first Cup start there in May.

Top-5 Finish Prediction:

1) #24 Chase Elliott (12/1)
2) #48 Jimmie Johnson (7/1)
3) #78 Martin Truex Jr. (5/1)
4) #4 Kevin Harvick (5/1)
5) #20 Matt Kenseth (10/1)

Odds to Win 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Title

Jimmie Johnson 5/2
Kevin Harvick 6/1
Kyle Busch 6/1
Martin Truex Jr. 6/1
Brad Keselowski 8/1
Matt Kenseth 10/1
Carl Edwards 10/1
Joey Logano 15/1
Denny Hamlin 15/1
Kurt Busch 20/1
Chase Elliott 15/1
Austin Dillon 80/1

Kansas Fantasy Racing Preview
By: Jeff Wackerlin
Racingone.com

Detailed driver notes and statistics to help set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Who's HOT at Kansas

• Kevin Harvick has posted one win, three runner-up finishes and has led the most laps (392) in the last six races.
• Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth are the only multiple winners in the eight races since Kansas was repaved and reconfigured.
• Jimmie Johnson has finished in the top 10 in six of the last eight races, including a win in the 2015 spring race.
• Kyle Busch has finished in the top five in his last three starts, including a win in May.
• Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch each have finished in the top 10 in the last three races.

Who to Keep an Eye On at Kansas

• Martin Truex Jr., who led 172 laps in this spring at Kansas, leads all drivers with 817 laps led in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks this season.
• Carl Edwards (11.0), Ryan Newman (12.1) and Kasey Kahne (12.9) each rank in the top 10 in average finish among all drivers that have raced in each of the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks this season.
• Chase Elliott, who finished ninth at Kansas in May, has combined to lead 178 laps in the last two races at 1.5-mile tracks this season.
• Alex Bowman will be back in the No. 88 Chevrolet this weekend.
• Ryan Blaney has finished in the top 10 in his two Kansas starts with Wood Brothers Racing.
• Denny Hamlin has posted a 4.5 average finish in the last two fall races at Kansas.

MRN.com Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Chase Elliott
Pete Pistone: Matt Kenseth
Robbie Mays: Joey Logano
John Singler: Jimmie Johnson

Driver Notes - Ordered by Average Finish in the Last Five Races at Kansas

Kyle Busch has turned things around in the last three years at Kansas Speedway, finishing in the top five in his last three starts, including a win in May. His Kansas win is one of two at 1.5-mile tracks this season where he has an 8.5 average finish in the eight races.

Kevin Harvick is coming off his third runner-up finish at Kansas in five track starts with Stewart-Haas Racing. He's led 254 laps with the team at the track, but failed to lead any in the spring. This season, Harvick has posted an 11.8 average finish and has led 273 laps in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks this season. This weekend, Harvick will pilot the same car (chassis No. 995) that he led 214 laps and finished second with at Darlington Raceway.

Chase Elliott finished ninth in his first Kansas start in the Cup Series in May. The finish is one of five top 10s in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks this season. In the last two races at 1.5-mile tracks, Elliott is second in laps led (178).

Ryan Newman has posted a 9.0 average finish, and three top 10s, in his five Kansas starts with Richard Childress Racing. Newman's seventh-place finish in the spring at Kansas is one of four top 10s in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks this season.

Matt Kenseth has scored four top 10s, including one win (2013 spring race) in seven Kansas starts with Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth's fourth-place finish at Kansas in the spring was the start of five straight top 10s at 1.5-mile tracks this season.

Joey Logano finished 38th in the spring to snap a streak of five consecutive top fives at Kansas. He's won the last two fall races and combined to lead 292 laps in the last six races, which ranks second among all drivers. Logano has finished in the top five in three of the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks this season with his last coming at Chicagoland - second.

Carl Edwards has posted one top 10 (eighth in this event last year) and an average finish of 13.0 average finish in his three Kansas starts with Joe Gibbs Racing. Prior to 2015, he recorded 11 top 10s in 15 track starts with Roush Fenway Racing. This season, Edwards has an 11.0 average finish and ranks sixth in laps led (125) in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks.

Kasey Kahne finished fourth in this event last year for his fifth top 10 in nine Kansas starts with Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne has finished in the top 10 in his last two starts at 1.5-mile tracks and has a 12.9 average finish in the eight races this season at this type of track.

Martin Truex Jr. led 172 laps in the spring at Kansas, but finished 14th after a broken head bolt off the brake got lodged behind the right-front wheel. Truex, who finished 15th in this event last year, has posted a 12.6 average finish in five track starts with Furniture Row Racing. This season, Truex leads all drivers with 817 laps led at 1.5-mile tracks and has a 7.9 average finish and two wins in the eight races overall.

Ryan Blaney has finished in the top 10 in his last two Kansas starts. This season, Blaney has posted an average finish of 19.4 in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks and has finished in the top five in two of the last five races at these type of tracks.

Jimmie Johnson has finished in the top 10 in 16 of his 20 starts at Kansas, including three wins. Johnson won last weekend at Charlotte for his second win at a 1.5-mile track this season.

Brad Keselowski, the 2011 spring Kansas winner, has finished in the top 10 in his last three starts at the track. This season, Keselowski is tied for the series lead in average finish (7.0) and wins (2) in the eight races this season at 1.5-mile tracks.

Brian Scott has posted a 17.0 average finish in his two starts at Kansas. This season, Scott has yet to finish inside the top 20 in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks.

Greg Biffle has not finished in the top 10 in his last eight races at Kansas Speedway. He is a two-time winner and his last of nine top 10s came the 2012 spring race - fifth. This season, Biffle's lone top 10 in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks came at Kentucky - sixth.

Kurt Busch has finished in the top 10 in his last three Kansas starts with Stewart-Haas Racing. This season, Busch is tied for the series lead in average finish (7.0) in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks.

AJ Allmendinger finished eighth in May for his first top 10 in six Kansas starts with JTG Daugherty Racing. His Kansas finish is his only top 10 in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks this season.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has yet to finish in the top 10 in seven starts at Kansas, but has finished 13th in his last two starts. Stenhouse Jr.'s lone top 10 in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks this season came at Atlanta - 10th.

Aric Almirola scored his last of three top 10s at Kansas came in the 2014 spring race. Last weekend, Almirola finished 15th to equal his best finish in the eight races at 1.5-mile tracks this season.

Danica Patrick finished seventh in the 2014 spring race at Kansas for one of her six career top 10s in the Sprint Cup Series. Last weekend, Patrick finished 11th at Charlotte for her best finish of the season.

Kyle Larson finished second in this event in 2014 for his only top 10 in five starts at Kansas. Larson is coming off his first top 10 at a 1.5-mile track this season, finishing fifth at Charlotte.

Kansas Speedway hosts Round of 12 Sunday
By: Zach Cohen
StatFox .com

The Sprint Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday. This is the second Round of 12 race and Jimmie Johnson is the guy that emerged victorious at last week’s Bank of America 500. He’ll be a name to watch in this one as well, as Johnson has won the Hollywood Casino 400 twice in his career (2008, 2011). Other active drivers that have won this event twice are Tony Stewart (2006, 2009) and Joey Logano (2014, 2015). Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing have each seen their drivers win four times in this race, but Team Penske is closing in on that number with three victories. Chevrolet, meanwhile, is the most successful manufacturer in this race, as eight of the winners in this event have won behind the wheel of a Chevy. With that out of the way, let’s now take a look at who might be winning this thing on Sunday:

Martin Truex Jr. (9-to-2) - Truex Jr. came in 13th at last week’s Bank of America 500, but he is still deservedly the favorite to win this race on Sunday. Truex Jr. has won three of the past six races coming into this one and two of his other finishes were inside the top-seven. He is in a class of his own right now and putting a few units on him at 9-to-2 is a wise decision heading into Sunday. Truex Jr. will surely be motivated to pick up his first ever win in this race.

Jimmie Johnson (6-to-1) - As previously mentioned, Johnson is coming off of a victory at the Bank of America 500 and he has also won the Hollywood Casino 400 twice in his career. Johnson was racing well before winning last week, as he finished in eighth at the Bad Boy Off Road 300 and seventh at the Citizen Soldier 400. He is the only driver in the Sprint Cup Series that is driving as well as Truex Jr., and for that reason a few units is worth it at 6-to-1.

Joey Logano (15-to-1) - The fact that Logano is getting 15-to-1 odds is rather ridiculous and he is somebody that is definitely worth placing a few units on in this one. Logano may not have the recent success that guys like Truex Jr. and Johnson have, but he has dominated this event recently. Logano has won the Hollywood Casino 400 two years in a row and that is no fluke. He is comfortable when driving at Kansas Speedway and he will certainly find his way to the top of the leaderboard at some point on Sunday.

Tony Stewart (75-to-1) - Stewart has been considered a dark horse of mine often this year, but that’s because he has an incredible track record and has proven consistently that he has a lot left in the tank. As mentioned earlier, Stewart has won this race twice in his career and he could badly use a third win on Sunday. Fortunately for him, he’s driving well coming into this one. Stewart finished in 13th at the Bad Boy Off Road 300 two races ago and followed that up with a ninth place finish at the Bank of America 500 last week. He is worth taking a shot on in this one.