Harvesting new traits at Kansas with Upcoming Gen momentum

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The stating goes, it’s not how you start off, it is how you finish. But in new record, motorists setting up outside the house of the leading 10 have struggled to achieve Victory Lane at Kansas Speedway.

5 of the past 6 races at Kansas ended up gained from a leading-1o starting up situation, with defending spring winner Kyle Busch commencing ninth. And only 3 occasions in the very last 12 races has a car or truck beginning outside the house the first 5 rows at the 1.5-mile keep track of gone on to Victory Lane.

But if you are expecting the pattern of dominance to go on in Sunday’s Sunflower State showdown (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), think yet again. Early 2022 numbers, albeit a smaller sample sizing, suggest it is not a supplied.

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Both equally of the races this season on 1.5-mile tracks were being received from a beginning place outside the top rated 10: Alex Bowman at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (13th) and William Byron at Atlanta Motor Speedway (12th). In truth, 7 of the 12 races this time have observed a winner who started out 11th or decreased, together with multi-race winner Ross Chastain, who begun 16th at Circuit of The Americas and 19th at Talladega Superspeedway. Stunning numbers with the return of practice and qualifying classes, but a healthier nod to the selection currently witnessed with the Up coming Gen automobile.

In the very last 10 races at Kansas, the keep track of has been an unpredictable wild-card that has manufactured eight different winners.

Joe Gibbs Racing has gained the most collective achievements at Kansas with Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin examining in as the only two-time victors in this span. JGR has also received 3 of the past 5.

Prior to Kyle Larson’s dominant, 3.619-2nd win final tumble, the former 7 races at the track have only experienced a blended margin of victory of 2.784 seconds.

In some means, the parity noticed at Kansas mirrors the fluctuating subject we have seen so much this year. By way of the first third of the plan, 10 one of a kind motorists have been 1st to the checkered flag. Involved in that complete were being a few first-time Cup Sequence winners: Austin Cindric (Daytona 500), Chase Briscoe (Phoenix Raceway) and Ross Chastain (COTA). For comparison, the series only recorded a person to start with-time winner all of last time: Michael McDowell, in the year-opening Daytona 500.

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Kansas gives an chance for groups and drivers to transform the complete program of their season.

Traditionally, the Kansas City keep track of has favored the seasoned veterans of the sport, gratifying drivers who commenced out front with the potential to remain there. And given that currently being added to the schedule in 2001, Kansas has experienced 16 various winners in 32 races but has in no way created a initially-time Cup Collection winner.

If the 2022 trajectory carries on, Sunday’s race could very perfectly kick some of these old Kansas trends.

Statistical source: Racing Insights