NASCAR 2018 Race 12: Kansas KC Masterpiece 400 race thread

[dara]

Schedule:

Note: All times are ET

Friday, May 11
9:35 -10:25 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice, FS1
11:35 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FS1
12:35-1:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, FS1
2:05-2:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, FS1
5:05 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pole qualifying, FS1
6:45 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Award qualifying, FS1
8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 37 Kind Days 250 (167 laps, 250.5 miles), FS1


Saturday, May 12
8 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series KC Masterpiece 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles), FS1

Distance 400.5 miles (644.54 km)
Laps 267
Stage 1: Lap 80
Stage 2: Lap 160
Race : Lap 267

Track specs and facts:



Track Specs:
Superspeedway: 1.5-mile quad-oval
Banking in turns...variable (17-20 degrees); previous banking: 15 degrees
Banking on frontstretch... 10 degrees; previous banking: 10.4 degrees
Banking on backstretch... 5.5 degrees; previous banking: 5 degrees
Straights: frontstretch - 2,721 feet; Backstretch - 2,207 feet
Grandstand capacity: 74,000
Repaved & Reconfigured: Summer 2012
Opened: 2001

Track Specifications:
Track Length: 1.5-mile D-shaped oval
Banking: corners/turns: 15º; tri-oval: 10.4º; backstretch: 5º
Straights: Frontstretch - 2,685 feet; Backstretch - 2,207 feet
Asphalt surface is 55-feet wide
Pit Box Size 30'x18', 44 individual pit stalls
Pit Road: 1,573 feet long, 60-feet wide
Camping: Approx 2,400 spaces
Grandstand Seating: 64,000 / 56 suites [was 74,000 & 80,000]
Last Repave: 2012
Opened: 2001

Track Records & Stats

May 2017 Race Winner: #78-Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 117.640mph, started 3rd
October 2017 Race Winner: #78-Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 125.189mph, started 1st
Track Race Record: #11-Denny Hamlin, 4/22/2012, 144.122mph
Slowest Race Record: #24-Jeff Gordon, Sept 2001, 110.576mph
Oldest Race Winner: Mark Martin, 46 years, 9 months, 0 days, 10/9/2005
Youngest Race Winner: Joey Logano, 24 years, 4 months, 11 days, 10/5/2014
Worst Starting Spot to Win: #2-Brad Keselowski, 6/5/2011, started 25th

May 2017 Pole Winner: #21-Ryan Blaney, Ford, 189.600mph, finished 4th
October 2017 Pole Winner: #78-Martins Truex Jr., Toyota, 188.029mph, finished 1st
Track Qualifying Record [new layout]: Kevin Harvick, 10/3/2014, 197.612mph, during 2nd round of qualifying
Track Qualifying Record [old layout 2001 - 4/2012]: Matt Kenseth, 10/8/2005, 180.856mph
Oldest Kansas Pole Winner: Mark Martin, 50 years, 8 months, 24 days, 10/2/2009
Youngest Pole Winner: Ryan Blaney, 23 years, 4 months, 12 days, 5/12/2017

Most Wins: 3 - Jeff Gordon & Jimmie Johnson; 2 - Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr.
Most Poles: 3 - Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson & Kasey Kahne

http://www.racing-reference.info/tracks/Kansas_Speedway

[dara]

Starting Order:

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Ryan Blaney
3. Kyle Busch
4. Aric Almirola
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Martin Truex Jr.
8. Kurt Busch
9. Joey Logano
10. Chris Buescher
11. Paul Menard
12. Erik Jones
13. William Byron
14. Daniel Suarez
15. Ryan Newman
16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
17. Chase Elliott
18. AJ Allmendinger
19. Alex Bowman
20. David Ragan
21. Darrell Wallace Jr.
22. Kyle Larson
23. Jimmie Johnson
24. Jamie McMurray
25. Austin Dillon
26. Ty Dillon
27. Corey Lajoie
28. Ross Chastain
29. Gray Gaulding
30. Reed Sorenson
31. Landon Cassill
32. BJ Mcleod
33. Clint Bowyer
34. Kasey Kahne
35. Matt Kenseth
36. Michael McDowell
37. Matt DiBenedetto
38. Timmy Hill

--

Harvick is coming off yet another victory at Dover's Monster Mile last week and will start in front once again Saturday at Kansas. This is his 23rd career pole.

This does not bode well for all of the other drivers on the course as Harvick has been great on 1.5-mile tracks already this season. Harvick won back-to-back races at Atlanta and Las Vegas early in the season and is primed for a win once again this week. This is the fourth pole he has won at Kansas.

"That's obviously a big advantage here, you get that first pit stall and any advantage we can get, we'll take," Harvick told FS1. "It's a fun streak of the way the car's running right now."

Kyle Busch, who has the second most wins this season with three, will start third. Martin Truex Jr. finished seventh in qualifying.

[4me2c]

1)... Kevin Harvick
2)... Kyle Busch
3)... Martin Truex Jr.

[carlosman]

*Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Jimmie Johnson

[4me2c]

Remember... Race is Saturday at 8 PM EST... or close to that time...!

[ilan]

Kevin Harvick **
Kyle Busch
Martin Truex Jr.

[dara]

Kevin Harvick***
Ryan Blaney
Kyle Busch

[dara]

I may not be on-line to do the pre-race driver capture, or the score tally at the end of the race, due to some family events. I still will post as soon as I can, maybe to verify the scores of someone that does post.

Qualification is done, Harvick is on the pole... will post the entire list in post #2 when something that is easily c/p'ed is available.

[dishuser]

Kevin Harvick***
Kyle Busch
Brad Keselowski

[crazed 9.6]

Denny Hamlin
Kevin Harvick***
Kurt Busch