Kansas Speedway has a way of separating fact from fiction. It is not the bump-and-bang theater of a short track or the roulette of Talladega. The 1.5-mile tri-oval shines a light on subtleties: how a team adjusts as light fades on the asphalt, how a driver chases grip when the groove drifts a lane higher, how patience holds up against urgency.
How to watch NASCAR’s Hollywood Casino 400
Sunday marks Race 2 of the Round of 12, with a direct ticket to the Round of 8 on the line. The spring notebook matters. In May, Kyle Larson controlled the AdventHealth 400 from the pole and led 221 of 267 laps, a reminder that Kansas does not decide races with wrecks or luck. It comes down to the smallest margins: the line that holds, the stop that buys track position, the driver who adapts quickest as the surface shifts.
The form book is split. Ross Chastain is the defending winner of the fall race. Tyler Reddick took 2023 with 23XI. Denny Hamlin’s four wins are the most ever at the high-speed oval. Larson won the 2021 playoff race here during his title run, and oddsmakers have him favored to win this Sunday. Ryan Blaney, the 2023 Cup Series champion, still seeks his first Kansas victory, while 2024 champ Joey Logano owns three.
Blaney arrives on the heels of his triumph at the Mobil 1 301 last weekend at New Hampshire, sealing a Round of 8 berth by 0.937 seconds over Josh Berry. Team Penske had speed in practice and qualifying and converted on Sunday as Blaney closed it out. Larson is the benchmark after dominating the spring race at Kansas, with Hamlin and Reddick the most likely pressure. If the groove climbs to the wall, expect Larson and Reddick to thrive, and watch whether Blaney’s Loudon speed carries to another clean-air track.
Larson is a near lock for the stage. Reddick topped Kansas practice last May, and he led laps in both 2024 Kansas races, signs he can control a run or a strategy window even if he does not secure the overall win.
Prediction? Larson and Reddick split the stage; Hamlin or Blaney closes late. A long green run decides it rather than a pileup restart.
Updated Hollywood Casino 400 odds
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(Photo of Kyle Larson: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images)
Sep 26, 2025
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