Keselowski wins Stage 2 of Kansas playoff race; Truex out, Wallace has mechanical issue

Brad Keselowski won Stage 2 of the Hollywood Casino 400 after passing Chase Elliott with three laps to go. Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Alex Bowman, Austin Cindric and Ty Dillon all stayed out of the pits during a caution midway through the stage and all fell to those who pitted for fresh tires. Elliott finished best of the bunch, coming home fifth.

Bubba Wallace, running second at the time, lost his right-rear tire and hit the wall on lap 108 and broke the toe link. After several trips to pit road to fix the damage, he finished Stage 2 six laps down.

Kyle Larson stays hot with Stage 1 win

Kyle Larson followed up his Southern 500 victory by claiming the first stage of the Kansas playoff round Sunday. The Hendrick Motorsports driver took the lead from pole-sitter Christopher Bell early in the stage and emerged from a green-flag round of pit stops and a restart to win from Bubba Wallace, Bell, Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski — all playoff drivers.

Martin Truex Jr. crashes out early

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs have not been kind to Martin Truex Jr. The regular-season champion entered the 10-race chase for the championship atop the standings, but a 31st-place finish at the Southern 500 sent him down to sixth place entering Kansas. Then, on lap 4 of the Hollywood Casino 400, he lost a right rear tire, smacked the wall and was forced to retire the car.

At the time of his retirement, Truex was 12th in the standings, the final transfer spot that will be determined after next week’s Bristol night race.

Hollywood Casino 400 TV/streaming schedule

All times Eastern

Saturday
Noon-12:45 p.m.: Practice (USA, NBC Sports app)
12:45-2 p.m.: Qualifying (USA, NBC Sports app)

Sunday
2:30-3 p.m.: Pre-race show (USA, NBC Sports app)
3-6 p.m.: Hollywood Casino 400 (USA, NBC Sports app)

Hollywood Casino 400 race details

Track: Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile tri-oval), in Kansas City, Kansas
Length: 267 laps for 401 miles
Banking: Turns – 17-20 degrees | Tri-oval 9-11 degrees | Backstretch – 5 degrees
Stage lengths: Stage 1 – 80 laps | Stage 2 – 85 laps | Stage 3 – 102 laps
2022 winner: Bubba Wallace

Hollywood Casino 400 starting grid

1. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

3. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

4. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

5. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

6. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

7. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

8. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

9. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

10. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

11. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

12. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

13. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

14. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

15. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

17. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

18. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

19. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

20. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

21. Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

22. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

23. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

24. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

25. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

26. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

27. Cole Custer (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

28. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

29. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

30. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

31. J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

32. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

33. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

34. Sheldon Creed (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

35. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

36. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2023 NASCAR Cup playoff standings

Larson has already clinched his way into the Round of 12 by virtue of winning last weekend. Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron remained in second in the standings coming out of Darlington and even has one more playoff point than Larson. Truex Jr. tumbled from first to sixth in the standings after a disastrous showing in which he finished 31st.

1. Kyle Larson – 2,074*
2. William Byron – 2,075
3. Tyler Reddick – 2,060
4. Chris Buescher – 2,057
5. Denny Hamlin – 2,057
6. Martin Truex Jr. – 2,055
7. Kyle Busch – 2,050
8. Brad Keselowski – 2,048
9. Ryan Blaney – 2,046
10. Ross Chastain – 2,043
11. Joey Logano – 2,033
12. Christopher Bell – 2,031
______________________________ Cut line
13. Bubba Wallace – 2,030
14. Kevin Harvick – 2,029
15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 2,027
16. Michael McDowell – 2,012

*-Clinched entry in Round of 12

Top drivers and best bets for the Hollywood Casino 400

The top 12 favorites for the win, according to BetMGM, are all playoff drivers and all enter at 20-to-1 or better.

Best odds to win
• Denny Hamlin +500
• Kyle Larson +525
• Martin Truex Jr. +600
• William Byron +725
• Tyler Reddick +900

Yahoo Sports motorsports expert Nick Bromberg wrote earlier in the week on the betting forecast and says Harvick (+2200) and Kyle Busch (+1400) are worth the wager at those mid-tier odds. Bromberg also recommends staying away from Ross Chastain (1400) and recommends taking a flier on Ty Gibbs (+3500), owing to Toyota’s traditional strength at Kansas.

Hollywood Casino 400 entry list

Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Cole Custer (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Sheldon Creed (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Hollywood Casino 400 weather

The forecast is dry and warm, with highs in the low-to-mid 80s for both days. Race day is supposed to be about five degrees cooler than Saturday’s qualifying session with an overcast haze. That should be better on the tires and allow teams to extend green-flag runs.