NASCAR Cup Series

Podium Preview: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas

by
Rob Tiongson
September 9, 2023

Kyle Larson hopes to become a man with momentum ahead of the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas. (Photo: Cole Penning | The Podium Finish)

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Any race at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway, even the Hollywood Casino 400, is always exciting and unpredictable. Though seemingly friendly with its confines and features, it is a ferocious, action packed intermediate track.

As seen in the spring race in May, Lap 1 or Lap 267 are must see TV. It is one of the better tickets for fans and competitors with multiple grooves, an aging asphalt and endless possibilities for racing glory.

For the past 22 years, Kansas Speedway has hosted a late summer/early autumn date that leads to the championship hunt. Often, title contenders find Kansas is one of the toughest tracks because it can bite a competitor as fast as it rewards another.

In the past, Kansas Speedway was a one groove track where a conservative, methodical approach won out over the sprinters. Nowadays, it seems that it takes a tenacious mindset to excel at this Midwest favorite.

Toyotas may have victories in the past three races but Kyle Larson and his Hendrick Motorsports efforts have been in the prowl for wins. Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace and Kurt Busch showcased their winning ways while Larson has been runner-up in two of the past three races.

Ahead of Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400, Larson starts second while Christopher Bell rolls off the pole position. There is simply no telling who will conquer Kansas until the checkered flag is unfurled by the official atop the stripe.

Once the NASCAR official unfurls the green flag on race day, it is anyone’s guess as to who will prevail in this year’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas. For the time being, come along for the ride this and each race weekend with Podium Preview.

This weekend, Cody Shoppe, Kobe Lambeth, Luis Torres, Matt Sisoler, Stephen Conley and yours truly wonder about who can rebound after a tough showing at Darlington and expectations with John Hunter Nemechek joining LEGACY Motor Club in 2024.

Podium Preview: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas

Podium Perspectives

Question 1

Martin Truex Jr. would like a far better result than last Sunday night at Darlington. (Photo: Cole Penning | The Podium Finish)

Of the drivers who had less than stellar results at Darlington, who is most likely to rebound this Sunday at Kansas?

Sisoler : I’m not so sure it’s most likely as necessary. Christopher Bell and the rest of JGR need a shot in the arm coming out of a lackluster Darlington performance.

Bell was the pole sitter, got in the wall in Stage 1 and never really recovered, Martin Truex Jr. got a few lucky breaks and managed to stay on the lead lap late, and then Denny Hamlin struggled home to a 25th. None of those are good enough, and arguably they all might’ve used their mulligans at the first race of the Playoffs.

For an organization that is a title contender and the flagship outfit of Toyota, they need to find the speed that they had here earlier this year.

Torres : All things considered, Martin Truex, Jr. must put Darlington behind him because it was a rather underwhelming night. He got help through cautions to get him back on the lead lap and finished 18th, but mistakes can’t happen in Kansas. Otherwise, a guy who I think can win the championship is going to be in trouble going forward.

I can say the same about the entire Joe Gibbs Racing clan because all of them would like to erase this year’s Southern 500 out of their minds. Especially one Denny Hamlin who ended up 25th, one lap behind his main adversary from Kansas in Kyle Larson. Hamlin won at Kansas last time around, so a venue like the site of his Cup debut in 2005 should bode well for him.

In the end, I expect Truex and Hamlin to be the two main drivers who’ll bounce back at Kansas. Definitely need it if they’re going to be threats in this year’s Playoffs.

Shoppe : Kevin Harvick had a real shot at the win in Darlington before his unfortunate pit penalty. Of the Playoff drivers who had disappointing results in race one, the No. 4 team had the most speed and performance. While the likes of Truex, Bell and Michael McDowell also under performed for different reasons, Harvick showed the most promise and looks to keep up that speed in Kansas.

Question 2

John Hunter Nemechek has plentiful reasons to smile. (Photo: Cole Penning | The Podium Finish)

What can we expect out of John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 42 LEGACY Motor Club Toyota efforts in 2024?

Tiongson : I think it is not out of the question for John Hunter Nemechek to have a top 20 points finish for the No. 42 LEGACY Motor Club Toyota Camry entry in 2024. That is a conservative prediction by me as an OEM switch may make life a bit difficult for Nemechek and the venerable stock car organization. However, Nemechek has a strong bond with Toyota Racing Development given his successes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series in the past two years.

At best, I can see Nemechek making the Playoffs if he can adapt fast and reacclimate to these tracks with the Gen-7 stock car. He did a decent job under difficult circumstances last year in the No. 45 23XI Racing entry at Homestead-Miami Speedway. I look for him to showcase maturity and poise thanks to some familiarity with Maury Gallagher and his ways, as we saw in the late 2010s with GMS Racing.

If LEGACY Motor Club, as a whole, improves greatly from their lame duck season with Chevrolet in 2023, then it will not just be Nemechek making the Playoffs. Nemechek and his soon-to-be team need a good, strong start with clean performances, something I am sure Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson will reiterate heading into the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Lambeth : With LEGACY Motor Club switching to Toyota in 2024, there is plenty of optimism for better results in 2024. This year has not gone as expected, but next year could be a huge step forward for the entire organization. Erik Jones has past success with TRD and John Hunter Nemechek is one of their young prospects looking to make a splash in his return to the NASCAR Cup Series. I think Nemechek will have some good runs in 2024 but expect some growing pains as well.

Those growing pains will not necessarily be limited to only Nemechek as a driver, but the team, in general, by going through a manufacturer switch. As we have seen in the past, it can typically take a team a couple of seasons to really put things together with a new manufacturer. However, thinking more long-term, LEGACY Motor Club and Nemechek have potential to build a solid program together to make the team more competitive on a regular basis.

Sharpe :

Conley : Nemechek has a ton of talent, but so did Noah Gragson. Erik Jones is a veteran, but unfortunately has a lot of inconsistent results. LEGACY will enter their second season, but in 2024 they make the switch to Toyota and here we are starting over.

Also if you look at how partners of Joe Gibbs Racing have fared in the past, I’m not sure how well the team overall will play out. Optimism for sure, but starting over with a rookie can be a challenge. We can see JHN run some in the top 10, but I wouldn’t expect a Playoff berth or a win in 2024.

Those two laps around Kansas Speedway has us thinking about the win, barbecue and a potential victory. Before returning to conversations about Kansas, let us rewind to last Sunday night’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Race No. 27 of 36 for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season with our race and points reports!

It as a take what you can get kind of evening.

It is a close championship chase after the points reset.