KANSAS RACE REVIEW

Date: 9-11-2022.
Name of the race: Hollywood Casino 400.
Track: Kansas Speedway.
Laps: 267.
Pole winner: Tyler Reddick.
Outside pole: Joey Logano.
Stage 1 winner: Christopher Bell. 
Stage 2 winner: Alex Bowman.
Stage 3 winner (won the race): Bubba Wallace. 
Top 5: Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Alex Bowman, and Martin Truex Jr. 
FYI: Race two for the first round of the playoffs was at the infamous Kansas Speedway where once again playoff drivers had trouble. Kevin Harvick was out of the race before the end of stage one because of racing with Ross Chastain and Bubba Wallace causing Harvick's car to snap loose and pound the outside wall resulting in him having a DNF. Now, sixteenth in the playoff standings Harvick and his number 4 Ford team are in a must-win situation going into Bristol, something they have been in before, and most of the time have been able to pull off a clutch win and advance. Only time will tell if ole Happy will be able to do it again and win when he needs to the most. Playoff driver and pole winner Tyler Reddick had trouble too with blowing a right rear tire on lap sixty-five and hitting the turn two outside wall resulting in a DNF just like Harvick. Playoff driver Kyle Busch suffered trouble after having a tough day from two penalties that dealt with interference with pit road equipment and on top of that, he spun in four at lap 137 of the race causing his right side tires to go flat.  Alex Bowman dominated most of the race after having a summer slump, but non-playoff driver Bubba Wallace looked to be a contender to win his second career Cup Series race as well, reeling in Bowman throughout the third stage. He would end up making what would eventually be the winning pass on Bowman, with one more cycle of green flag pit stops to go to make things interesting. When everyone ended up cycling through the pits putting Wallace back in the lead, the lap traffic would start to slow up the leaders with 23XI team owner Denny Hamlin catching up, slowly and surely to his driver out on the lead. It would be too little and too late for Hamlin however, as Bubba Wallace would retain his lead and take career win number two, becoming the first African American NASCAR driver to win multiple races in the sport's highest division. Now, we look to the last great coliseum in Bristol Tennessee for the last race of the first round of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Will another non-playoff driver take the checkered flag? Will Kevin Harvick be able to turn his bad luck around and redeem himself to keep his championship hopes alive? Get ready folks, it's going to be one helluva race!
Next race: Bristol Motor Speedway for the third race in the playoffs and the final race in the round of sixteen on Saturday night (9-17-2022).