Motorsport Today Contributor - Jeffrey Hrunka
Whether you were in the playoffs or not, this past weekend at Kansas Speedway presented an opportunity to cash in. Multiple drivers were able to prove their worth at the front of the field and it set the tone going into the wildest racetrack of the postseason, Talladega.
Here are the biggest takeaways from each national series event from America’s Heartland.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series - Kubota Tractor 200
Corey Heim outlasted Ty Majeski, leading 64 laps, to win the Kubota Tractor 200 on Friday, Sept. 27. In a strategy-filled final stage ,he elected to go on the offensive chasing down those saving fuel for his sixth win of the season.
Takeaway #1: Lanye Riggs is a future championship contender
Outside of Ty Majeski and Corey Heim, Layne Riggs has been the most consistent driver over the last few races. Since the TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Friday, July 19, Riggs has 1 win, five straight top-5’s and an average finish of 3.0.
Although he missed the postseason, his recent performance has seen him soar to 11th in the points standings, rebounding from a disqualification at Atlanta Motor Speedway and a reckless driving penalty at Nashville Superspeedway. With Christian Eckes and Corey Heim set to depart the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at season's end, Riggs is primed to take over his role as the championship favorite.
Takeaway #2: It’s Corey Heim’s championship to lose again.
For the second season in a row, Corey Heim continues to be the dominant driver in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, picking up his sixth win at Kansas Speedway. However, he is still searching for his first championship after falling short at Phoenix Raceway last season.
His dominance in this series is unmatched, moving to 16th on the series all-time wins list after Friday night.
Heim needs to watch his temper though, as that is what took him out of championship contention last season at Phoenix. If he relies on his speed there is no other driver that can matchup with Toyota’s biggest prospect.
Takeaway #3: No extra laps.
For many fans, a draw from the racing has been the recent flurry of NASCAR overtimes throughout the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series. These extra laps usually force a clean race to have a chaotic ending.
This has not been the case in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as the series has gone without an overtime affected race since the Buckle Up South Carolina 200 at Darlington Raceway on Friday, May 10. This has been the longest-active streak that any of the top three series have had without a race going into overtime.
For a division with a perception of being wreck-filled over the last few years, the other two series need to take notice.
NASCAR Xfinity Series - Kansas Lottery 300
Aric Almirola ran down Cole Custer in the closing laps of the Kansas Lottery 300 to take his second victory of the season on Saturday, Sept. 28. He was able to play spoiler against his playoff adversaries to send the #20 Toyota Supra into the next round of the owners championship.
Takeaway #1: Joe Gibbs Racing’s best team does not have a full-time driver.
The #20 Toyota Supra has accumulated 8 wins, 14 Top-5s and 19 Top-10s, the most in each respective category. Four different drivers have been able to win twice in the car, with Christopher Bell, John Hunter Nemechek, and Ryan Truex each crossing the line first in a pair of 2024 events.
The other three Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota entries combined have two wins and an average of 9 top-5s and 13 top-10s through 27 races. They have yet to match the success of their teammates in the 20 car.
Takeaway #2: Cole Custer is the best driver in this playoff field.
Custer entered the playoffs as the regular season champion, with two victories at Pocono Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway, 12 Top-5s and 19 Top-10s. He led 48 laps at Kansas and had an opportunity to win the race if he didn’t get held up by third-place finisher Chandler Smith.
He is beginning to show that he can win at numerous types of racetracks. With his past history at Phoenix Raceway the rest of the field needs to be worried about the defending series champion.
Takeaway #3: JR Motorsports continues to struggle.
When your part-time driver is performing better than the rest of the drivers in your organization, something needs to change. Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 Chevrolet Camaro, finished fourth in his first start at a big oval in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Of Zilisch's four teammates, Brandon Jones was the only one to finish inside the Top-10. Sammy Smith and Justin Allgaier saw themselves get into wrecks, which forced both drivers to start their playoff runs on the backfoot. Sam Mayer simply did not have pace and finished outside the Top-10.
Over the last three weeks, the #88 team has been the best team inside the JR Motorsports stable with Jones, driver of the #9 Chevrolet Camaro, following close behind. As for the three playoff hopefuls, Mayer and Smith have one Top-10 each, while Allgaier’s last top-10 was at Darlington Raceway two months ago.
NASCAR Cup Series - Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN Bet
Ross Chastain held off a charging William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. to win his first race of the season in the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, Sept 29. In a race where multiple playoff drivers had issues, it was those out of championship contention who took the spotlight.
Takeaway #1: Toyota’s lack of speed
Toyota’s lack of speed through the playoffs has been readily apparent. Their last victory in the NASCAR Cup Series came from Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Toyota Camry, back at Michigan International Speedway on Thursday, Aug.19.
For the manufacturer’s last non-drafting track victory, you have to go back four months to Christopher Bell’s wet weather victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, June 23.
Toyota Racing entered the playoffs with five drivers representing their brand. After Kansas, Martin Truex Jr and Ty Gibbs have been eliminated from the playoff contention, while regular season champion Tyler Reddick enters Talladega Superspeedway, the second race of the Round of 12, below the cutline.
Takeaway #2: Spire Motorsports has race-winning pace.
Week in and week out, Spire Motorsports continue to impress. Over the last five races, they have accumulated two top-5s, five top-10s, a best qualifying position of second, and finish of third.
This success was only expanded upon at Kansas Speedway as all three cars ran inside the top-10 on pace alone. With this recent success, they have consistently out-raced every Chevrolet team outside of Hendrick Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing since August.
It is only a matter of time until you see the #7, #71 or #77 Chevorlet Cameros cross the finish line ahead of the rest of the field.
Takeaway #3: Kyle Larson is not a championship contender.
Kyle Larson entered the first round of the playoffs as the first seed but a disastrous first two races that saw him wreck out at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 8, finishing 37th, and an unexpected result for two-time winner at Watkins Glen International on Sunday, Sept. 15 of 12th.
He cleaned up his inconsistencies at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 21 with a dominating performance, leading 462 laps, and sweeping the stages for his fifth victory of the season. However, the struggles returned with a blown tire that ruined Larson’s day at Kansas, relegating him to a 26th place finish, which saw a 39 point advantage fall to 18.
Hendrick Motorsports needs to clean up their performance if they want to have a chance of all four of their drivers in the Round of 8.
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