At the Monster Mile, Denny Hamlin found his way to Victory Lane for the third time this season. The closing laps saw Hamlin hold off a hard-charging Kyle Larson. Now NASCAR heads to Kansas Speedway for the 2024 AdventHealth 400 where several drivers will hope to find a win and punch their playoff ticket.
The 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway ought to play host to some excellent racing as the type of track the NextGen car has been best suited for thus far. Will Hamlin claim another checkered flag or will someone else find a win to kick off the most important month in motorsports?
2024 AdventHealth 400 Entry List
As with last week, Corey Heim remains behind the wheel of the #43 car with Erik Jones held out for at least one more week. Also of note – Jimmie Johnson runs for the second straight week in the #84, Riley Herbst mans the #15 for Rick Ware Racing, and Austin Hill pilots the #33 for Richard Childress Racing.
A home track win was up for grabs for Carl Edwards, but Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson wouldn’t be denied! 😤#NASCARLegends pic.twitter.com/Vk9oICx4Cj
— Kansas Speedway (@kansasspeedway) April 19, 2024
Kansas sees a fair share of great finishes like the thriller between Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards. Additionally, as mentioned above – this NextGen car tends to run well on this style of track. Though the aero-blocking issue remains something to watch, I expect good racing throughout the pack come Sunday. May always makes for a hell of a month for motorsports fans and I’m thrilled we’re kicking it off with a fantastic opportunity for side-by-side racing.
2024 AdventHealth400 Race Odds and Predictions
In the least shocking news of the season, the top two finishers from last week find themselves as the favorites this week. Denny Hamlin (+350) and Kyle Larson (+450) possess a bit of history on this track as well. After Hamlin and Larson comes Tyler Reddick in the #45 at +700.
Denny Hamlin vs. Kyle Larson never gets old.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) May 2, 2024
Last spring at Kansas, Hamlin got the win in a last-lap move. pic.twitter.com/s9i8YTLzGI
To find the first Ford, you need to slide all the way down to Ryan Blaney in the #12 at +1300. The Blue Ovals continue to struggle in 2024 and Kansas seems unlikely to buck the trend. However, I think Stewart Haas and their success last week might have been overlooked a bit. I might take a closer look at Noah Gragson as the top Ford at +700.
I also like the action on Bubba Wallace to finish in the top five at +140. Wallace owns a victory at Kansas and 23XI tends to bring good speed to the circuit. I expect the #23 to be in contention for the win on Sunday but I just think Hamlin and Larson possess too much momentum right now. Ultimately, I’m taking Larson at +450 to win on Sunday.
Check out the schedule below so you don’t miss any on-track action!
Saturday 05/04
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying – 11:35 a.m. CT on FS1
Tide 150 (ARCA Menards Series) – 1:00 p.m. CT on FS1
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – 4:50 p.m. CT on FS1
Heart of America 200 (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) – 7:00 p.m. CT on FS1
Sunday 05/05
AdventHealth 400 (NASCAR Cup Series) – 2:00 p.m. CT on FS1
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