Information By: HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS – CONCORD, NC
Kansas Speedway
Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024
1.5-Mile Tri-Oval
3 PM ET
Location: Kansas City, Kansas
TV: USA
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (Race 30 of 36)
RADIO: SiriusXM
Kyle Larson
Chase Elliott
William Byron
Alex Bowman
5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 32 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Week: 1st (Bristol)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 1st
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Kyle Larson’s 462 laps led in his victory at Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday night was the most ever by a Hendrick Motorsports driver in a single race. The Elk Grove, California, native has now finished in the top 10 in his last six starts at Bristol. That ties his longest such streak at any track, matching Phoenix Raceway and this weekend’s stop, Kansas Speedway.
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion is now tied for 30th on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list with Rex White and Carl Edwards at 28 wins. Larson has the most wins in the Next Gen car with 12.
Larson is the only driver to have eclipsed the 1,000-laps-led barrier in 2024 with 1,551 – 634 more than any other driver. His 12 stage wins are two more than anyone else.
Larson’s win earlier this season at Kansas was the closest finish in Cup Series history. He crossed the finish line 0.001 seconds ahead of Chris Buescher. Larson is the only repeat winner in the last eight races at Kansas.
The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet has won 11 of 39 stages on 1.5-mile tracks in the Next Gen car (28%) and 4 of 18 races (22%).
In the Next Gen car, a driver has had an average running position of better than 1.5 ten times – Larson accounts for seven of those occasions. The 32-year-old driver’s average running position this year is a Series-best 9.61. No other driver has an average running position in single digits.
Larson is one of only two drivers to have finished top 10 at Kansas in all five Next Gen starts. In 1.5-mile races during the Next Gen era, Larson has four wins, double that of second place.
Larson is 39 markers ahead of the elimination line entering the Round of 12. He has 15 more playoff points than any other driver.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last week: 2nd (Bristol)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 7th (-33)
No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Chase Elliott heads into the opening race in the Round of 12 seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings, six points above the elimination line.
Elliott is the only Cup Series driver with wins at all three tracks in the Round of 12 (Kansas Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Charlotte ROVAL). The 2020 Cup Series champion captured a victory at Kansas in the fall of 2018.
Elliott is riding a streak of three consecutive top-10 finishes at Kansas, placing third there in the spring. He has also finished inside the top 10 in the three most recent races on 1.5-mile tracks, which kicked off with his victory at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver has earned the fourth-most points among playoff drivers across the first three postseason events.
No. 9 team jackman TJ Semke hails from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, less than 40 miles from Kansas Speedway. The 31-year-old was a part-time bounty hunter before playing football at the University of Kansas as a defensive lineman. Semke signed with Hendrick Motorsports in 2016 and has been with team since 2018.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Week: 17th (Bristol)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 4th (-25)
No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
William Byron collected enough points to advance into the Round of 12 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. He collected 72 points with 21 of those being stage points, tied for the fifth most.
Heading into the first race of the second round, Byron is currently fourth in the playoff standings, 14 markers above the cutoff.
Byron has seven top-10 finishes at Kansas Speedway, tied for a personal best at a track with Martinsville Speedway and Phoenix Raceway.
Byron has two wins in the Next Gen car on 1.5-mile tracks, tied for the second most, and has earned the most points of all drivers with 675.
In 2024, Byron has run within the top five for 1,964 laps (seventh most), within the top 10 for 4,030 laps (sixth most) and has an average running position of 13.276, good enough for eighth best.
48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 31 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Last Week: 9th (Bristol)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: T-11th (-45)
No. 48 Ally Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, Alex Bowman finished ninth to advance to the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Bowman earned 17 more points than any other driver in the Round of 16. He leads the field in stage points earned in the playoffs (41) and is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in all six stages.
Bowman was fourth at the end of the Round of 16. With the playoff standings points resetting heading into the Round of 12 opener at Kansas Speedway, Bowman ranks 11th, seven points below the cutline. The Tucson, Arizona, native has advanced to the Round of 12 in every previous playoff appearance (six) and reached the Round of 8 once (2020).
Bowman has seven top-five finishes this season and 14 top-10 finishes (four-way tie for third most). All his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and William Byron also have 14 top 10s.
At Kansas Speedway, Bowman holds the third-longest active top-10 streak with four. The streak is Bowman’s best at a track behind only the Charlotte ROVAL (five). In this year’s May race at the “Sunflower State” venue, Bowman earned 34 points, fifth most of playoff drivers. In his previous 17 starts there, he has led 183 laps, scored three top fives (his second most at a track) and nine top 10s (his most at a track).
In 2024, on tracks 1.5-miles long, Bowman has earned 100 points, seventh most of the remaining playoff drivers. He is one of 11 drivers to claim a win at a 1.5-mile track in the Next Gen car (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 2022).
Ally Racing brought back Koker’s garage this year and No. 48 fans had the opportunity to design the special edition paint scheme that will run on track this weekend. Christina Knoll, from New Orleans, is the this year’s winner. Her son, Andrew, played a key role in helping design the winning scheme.
This Sunday, Bowman fans can ride along and from the driver’s seat by tuning into NASCAR’s in-car camera on the No. 48 Chevrolet Camero ZL1.
For four years, Bowman and Ally have teamed up to support Best Friends Animal Society and their vast network of partners. Every race weekend, the pair donates $4,800 to help homeless pets. This weekend, the charitable donation will go to Prairie Paws Animal Shelter located in Ottawa, Kansas.