Brad Keselowski dominates Nationwide race at Kansas Speedway

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – When NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers have come to Kansas Speedway for past Chase For The Sprint Cup races, it had been a year since they had raced on the track.


With the way things change in a year’s time, it’s likely their notes from the last race would only take them so far.


But they arrived for the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday with notes from early June as the circuit added a second race to the 1.5-mile track for the 2011 season.


Since that race, the teams have competed on many other 1.5-mile and 2-mile tracks such as Michigan (twice), Kentucky, Atlanta and most recently, three weeks ago at Chicagoland.


Alll about: Kansas Speedway


So what notes do they use? Do they use what they learned in June or on the similar Chicagoland track three weeks ago?


“Our race here last time went OK – we will probably use some of those,” said Carl Edwards, who enters the race tied for the series points lead with Kevin Harvick and will start second in the race. “I think each track is different and you focus more on Kansas notes than you do on Chicago. This sport changes so fast, … you are always developing something and there is always new stuff and new setup ideas and things you are working on and you have to keep moving forward.”


Edwards’ teammate Matt Kenseth doesn’t expect the race will be much different than the one in June, where many of the Chase drivers had solid runs.


“I don’t know that the weather is that much different and it hasn’t been long since we ran here,” Kenseth said. “We have the same tire and all that stuff. I don’t expect it to be a lot different.


“Usually here and Chicago and some of those tracks that you race once a year at you pretty much forget the last time and show up there and kind of start over because it has been so long and so many things change. I don’t expect it to be a lot different.”


But there is a big difference to Jeff Gordon. The Goodyear tire at Kansas is different than Chicago. For Gordon, he thinks that’s a good thing considering he finished fourth at Kansas and 24th at Chicagoland.


“We expected to be able to take something similar to what we have here and make it work in Chicago,” Gordon said. “The difference is there is a different tire in Chicago and that tire is also the Texas tire and I think it’s somewhere else. It just doesn’t suit me very well. I have a really hard time reading that tire and getting the balance right on that tire.


Keselowski dominated, leading all but 27 laps on his way to victory.


“I think that car was spectacular,” said second-place finisher Carl Edwards, who briefly held a late lead before Keselowsi pulled ahead for the last time. “He did a good job, too. I thought we were going to have a chance to race there pretty hard at the end, but once he got by me I couldn’t do anything.”


Keselowski, the Sprint Cup winner at the track in June, fell behind Edwards after a late caution, but pulled ahead with 11 laps to go and won by 2.795 seconds. Elliott Sadler was third, followed by Paul Menard, points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Brian Vickers, Trevor Bayne and Ryan Truex.


Keselowski, a four-time winner this year, only lost the lead twice over the course of the race, each time regaining it within 10 laps.


“You couldn’t ask for more, that’s for sure,” he said. “This car was just hauling the mail. We have fast cars, good pit stops, all these things. Just an awesome day, very special. I wish I could have cars like this all the time.”


Harvick’s top-10 finish came after a day filled with repairs. He twice had to take his car behind the wall so his crew could fix the splitter.


“I don’t know if I could be any prouder,” Harvick said.


With the third-place finish, Sadler narrowed Stenhouse’s lead in the standings to 20 points with four races to go. Still, the points leader was happy to finish in the top five after struggling on pit road.


“I stalled it once, got a penalty for speeding and had a slow stop,” Stenhouse said. “To still come back and run top five is not too bad.”


Reed Sorenson, who lost his ride with Turner Motorsports earlier this week despite sitting third in the standings, finished 26th in MacDonald Motorsports’ second car and fell 70 points behind Stenhouse.


Edwards’ second-place finish in Roush Fenway’s No. 60 Ford narrowed the owner’s points standings as well. The No. 60 trails Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota by seven points, after coming into the race down by 13. Logano drove the No. 18 on Saturday.