Kansas Event Info:
Date: Sunday, September 27th
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Kansas City, Kansas
Format: 267 Laps, 400.5 miles, Stages: 80-165-267
TV: USA Sports
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)
Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. ET, Cup Practice (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 10:05 a.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 3 p.m. ET, Cup Race (USA Sports, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
STORYLINES:
6 Car Crew Chief Change – Mike Skarbowski has been named as the interim crew chief of the 6 car and Brad Keselowski. Mike previously held the role of Race Support Manager and crew chief of No. 99 car at Daytona in February. He replaces Jeremy Bullins who has embarked on a new opportunity. (Skarbowski Bio is attached)
April Strength – In the series’ first race at Kansas this season, the RFK trio had a particularly strong run, placing all three cars inside the top-11. Brad Keselowski led the way with a strong 6th place finish, followed by Chris Buescher 10th and Ryan Preece 11th.
Brad Keselowski – He may not be racing for the championship, but he can still have an impact on who wins it. With eight races remaining, the 2012 Cup champion can embrace the spoiler role — chasing a win while taking points and opportunities away from Chase contenders. Without a championship to protect, Keselowski can be aggressive and make his presence felt.
Chris Buescher – The schedule favors Buescher. Kansas begins three consecutive events on 1.5-mile tracks, a style of racing where Buescher showed strength earlier this season. In the first three traditional non-drafting 1.5 mile tracks this season (Las Vegas, Kansas & Texas) he scored consecutive top-10 finishes.
Ryan Preece – Preece punched his Chase ticket with a dramatic Daytona win, but he’s proving the No. 60 belongs. With top-10 finishes in three of the last four races, Preece heads to Kansas looking to show he’s more than a feel-good Chase story.
Pace Laps:
The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) returns to Kansas Speedway this weekend for the second time this season and the fourth race of The Chase. Jack Roush has four wins in the Cup Series at Kansas and nine overall, the most recent in 2012 in the NOAPS.
Kansas is one of 12 tracks that Brad Keselowski has driven to victory lane on more than one occasion throughout his Cup Series career. 2 Wins (2011 & 2019)
Chris Buescher enters Kansas Speedway with 21 career Cup Series starts, continuing to look for his first victory at the track especially after coming within arm’s reach of victory, finishing runner up in 2024 with the closest finish in NASCAR history (0.001 seconds).
In 21 career Cup starts at Kansas, Buescher has recorded five top‑10s, using consistent execution and track position to stay competitive.
Arriving at Kansas amid a career‑best season, Ryan Preece highlighted by multiple top‑10s to start the 2026 season and an 11th place finish earlier this spring at the track.
In the 13 Cup starts at Kansas Speedway, Preece owns one top‑10, with continued gains on intermediate tracks positioning the No. 60 team to build on that foundation this weekend.
6 Team Info:
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Crew Chief: Mike Skarbowski
Partner: Solomon Plumbing
17 Team Info:
Driver: Chris Buescher
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Castrol
60 Team Info:
Driver: Ryan Preece
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Partner: Dillons / Celsius
Keselowski at Kansas Speedway
Starts: 33
Wins: 2 (2011, 2019)
Top-10s: 16
Poles: 2 (2015, 2021)
Keselowski has made 33 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, where he is a two-time race winner (2011, 2019).
The Michigan native has recorded 16 top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile track, showcasing consistent performance throughout his career, earlier this year at Kansas in the spring he started 21st and finished 6th.
Keselowski has also earned two pole awards at Kansas (2015, 2021), highlighting his qualifying strength at the venue.
Overall, Kansas stands as one of Keselowski’s more successful intermediate tracks, combining race-winning speed with long-term consistency.
Buescher at Kansas Speedway
Starts: 21
Wins: —
Top-10s: 6
Poles: —
Buescher enters Kansas Speedway with 21 career Cup Series starts, continuing to look for his first victory at the track especially after coming within arm’s reach of victory, finishing runner up in 2024 with the closest finish in NASCAR history (0.001 seconds).
He has recorded five top-10 finishes at Kansas, demonstrating steady improvement over recent seasons.
Buescher’s Kansas résumé reflects solid race-day execution with the ability to stay competitive throughout long green-flag runs.
With prior success on intermediate tracks, Kansas presents another opportunity for the No. 17 team to contend inside the top-10 and even for the victory.
Preece at Kansas Speedway
Starts: 13
Wins: —
Top-10s: 1
Poles: —
Preece has made 13 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, gaining valuable experience at the high-speed intermediate track, in the spring he finished 11th.
His best Kansas result to date is a top-10 finish, showing flashes of competitiveness as his program continues to progress.
Kansas remains a key venue for Preece and the No. 60 team to build momentum and improve mile-and-a-half performance.
With continued gains on intermediate tracks, Preece looks to convert experience into stronger finishes at Kansas.
RFK Historically at Kansas
Cup Wins: 4 (Martin, 2005; Biffle, 2007; Biffle, 2010; Kenseth, 2012)
Early Success at Kansas: RFK Racing found early success at Kansas Speedway, earning its first Cup Series victory at the 1.5-mile track in 2005 with Mark Martin behind the wheel. That win marked the organization’s breakthrough moment at the Kansas venue and set the stage for future success.
RFK in Victory Lane at Kansas: RFK has recorded four NASCAR Cup Series victories at Kansas Speedway, accomplished by three different drivers — Mark Martin (2005), Greg Biffle (2007, 2010), and Matt Kenseth (2012). Those wins highlight the organization’s sustained competitiveness at the intermediate track.
Continued Multi‑Series Success: In addition to Cup success, RFK has visited victory lane at Kansas across multiple NASCAR divisions. The team earned two O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (Xfinity) wins at the track with Matt Kenseth (2002) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2012). RFK also claimed three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victories at Kansas with Jimmy Wood (2003) and Carl Edwards (2004, 2007).
Kansas Consistency Across Eras: From the early 2000s through the 2010s, RFK has consistently contended at Kansas Speedway, producing victories in the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series over a span of more than a decade. That longevity underscores the organization’s ability to adapt and perform at the high-speed intermediate venue.
RFK Kansas Wins
2005 Martin Cup
2007 Biffle Cup
2010 Biffle Cup
2012 Kenseth Cup
2002 Kenseth NOAPS
2012 Stenhouse NOAPS
2003 Wood NCTS
2004 Edwards NCTS
2007 Edwards NCTS
Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Bristol: As the NASCAR Cup Series raced in Thunder Valley Saturday night, it was ‘Preece Lightning’ that led the way for Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing. Ryan Preece continues proving he is more than a Cinderella Chase driver, putting together another strong top ten finish. Following Preece’s 10th place finish, Chris Buescher fought hard, charging from the 23rdstarting position, to finish 13th, collecting stage points (Stage Two) along the way. Brad Keselowski scored stage points in Stage One, as he clawed his way to a 15th place finish.
Points Standings: Preece: 14th, Buescher: 15th, Keselowski: 18th
