Hollywood Casino 400
Location: Kansas City, Kan.
Course: Kansas Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile tri-oval
Laps: 267
Hollywood Casino 400 Race Preview
Last week's night race at Bristol produced fireworks as Joey Logano skirted the drama and drove to Victory Lane for the third time this season, moving to third in the championship standings. Kyle Larson also had another good race, scoring his fourth top-five finish in the last five races, to overtake Denny Hamlin in points. Following that race, only 17 points separate the top four drivers in The Chase with seven races left to run. Next on that list is a return to Kansas Speedway where Tyler Reddick won from pole in April. That victory was not straightforward, though. Hamlin and Larson dominated the race between themselves only for Reddick to overcome his adversity in overtime to sweep past Larson on the final lap to claim his fifth win of the season. Kansas is known for producing close and unpredictable racing, which seems destined to repeat again this week as the embers from Bristol continue to smolder as The Chase heats up.
Key Stats at Kansas Speedway
- Number of races: 41
- Winners from pole: 9
- Winners from top-5 starters: 21
- Winners from top-10 starters: 28
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 3
- Fastest race: 152.057 mph
Previous 10 Kansas Winners
2024 spring - Tyler Reddick
2025 fall - Chase Elliott
2025 spring - Kyle Larson
2024 fall - Ross Chastain
2024 spring - Kyle Larson
2023 fall - Tyler Reddick
2023 spring - Denny Hamlin
2022 fall - Bubba Wallace
2022 spring - Kurt Busch
2021 fall - Kyle Larson
Kansas Speedway is a 1.5-mile intermediate oval that can create side-by-side racing throughout the field. The track's progressive banking and relatively smooth pavement give drivers multiple lanes to work with, whether they are trying to pass or find a line that better suits the handling of their car. Track position still matters, but Kansas is less aerodynamically sensitive than some other intermediate tracks due to the wide range of grooves to use, which means drivers can work their way through the field when their car has enough long-run speed. The surface does create tire wear over the course of a run, though it is not as severe as it is at some other tracks on the schedule. That combination of multiple grooves and manageable tire wear tends to reward cars that can maintain pace over longer runs, which is reflected in the way a small group of drivers has controlled many of the recent races here. Even so, late cautions can disrupt that pattern. When that happens, lane choice on restarts becomes critical. Picking the right lane and beating the other leaders in those moments can be the difference between winning and losing.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Hollywood Casino 400
Based on Standard $50k Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Larson - $11,000
Denny Hamlin - $10,500
Christopher Bell - $10,200
Tyler Reddick - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Ryan Blaney - $9,800
Chase Briscoe - $9,600
Ty Gibbs - $9,400
Chase Elliott - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Joey Logano - $8,700
William Byron - $8,500
Carson Hocevar - $8,300
Brad Keselowski - $7,900
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Austin Cindric - $7,500
Alex Bowman - $7,300
Daniel Suarez - $6,900
Erik Jones - $6,700
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Hollywood Casino 400
Kyle Larson - $11,000
Chase Briscoe - $9,600
William Byron - $8,500
Alex Bowman - $7,300
Daniel Suarez - $6,900
Erik Jones - $6,700
For the first time since June, Kyle Larson (DK $11,000, FD $14,000) has scored three consecutive top-five finishes, and he also now holds the lead in the championship standings. After winning at Gateway, the barriers holding back the dominating Larson fans expect may finally be removed. At Kansas, he is a three-time winner, and he led 78 laps in a second-place finish at the track in the spring. With things going the No. 5's way this late in the season, Larson is putting together a valiant defense of his 2025 series championship. Barring any unforeseen issues, Larson is likely to start and run up front throughout this week's race.
Sticking with the Chevrolet and Toyota concentration for this week's race, Chase Briscoe (DK $9,600, FD $11,500) stands out amongst the competition. Ever since joining Joe Gibbs Racing, his finishes at Kansas have drastically improved. His average finish at the track from his first eight starts was 21.5. His average there since with JGR is 3.7. Briscoe has finished in the top five in all three Kansas races since making the switch, which puts him in prime position for a roster spot this week, especially after scoring his best finish at the track (third) earlier this season.
William Byron (DK $8,500, FD $9,500) has quietly put together a good run of form in recent races. While he hasn't been making headlines and dominating races, he heads to Kansas with back-to-back top-10 finishes in his pocket. Kansas is also a track where Hendrick Motorsports have delivered the goods at even when struggling. Byron has made good use of the organization's advantage here, scoring 10 top-10 finishes from 17 starts including seventh in the spring. That finish was his third Kansas top-10 from the last four races.
Just like his teammates, Alex Bowman (DK $7,300, FD $7,500) is poised to get a boost from a stop at Kansas. The Hendrick driver has been alternating up and down weeks like Bubba Wallace for the past nine races, and Kansas is set to be an up week. Every other race for the last six, he has finished in the top 10, too. That would make this week's target a top-10 finish, which is something he should have within reach. From 21 Kansas starts, Bowman has finished in the top 10 11 times, including a run of six straight races leading up to last year's fall race.
The Chase did not start well for Daniel Suarez (DK $6,900, FD $6,000) with finishes outside of the top 20 in the first two races. Things started to turn around with a top-15 finish last week at Bristol, though. More consistent top-15 finishes is what fans should expect from this team, and Kansas should give Suarez the chance to start building that form. He finished 18th at the track in the spring. Last fall he started 30th but finished 17th. Suarez led at least one lap in both of those races, too. Through qualifying and a handful of laps led, Suarez has shown promise at Kansas.
Prior choices leave just enough room to grab Erik Jones (DK $6,700, FD $6,500) to add one more Toyota entrant to the party. Jones is fighting to finish in the top 20 in the season standings, but will need to overcome a poor Bristol race to make up some ground. With two top-15 finishes in the last three races, it looks like he could do it. One of his best Kansas finishes came with Legacy Motor Club in 2023 when he finished third. While that is the exception versus the rule, Jones consistently qualifies inside the top 20 at this track, and when things go his way, he finishes there, too.
NASCAR Cup Series Betting Picks for the Hollywood Casino 400
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 10:00 AM ET Friday
Race Winner - Kyle Larson +400
Top-Five Finish - Chase Elliott +250
Top-10 Finish - Alex Bowman +250
Kansas Speedway has been a good track for Chevrolet and Toyota, while Ford has not been as competitive recently. Even when Hendrick Motorsports has not been at its best, the team has almost always run well here. That makes Kyle Larson a sensible pick this week, even as the joint favorite. He enters in better form than co-favorite Denny Hamlin after three consecutive top-five results, and he has traditionally been very competitive at Kansas. Larson is a three-time winner at the track and has led 300 laps across his last three visits. Add in his 2025 victory and runner-up result earlier this season, and there is still some value in backing Larson to win this week.
Teammate Chase Elliott has been trending in the wrong direction recently, but Kansas is a track where he can turn things around. His current form is also giving us some value in the top-five market. Elliott has an impressive record at Kansas, with 14 top-10 results and eight top fives in 21 series starts, along with a 9.8 average finish. He placed first and eighth in the last two Kansas races, and that puts him firmly in the mix for another strong showing this week despite his recent struggles, especially considering his odds are in positive territory.
Sticking with Hendrick, Alex Bowman could also be worth a look for a top-10 finish. He hasn't had the best season, but he has delivered strong results at times, and Kansas has traditionally been a good track for him. Although he finished 18th there this spring, he has 11 top-10 finishes in 21 series starts. He also finished second two races ago at New Hampshire and eighth two races before that at Daytona. When the circumstances are right, Bowman is still capable of delivering a top-10 finish, which makes him an attractive option at positive odds this week.
Mapping out your wagers for the NASCAR Cup Series race? Check out the latest Sportsbook Promo Codes to get special offers and make the most of your bets.
