The Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway is slated to start on July 9th at 7:45 pm E.T. On NBC Sports Network. Kevin Harvick will start out front after being rewarded the pole position via owner points. The new rule was administered by NASCAR officials earlier in the week for rain-out situations. Defending Sprint Cup Champion Kyle Busch will look to make it two in a row. The veteran sped off to victory here in 2015 on his way to his first NASCAR championship.
Kyle Busch will be starting in the 8th spot for the drop of the green flag in the Quaker Stat 400. Expectations should be riding high as the speedster dominated last years contest. Busch powered his #18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota out front for a race high 163 of the 267 laps turned. The Joe Gibbs Racing stand-out posted top five practice speeds in three of the four rounds over the weekend. Busch drove his way to victory last night in the Xfinity Series event and Las Vegas has him at a 6/1 favorite to do it again.
Kevin Harvick starts out front for Saturday nights Quaker state 400 at Kentucky Speedway. The 2014 Sprint Cup champion has never led a lap at this venue. It is the only track on the circuit the savvy driver can say that. Harvick tested here in the spring and came out with the fastest times of the 16 drivers who participated. The experience at the newly paved track showed as Harvick posted two top ten times in the practice rounds. He managed to scrape out an 8th place finish in last years race. Oddsmakers have him at 6/1 to capture his first win at the revamped track.
Team Penske’s Joey Logano will start fourth on the outside of Kurt Busch. Busch’s crew chief said some glaring remarks about the over aggressive driver following last weeks event. This isn’t the first time Logano has been the ire of fellow racers. Last year his hopes for a championship were dashed when Matt Kenseth exacted revenge for previous on track assaults.
Joey Logano has driven his #22 Pennzoil Ford to a consistent 12th fastest in three of the practice sessions. He took second here in last years race after leading 23 laps. Line-setters also have him as a favorite to win under 6/1 odds. I would stay clear of the controversial driver tonight. There are too many on track variables that could have Logano in the garage before the end of the Quaker State 400.
Brad Keselowski will start second on the outside of pole sitter Kevin Harvick. Keselowski managed to lead 62 laps in last years event, that was good for most behind Kyle Busch. The Team Penske driver fell short in the end and settled with an sixth place finish. He also started out of the second spot in that contest as well.
The Fords have seemed to struggle a little during the practice rounds but raced well here last time. Las Vegas thinks the practice rounds aren’t indicative of the speed they will bring to the Quaker state 400 on Saturday night. Odds gurus have Keselowski at 7/1 to make it two in a row in 2016.
Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards posted the most consistent top times in the four practice rounds. Edwards will be starting out of the fifth spot and Truex Jr. in 7th. Edwards finished in fourth place last year after leading one lap. Truex Jr. never did get his hot-rod to the front and ended up in 17th. Now that the #78 team of Truex Jr. has joined up with Joe Gibbs Racing his times here have blossomed. As a result odds-makers have him as a 7/1 favorite. Edwards has been extremely fast and is slated at 12/1 to drive on to his first win at Kansas Speedway in the Quaker State 400.
Erik the Hun’s Fantasy Line-Up:
A: Carl Edwards
B: Denny Hamlin Austin Dillon Matt Kenseth
C: Ty Dillon
Vegas Odds for the Quaker State 400 at Kansas Speedway:
| Kevin Harvick | 6/1 |
| Joey Logano | 6/1 |
| Kyle Busch | 6/1 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 7/1 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 7/1 |
| Brad Keselowski | 7/1 |
| Matt Kenseth | 10/1 |
| Carl Edwards | 10/1 |
| Kurt Busch | 12/1 |
| Chase Elliott | 15/1 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 18/1 |
| Denny Hamlin | 18/1 |
| Kyle Larson | 25/1 |
| Austin Dillon | 40/1 |
| Kasey Kahne | 40/1 |
| Tony Stewart | 60/1 |
| Ryan Newman | 80/1 |
| Ryan Blaney | 80/1 |
| Jamie McMurray | 100/1 |
| Greg Biffle | 200/1 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 200/1 |
| Paul Menard | 200/1 |
| AJ Allmendinger | 300/1 |
| Trevor Bayne | 300/1 |
| Aric Almirola | 300/1 |
| Clint Bowyer | 300/1 |
| Danica Patrick | 500/1 |
| Casey Mears | 500/1 |
| Chris Buescher | 1000/1 |
