The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will race under the lights Saturday night for a second week as the teams and drivers release the horsepower in the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway.
In a state best known for another kind of horse racing, the teams in the top division in NASCAR will take over in prime time with one of two goals. Either strengthen their position heading toward NASCAR’s playoffs or get their name on the Chase Grid. There are only eight races (counting this weekend) before the racing “post season” begins. For those drivers and teams not locked in, the pressure to perform will increase each week.
Following Erik Jones’ win last week in Daytona, there are seven drivers with at least one win during the regular season that get to use the “win and you’re in” rule for the playoffs. That leaves nine positions on the grid filled by points. If there were to be eight new winners for the 2018 regular season in the remaining races that would leave one spot to be filled based on points. However, the likelihood of eight new winners is slim to none. Therefore, there will no doubt be multiple positions on the grid filled based on points alone. So, even without scoring a win, every point gained by the drivers have more and more importance. Below is a look at the Chase Grid as it stands heading to Kentucky Speedway this weekend.
The drivers and teams will face a challenge to gain every possible point and perhaps get that all important win in the Quaker State 400. Here is a look at the track and race specific data.
Kentucky Speedway Data
Track Size: 1.5-miles
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 17 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 14 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 8 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 8 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 1,662 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,600 feet
Quaker State 400 Data
Season Race #: 18 of 36 (07-08-17)
Race Length: 267 laps / 400.5 miles
Stage 1 & 2 Length: 80 laps (each)
Final Stage Length: 107 laps
The Kentucky Speedway has only hosted seven NASCAR Cup Series races to date beginning in 2011. Here is a look at which drivers have performed well during that short history of racing in the sport’s top division.
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Kentucky
Kyle Busch…………………………….. 125.9
Brad Keselowski…………………….. 109.6
Matt Kenseth………………………….. 106.4
Kevin Harvick…………………………. 104.1
Erik Jones……………………………… 102.7
Martin Truex Jr………………………… 99.5
Jimmie Johnson……………………….. 97.5
Chase Elliott…………………………….. 94.6
Joey Logano……………………………. 91.0
Denny Hamlin………………………….. 90.4
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2017 races (seven total) among active drivers at Kentucky Speedway.
There are only four cup series drivers that have won a race at Kentucky Speedway. Only two of the drivers have won multiple races at the track.
Brad Keselowski leads the short list with three wins at the track. His wins have come in the even numbered years: 2012, 2014 and 2016. If he continues that pattern this could be a great race for him.
Kyle Busch has two wins at Kentucky Speedway capturing the inaugural event at the track in 2011 and then winning again in 2015.
Matt Kenseth scored the win in 2013 and Martin Truex Jr., the defending NASCAR Cup Series Champion won last year’s race at Kentucky Speedway.
We have seen the intensity increase over the past few weeks on the track as the playoffs loom ever closer. I have no doubt that we will see that trend continue this weekend. Will it be a driver increasing their post-season foundation with another win for the 2018 season? Will a new 2018 winner get their name added to the Chase Grid and remove some of the pressure from their team?
The stories will begin to be told this Saturday Night, July 14th when the “horses are set free” starting at 6:30 PM when NASCAR races under the lights of Kentucky Speedway in the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart.
By: Buck Stevens
