The NASCAR Cup Series kicked off the week of races beginning with Thursday night at Kansas Speedway in the Super Start Batteries 400. By virtue of a draw, Kevin Harvick was the pole sitter, and alongside him was Kyle Busch. Josh Bilicki (unapproved adjustment) was the lone driver starting in the rear of the field.
GREEN means GO! The #SuperStartBatteries400 at @kansasspeedway is LIVE on NBCSN! pic.twitter.com/eb4kyEObRY — NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 23, 2020
Logano took the lead from Harvick on the first lap from the outside lane. Ten laps into the race, Tyler Reddick, who started 23rd, made his way into the top ten into the sixth position. Logano remained in the lead while Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. were battling for the second position when the competition caution came out on lap 25. JJ Yeley got the free pass.
Our version of throwing hands 👀.@Blaney | @kansasspeedway pic.twitter.com/HMN4yZ6feE — NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 24, 2020
During the caution, all of the leaders came to pit road with Martin Truex Jr. winning the race off, followed by Kyle Busch. Joey Logano and Chris Buescher both had uncontrolled tires and had to restart at the rear of the field. The race got back underway on lap 31. Kyle Busch took the lead on the restart from Truex Jr. with a pass on the inside. On the 47th lap, Tyler Reddick brushed the wall running in the tenth position and lost a spot to eleventh. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. encountered a problem on lap 60 as his car had a fire in the cockpit, and his day came to an end. There were no changes up front as Kyle Busch won stage one, his first stage win of the regular season.
STAGE WINNER: #KFB.@KyleBusch gains his first stage win and first #NASCARPlayoffs point of 2020. pic.twitter.com/gQqpw5yjzt — NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 24, 2020
Under the caution, all of the leaders pitted with Denny Hamlin coming out first, followed by Martin Truex Jr. William Bryon was issued a penalty for an uncontrolled tire and restarted in the rear of the field. Denny Hamlin led the field back to green on lap 87 to start stage two.
During the green flag run, Bubba Wallace brought out the third caution of the race as he spun his car on turn four. All of the leaders pitted, Brad Keselowski and William Byron took two tires while the rest took four. The race resumed on lap 105 with Keselowski in the lead. Martin Truex Jr. would battle Keselowski for that position before taking it on 115.
After having an air gun issue on pit road and restarting 19th, Jimmie Johnson passed Joey Logano for tenth place. Chris Buescher would bring out the fourth caution on lap 143 as he spun his car at turn two.
Fitting on the night @taylorswift13 drops her new album that we see sparks fly. Courtesy of @Chris_Buescher. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/HyE7s8jt6v — NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020
During the caution, the leaders pitted with Ryan Blaney winning the race off of pit road followed by Jimmie Johnson. The race got back underway on lap 149 with twelve laps left in stage two. Blaney led ten laps before teammate Brad Keselowski got by him to take not only the lead but also win stage two.
STAGE WINNER: @keselowski sneaks by his teammate to claim Stage 2 in the #SuperStartBatteries400 at @kansasspeedway! pic.twitter.com/VWJ1SasOwC — NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 24, 2020
During the caution, Denny Hamlin won the race off of pit road followed by Chase Elliott. The final stage got underway on lap 167. On that same lap, Ryan Preece got into Matt Kenseth on turn four, causing him to get loose and tag Bubba Wallace to bring out the sixth caution of the night.
Big damage to two cars!@mattkenseth and @BubbaWallace wreck on the frontstretch.#SuperStartBatteries400 pic.twitter.com/7BoSgAAzsA — NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 24, 2020
Under the caution, all of the leaders pitted for four tires while several drivers took fuel only. Just as the race got back underway on lap 176, the seventh caution was out that involved Austin Dillon, Jimmie Johnson, Matt DiBenedetto, Joey Logano, and Kevin Harvick at turn two.
Multiple cars wreck in the backstretch at @kansasspeedway!@mattdracing @JimmieJohnson @austindillon3 @joeylogano … and more involved. pic.twitter.com/OKGAztVbX9 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 24, 2020
During the caution, Joey Logano, William Byron, Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Ty Dillon, and Cory LaJoie pitted while the rest stayed out. Once again, the race resumed on lap 181, and once again, another wreck happened this time involving Ryan Preece, Christopher Bell, Ryan Newman, and Chris Buescher, which brought out caution number eight. The red flag was displayed for clean-up, which lasted about three minutes before it was lifted.
A vicious hit for @RyanPreece_. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/8ooOdoEEEe — NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020
No one pitted under this caution as the race resumed on lap 187 with Denny Hamlin in the lead. The latest restart only lasted eight laps until Ryan Newman spun with a flat left rear tire to bring out caution number nine. During the caution, all of the leaders except William Byron pitted. Byron only had one set of tires left and chose not to come in. He led the field back to green with 67 laps to go. Byron led six laps before Brad Keselowski passed him on the inside of the front stretch heading into turn one for the lead.
Fresh tires puts the No. 2 on rails!@keselowski is looking for a late-night W at @kansasspeedway. 📺: NBCSN 📱: https://t.co/BHXvTwJmNc pic.twitter.com/GZZI1Kc3vw — NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 24, 2020
Byron would get the lead back from Keselowski on lap 221. Both Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch made contact with the wall running sixth and third. Both drivers would hit the wall again on laps 225 and 226 before hitting pit road. William Byron extended his lead on Keselowski before the tenth caution came out for Cory LaJoie.
CAUTION for Corey LaJoie. That's just what race leader William Byron needed. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/Msto5cXQL9 — NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020
During the caution, all of the leaders pitted with both Byron and Alex Bowman taking two tires and exiting pit road first while everyone else took four tires. As the race resumed on lap 240, Bryon was holding on to the lead from teammate Alex Bowman. A lap later, Bowman got the lead from Byron. John Hunter Nemechek would spin on the backstretch to bring out the eleventh caution of the night. No leaders came to pit road as Bowman led the field back to green with 22 laps to go.
Two sets of teammates driving for the 🏁! 📺: NBCSN pic.twitter.com/7pJbei4dis — NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 24, 2020
Bowman got a huge push from Kevin Harvick, then Harvick went to the outside to take the lead away from Bowman. Denny Hamlin also got around Bowman for second-place, and now was sitting in the third position.
WHAT A MOVE.@KevinHarvick to the lead on the restart! Now less than 20 laps remain on NBCSN from @KansasSpeedway! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/oOfhqNb5n8 — NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020
Harvick led nine laps until Denny Hamlin went high off of turn four to get by Harvick for the lead. Harvick would lose the second position to Brad Keselowski four laps later he had lost sight of both Hamlin and Keselowski as he had battled car handling issues all night.
.@dennyhamlin to the point! 📺: NBCSN 📱: https://t.co/BHXvTwrLoC pic.twitter.com/9dY0eY16uX — NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 24, 2020
Brad Keselowski was coming for Hamlin. Unfortunately for Keselowski, he ran out of time as Hamlin would win the Super Start Batteries 400 by .510 seconds over the second-place finisher Brad Keselowski. For Hamlin, this is his fifth win of the season and sixth for Joe Gibbs Racing.
🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁 Retweet to congratulate @dennyhamlin on his latest W in a dominant season. pic.twitter.com/Cg4PQ0yI02 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 24, 2020
The rest of the top ten finishers were Martin Truex Jr. third, Kevin Harvick fourth, Erik Jones fifth, Aric Almirola sixth, Cole Custer seventh, Alex Bowman eighth, Kurt Busch ninth, and William Byron tenth. There were twenty-one lead changes from nine drivers and eleven cautions for 47 laps.
The playoff points standings right now are Denny Hamlin first, Kevin Harvick second, Brad Keselowski third, Joey Logano fourth, Ryan Blaney fifth, Chase Elliott sixth, Martin Truex Jr. seventh, Alex Bowman eighth, Austin Dillon ninth, Cole Custer tenth, Aric Almirola eleventh, Kyle Busch twelfth, Kurt Busch thirteenth, Clint Bowyer fourteenth, Matt DiBenedetto fifteenth, and William Byron sixteenth.
The Cup Series will be back in action on Sunday, August 2nd, from New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at 3 pm on NBCSN.
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