Kansas Speedway results from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event on May 13, 2017
Saturday night racing in the heartland of Kansas. Tonight, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series takes the green at Kansas Speedway. Didn’t want to watch a 3 hour race? This is the spoiler-free race report for you.
View full Kansas Speedway results below.
Kansas Speedway is the third 1.5 mile track on the national tour. It’s a home race for both Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurray. The first two segments are 80 laps a piece. The final stage is 107 laps.
Yesterday, we had a debacle in Kansas Speedway NASCAR qualifying. 11 cars failed to make it through NASCAR tech inspection in time for a qualifying lap. Ryan Blaney grabbed his first pole. He will lead the field to the green flag as the race heads into the night. A handful of fast cars are starting in the back. Larry The Cable Guy gives the command to start the engines.
Green Flag. Joey Logano beats Ryan Blaney to turn one. However, a huge side draft from Ryan Blaney in the middle of the corner pulls Joey back to him. In fact, it nearly pulls Joey around in the first corner, he drifts way up the racetrack. Logano steps way out of the gas, the field swarms passed Joey Logano. Logano falls from the lead to 8th, in one corner.
6 laps in, a whole collection of back row starters are now moving through the field. Michael McDowell has picked up 10 spots. Jimmie Johnson has picked up 9 spots. Clint Bowyer is +8 while Dale Eanrhardt Jr and Kasey Kahne are +6.
10 laps in, new leader. #78 of Martin Truex Jr drives around polesitter Ryan Blaney. Laps later, Kyle Busch moves around Blaney for 2nd.
Caution. Landon Cassill is dragging along the outside wall. He brings out the first yellow flag. The field hits pitroad on lap 30. Big adjustments for most, the practiced during the day, we are now approaching nightfall. A bunch of evil looking setups under a lot of these machines.
Green. Martin Truex Jr checks out on the field. At the same time, Kyle Larson is coming. Larson goes to the outide, 3 wide picks up two spots. Larson now runs 3rd. Joey Logano, the outside polesitter has fallen all the way to 30th. Jimmie Johnson has just cracked the top 10, he started 29th.
Lap 50, caution. More issues for Landon Cassill. This time, the rear-end steps out before he slaps the wall. The field hits pit road, everyone except Kevin Harvick and Ty Dillon. Michael McDowell and Chase Elliott make contact on pit road. McDowell is in his pit stall, backwards. Chase Elliott has major right front damage.
Green, 24 laps to go in stage 1. Ty Dillon is in the way, the field swarms him on both sides. Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney, both on 4 brand new sticker tires is chasing down Kevin Harvick. Caution. Ty Dillon spins just inside the top 20.
Green, 18 to go. This time it’s Kevin Harvick that’s in the way. Kyle Busch goes low to take the lead, Martin Truex Jr drives to the outside to take 2nd. Harvick falls to 4th on the exit of turn 2. New leader, Kyle Busch. Jimmie Johnson is up to 5th.
Clint Bowyer might be having issues. He’s on the radio, “My brakes are vibrating pretty good.”
8 to go in stage 1. Kyle Busch continues to lead Martin Truex Jr. Another driver who started in the back has made his way to the front. Kasey Kahne, who started 31st jus moved around Denny Hamlin for 7th.
Stage 1 Results at Kansas: 1) Kyle Busch; 2) Martin Truex Jr; 3) Ryan Blaney; 4) Kyle Larson; 5) Brad Keselowski; 6) Jimmie Johnson; 7) Kevin Harvick; 8) Denny Hamlin; 9) Kasey Kahne; 10) Kurt Busch
Kyle Busch used to be terrible here, Darrell Waltrip asked him what changed? Kyle Busch radio, “I’m not exactly sure what changed. It certainly is nice to have a good feel here.”
The field pits, Martin Truex Jr beats Kyle Busch off pit road. Trouble for Jimmie Johnson, he pulls through too many pit boxes in route to his pit stall. He will go to the back, again. Chad Knaus radio, “It’s alright. We’ll drive right back on up there.”
Green flag on stage 2. Martin Truex Jr powers past Kyle Busch on the outside.
Lap 16 of 80, caution. Rookie contender Erik Jones spins from 9th. He picked the outside line, the rear end whipped around. Big slide, minor damage. The field is split, some pit others do not. Brad Keselowski pits from 6th. Dale Earnhardt Jr pits as well.
Big break for Jimmie Johnson, he slammed doors with Kurt Busch on the exit of turn 4 just before this caution, flat tire on the #48. Kurt Busch is on the radio, “My bad.” Kurt pinched him on the exit, not expecting Jimmie to be there. Though, Jimmie Johnson did force the issue in a tiny hole on the outside. Johnson bounced off the wall and into Kurt Busch. Minor damage to both.
44 to go in stage 2. Problems for last week’s winner. Ricky Stenhouse Jr is making a green flag pit stop. Loose left-rear wheel on the #17. Laps later, Brad Keselowski is another on pit road, more loose wheel issues. Issues intensify for Brad Keselowski, too fast entering. Leader, Kyle Busch is complaining of vibrations.
26 to go, Kurt Busch is in the wall just ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr. No caution. Flat right front for Kurt Busch. Moments later, caution. Corey Lajoie is in the wall. The field pits.
Green, 15 to go. Ryan Blaney is the new leader. Kyle Larson also slips passed Kyle Busch. Caution. Grey Gaulding has a cut tire, he’s in the wall. Jimmie Johnson is now back on the lead lap.
Green, 9 to go. Joey Logano is 3 wide just inside the top 10. Ryan Blaney clears the field. Gauding is up in smoke again, no caution. Ryan Newman has also blown an engine. Still no caution.
Stage 2 results: 1) Ryan Blaney; 2) Kyle Larson; 3) Martin Truex Jr; 4) Jamie McMurray; 5) Kyle Busch; 6) Denny Hamlin; 7) Kasey Kahne; 8) Matt Kenseth; 9) Erik Jones; 10) Joey Logano
The 3rd stage win of the year for Ryan Blaney. He has the car to beat. Blaney radio, “I think we’ve got a good car. We’ve been able to work on it, make it a little bit better. The tracks changing, we’re still working on our stuff.”
Green flag on the final stage. Ryan Blaney checks out as Martin Truex Jr and Kyle Larson fight for 2nd.
90 to go, Martin Truex Jr is chasing down leader Ryan Blaney. Truex catches him in no time, he slips passed on the inside, 88 to go.
74 to go, caution. Big trail of sparks follows Paul Menard. A cut tire put Menard in the wall, AJ Allmendinger with nowhere to go, slams into the back of Menard. The field hits pit road. Blaney beats Truex off pit road! New leader.
Green. Blaney nearly clears Truex on the outside of turn 2. Trouble mid-pack, big crash! Sparks and flames everywhere. Joey Logano blew something on the right front. On corner entry, he clips Danica Patrick in the right rear.
Danica is sent nose first into the wall. Aric Almirola comes into the scene of the crash with a head of steam, likely sliding through oil.
Almirola piled into the both of them at near full speed, the entire back-end of the car lifts up 4 feet. 3 destroyed racecars. Danica voices frustrations to Logano as they walk to the ambulance.
Related: Watch the Aric Almirola Crash Video here
Meanwhile, the window net is down but they are cutting off the roof on the Aric Almirola #43 car to get him out. I haven’t seen this situation in awhile, doesn’t look good. They pull Almirola out and place him on a stretcher.
Joey Logano is interviewed as he exits the care center. Talking with Jamie Little, “I’m ok. Just saying prayers for Aric right now. A lot of us took a hard hit. Something broke on my car, I don’t know what it was.” While watching the replay mid-interview he states, “Oh my god.”
Danica is asked if she’s ok as she exits the care center. She stumbles over words and states, “No, I’m not.” Danica elaborates, “I feel absolutely horrible. I just don’t understand why so much bad luck happens. But besides that, I actually feel physically fine.”
Danica concludes, “Every time I’m doing better. Something stupid happens. I hope Aric’s ok. One of these times these accidents aren’t going to go good for me.”
Green flag, 63 laps to go. Kyle Larson is loose in the speedy dry, he was running 3rd. He drifts up the racetrack, light contact with the wall. Ryan Blaney maintains the lead over Martin Truex Jr.
Caution, lap 52. Erik Jones is the next driver to find the speedy dry. He spins for the second time in this race, again he hits nothing. Part of the field pits, 10 cars remain on track. Slow pitstop for Martin Truex Jr. Dale Earnhardt Jr is the new leader, his tires were changed 11 laps ago.
Green, 48 to go. Dale Earnhardt Jr and the rest of them are swarmed! 3 and 4 wide all the way through the pack. Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch are already side-by-side for the lead, off turn 4. These two restarted 11th and 12th. Blaney holds it. That was an intense restart!
30 to go, Dale Earnhardt Jr is on pit road, green flag pit stop. He feels another vibration. Ryan Blaney continues to lead. Martin Truex Jr is coming. Kyle Busch has fallen to 4th.
Martin Truex Jr is faster. Ryan Blaney is having issues, he’s loose.
Caution, 25 to go. Corey Lajoie is in the wall again. The field hits pit road. Ryan Blaney beats Martin Truex Jr off pit road by inches! He regains the lead in the final laps. Denny Hamlin exits 3rd.
Green, 20 to go. Erik Jones is the lone car to stay out. It doesn’t work, he’s 20th before the middle of 1-2. Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr fakes an inside move, drives high, takes them 3 wide in the middle and takes the lead right back. Denny Hamlin got stuck behind Jones, he loses a ton of positions.
10 to go, Martin Truex Jr is now the car to beat. He leads Ryan Blaney and Kevin Harvick by over a second. Handling issues continue for Ryan Blaney, he’s chasing the rear end all over the race track on entry and exit. Kevin Harvick has the better car.
9 to go, Erik Jones is in trouble, again. Ty Dillon completely miss-judged his exit, he clips the left-rear of Jones, sending him through the infield grass. You guessed it, Erik Jones didn’t hit anything after his 3rd no-damage spin of the night. He’s still going.
Ryan Blaney fakes a move to pit road. Truex doesn’t fall for it. After all, everyone at the front is out of sticker tires.
Green, 6 to go. Jimmie Johnson is around! He was just outside the top 5. Denny Hamlin looked to the middle of Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson. Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson both had no idea they were 3 wide. They collectively ran out of room. It’s a block gone wrong. Jimmie Johnson will have to come from the back, for about the millionth time in this race.
Green, 3 to go. It’s going to be insane in turn 1! 4 wide for 5th. Martin Truex Jr is gone. He disappears into the distance as Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski fight for 2nd. Keselowski drives around both of them on the outside.
Way off in the distance, Martin Truex Jr takes the checkered flag. He wins at Kansas Speedway.
As Martin Truex Jr burns the tires off in celebration, Ryan Blaney contemplates how Martin Truex Jr passed him in the first place. Interviewed post-race he states, “It happens I guess. Wasn’t a very good long run car, we had a great short run car. I thought that was going to play right into our hands at the end there. 78 got us on that restart, somehow.”
The winner Martin Truex Jr speaks from victory lane, “They’re all so special. These races are so hard to win. Any of those restarts I could have got beat on, something could have happened. You just never know.”
The Kansas Speedway winner excited states, “It’s just amazing. It’s awesome.”
It’s the fourth win for Martin Truex Jr in the last eleven starts on 1.5 mile tracks. Tonight, the race had more cautions than an race thus far in the 2017 NASCAR season.
Author: Shane Walters
Kansas Speedway Results
May 13th, 2017
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
1.) Martin Truex Jr
2.) Brad Keselowski
3.) Kevin Harvick
4.) Ryan Blaney
5.) Kyle Busch
6.) Kyle Larson
7.) Daniel Suarez
8.) Jamie McMurray
9.) Clint Bowyer
10.) Trevor Bayne
11.) Ricky Stenhouse Jr
12.) Matt Kenseth
13.) Michael McDowell
14.) Ty Dillon
15.) Kasey Kahne
16.) Austin Dillon
17.) David Ragan
18.) Chris Buescher
19.) Kurt Busch
20.) Dale Earnhardt Jr
21.) Landon Cassill
22.) Erik Jones
23.) Denny Hamlin
24.) Jimmie Johnson
25.) Reed Sorenson
26.) Cole Whitt
27.) Corey LaJoie
28.) Timmy Hill
29.) Chase Elliott
30.) AJ Allmendinger
31.) Carl Long
32.) Matt Dibendetto
33.) Jeffrey Earnhardt
34.) Gray Gaulding
35.) Paul Menard
36.) Danica Patrick
37.) Joey Logano
38.) Aric Almirola
39.) Derrike Cope
40.) Ryan Newman
Links
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