NSCS: Key Drivers Struck By Accidents at Kansas Speedway

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The Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway was slowed by eight cautions across the 267-lap race at the 1.5-mile Midwest oval. The incidents involved a number of drivers including Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin.

One of the main accidents involved the No. 2 of Brad Keselowski and the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin as they came out of turn four on lap 191. The incident did not slow Hamlin down but forced Keselowski to take his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford behind the wall for repairs. He would later return to the track for a short period of time and would later take it back behind the wall

“I don’t know what happened but I know what is happening now,” said Keselowski. “A group of guys were busting their butt to put the race car together and get me back out there and they did it in amazing fashion. I am really pumped about that. Days like today are going to happen to anybody and everybody in the Chase. It is about the effort you have when that happens. I am proud of my guys for doing their best to recover and we will move on to Talladega and give ‘em hell.”

Hamlin will leave Kansas Speedway with a 15th place finish while Keselowski will walk away with a 38th-place run. The 15th-place finish will put Hamlin 10th in the standings while Keselowski will go into Talladega next week sitting 11th on the Chase Grid.

“The guys busted their butt to get me back out. They put a whole new front end,” added Brad. “There must have been some kind of damage to the engine from the spin. It was running fine before that. I think it is just unfortunate. I am not going to say for sure what happened to cause the spin. We will move forward. If we keep getting the effort like they did to fix this thing we will be fine.”

On lap 37 Aric Almirola, Brian Scott and David Ragan were all involved in an accident over in four. The second caution of the day ended Almirola’s day in the No. 43 Smithfield Ford as he’ll leave Kansas with the 40th spot. Scott and Ragan were able to continue on and would finish 28th and 36th.

Chase Elliott, another Chase for the Sprint Cup Series driver, had an up and down day in his No. 24 SunEnergy1 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Elliott led four laps and had a good run going upfront until he had numerous tire issues. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender will leave with a 31st-place finish and sit 12th on the Chase Grid.

“We really don’t know. I don’t know if we got the left rear getting up on the race track, or something and it got into the fender and cut it down,” said Elliott. “I don’t know what to do man, we were trying as hard as we can. We had such a good car today again, and….I don’t know what to do.  Just keep after it and try to move on.”

He will have to win next weekend at Talladega if he wants a shot at the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November.

“I just will go there, and race our hearts out and try to win I guess,” added Elliott. “That’s about all we can do I guess. We have something to be proud of in the way we have been running. There are just some things we can’t control. I don’t know how to fix that stuff, but I appreciate so hard. These guys deserve better on this SunEnergy1/ NAPA team.  We are bummed, but what do you do. You just have to move on.”

Jamie McMurray, who grew up three hours south of Kansas Speedway in Joplin, Mo., also had his fair share of bad luck at Kansas Speedway on Sunday. The No. 1 Cessna Chevrolet finished 37th and 34 laps down.

Brett Winningham
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