This Week in Motorsports: September 6-12, 2022

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In: NASCAR Cup Series News

It’s a big weekend at Kansas Speedway as four series compete at the track in three days.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCWTS

Hamlin plans to expand points cushion… Denny Hamlin moved up the Cup Series leaderboard with a runner-up finish in Darlington as the Virginia-native sits third overall. Hamlin has been consistently good at Kansas Speedway during his career, scoring Toyota’s first victory at the track and adding additional wins in 2019 and 2020.

Bell is 100… Christopher Bell will make his 100th career NASCAR Cup Series start at a special track this weekend. Bell earned his first Xfinity Series win at Kansas Speedway in 2017. Bell, who comes into this race in fourth place in points, won the pole, led 37 laps (of 267) and came home with a top-five finish in the spring at Kansas.

Jones good at Kansas… Brandon Jones will always have fond memories at Kansas Speedway as the Georgia-native scored his first career win at the track in 2019, before scoring another win there in 2020.

Smith, Griffith return… Sammy Smith and Derek Griffith are both back behind the wheel of Toyota GR Supras this weekend in Kansas. It begins two straight races for Smith aboard the No. 18 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing as he will also run in Bristol, while Griffith will make his fourth of five scheduled starts for Sam Hunt Racing in the No. 26, before returning to the team in Talladega next month.

Smith is secure… Chandler Smith is breathing easy coming into Kansas Speedway as he has clinched his spot in the round of 8 with a dominating performance at Richmond Raceway – the last time the Truck Series was on track. Smith had a strong top-five finish at Kansas in the spring.

Looking to clinch… Several Toyota Truck Series drivers are looking to clinch their round of 8 spot this weekend and join Smith in the next round. John Hunter Nemechek, Ty Majeski, Stewart Friesen and Ben Rhodes are all more than 20 points to the good, with multi-time champion Matt Crafton and Christian Eckes looking to secure the final spots.

Double for Heim… Rookie of the Year leader, Corey Heim, will run double duty this weekend as he competes in Friday night’s Truck Series event for Kyle Busch Motorsports and Saturday’s ARCA Menards Series race for Venturini Motorsports in his final scheduled ARCA race of the season. Heim scored his first ARCA win – and Toyota’s 100th – in October 2020.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA

Smith closes in on two titles… With another top-five finish over the weekend, Sammy Smith is closing in on two ARCA titles, but his focus is back on the national ARCA tour this weekend. Smith has made 12 starts on the national ARCA tour this season – 11 of them ending in top-five finishes. 

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