Rain turned the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway into a surprise for fans and drivers alike. With both practice and qualifying washed out on Saturday, NASCAR used its rulebook to set the starting grid. Joey Logano, the three‑time series champion, was awarded the pole position because of his victory at Bristol Motor Speedway the previous weekend and his Team Penske Ford’s strong owner‑points standing.
Why Logano Got the Pole
Logano explained, “I’ll take rain,” after learning the decision. The driver’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford sits near the top of the owner‑points leaderboard, a metric NASCAR uses when weather prevents on‑track qualifying. Combined with his Bristol win, the formula placed Logano at the front of the field for the fourth postseason race of the Cup Series Chase.
Front‑Row Competition
Kyle Larson, who leads the Chase standings, will start alongside Logano on the front row. Larson sits 16 points ahead of Logano in the points tally, making the Kansas race a crucial opportunity for the leader to extend his advantage. “Starting up front is always good,” Logano said. “We’ll see if we have enough pace when you’re up there. You have a lot of fast cars around you. We’ll see what we’ve got.”
Other Chase Drivers on the Grid
The rain‑induced lineup features the first nine positions occupied by drivers still in the Chase. Christopher Bell and Carson Hocevar will start third and fourth, respectively, followed by Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace, William Byron and Ryan Preece. Non‑Chase driver Josh Berry rounds out the top ten.
Further back, Austin Cindric, Chris Buescher, Daniel Suarez, Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, Chase Briscoe and Ryan Blaney fill the remaining spots. Blaney, who wrecked out of the Bristol race while battling for second place, will start deep in the field for the second consecutive week.
Logano’s Outlook
Logano remained upbeat despite the weather disruption. “In a perfect world, we would have gotten to practice, and it rained out qualifying,” he quipped. “I thought we were practicing and qualifying when I showed up at the race track this morning. The radar looked pretty good, and the forecast didn’t look that bad either. I thought ‘We are going to have to do it the hard way today.’ I guess it rained just enough. The curiosity is going to get the best of me, and I am going to want to know what we’ve got. But I can wait one more night. I will be OK.”
What Fans Can Expect
Even without a traditional qualifying session, the race promises high‑speed competition as the Chase drivers vie for crucial points. Kansas Speedway’s 1.5‑mile oval is known for its fast, side‑by‑side racing, and the front‑row start gives Logano a strategic advantage. Fans tuning in via USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio can look forward to a thrilling showdown as the drivers navigate the rain‑slicked track and battle for postseason momentum.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
