When Greg Biffle crossed the line first last fall at Kansas it was his second win of the year, and just the second for Ford on the year. Teammate Carl Edwards would go on to close out the year with back to back wins and since then there has been little in the way of the blue oval when it comes to finding victory lane. Edwards (Las Vegas), Trevor Bayne (Daytona) and Matt Kenseth (Texas, Dover) have all made trips there this year and with Biffle on the verge of cracking the top-10 in points there could be three Roush Fenway cars in the top-10 after Sunday’s race.
Biffle has won at Kansas twice, he’s redeemed himself from his sluggish start and he’s the only driver to post top-5’s in his last four starts at Kansas. In total Biffle has third or better in six of his last seven runs at Kansas. You can’t top those numbers with anyone anywhere.
Jimmie Johnson will be looking to improve on the one win and seven top-10’s in nine starts he owns at Kansas. Johnson blew up in the closing laps at Charlotte so expect the 48 team to come out swinging this week. That’s bad news for the rest of the field.
Another good bet is Tony Stewart. Stewart has slacked off a bit in the last two weeks but he’s always performed better as the weather has warmed up and he’s also a two time winner at Kansas. Last fall, Stewart led the most laps (79) prior to Biffle winning.
A lot of people are suggesting Jeff Gordon this week based on his career numbers at Kansas. His numbers are good at Kasnas, as he’s a two time winner, but he’s done little to nothing since winning at Phoenix. So you have to be prepared for the crash of the wave should you go this route.
Clint Bowyer is still looking for his first win in his home state and will give it his sixth crack this weekend. Bowyer almost won in 2007 when Greg Biffle ran out of gas but NASCAR ruled that a caution had come out prior to his pass for the lead and he was bumped to second.
Other solid picks are Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth. It’s odd to think that I am writing about the points leader, and two guys who have combined for five wins this year as “solid picks” but the top-3 have been that good at this track.
A driver to buy low on his AJ Allmendinger. The ‘Dinger has moved up to 13th in the point standings and has runs of ninth, seventeenth, and tenth in his three starts at Kasnas. He’s also coming off a fifth place run at Charlotte.
The slide of Paul Menard down the standings is in full swing. If you are betting on a guy to have a bad run he’s a good pick this week. He did run eighth there last fall but two twenty-seventh place runs and a thirty place run in 2010 coupled with his recent accidents will allow the slide to continue.
And the oddest stat may be Kyle Busch. Seven starts, one top-10. Busch has led only 65 laps in his seven Kansas starts and has been little more then an after thought the last three races there.
