NASCAR playoff race at Kansas tests momentum for Larson, Chastain

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Kansas Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 28, for the Hollywood Casino 400, a pivotal Round of 12 playoff race that will send 37 drivers over 267 laps at the 1.5 mile oval in Kansas City, Kansas. The event, which begins at 3 p.m. ET and will be televised on NBC Sports with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM, arrives with title implications and fresh questions about which teams and drivers enter the next round in form.

Bookmakers and bettors list Kyle Larson among the favorites, though exact odds vary by sportsbook. FanDuel shows Larson near the top, with Denny Hamlin, William Byron and Ryan Blaney also prominent in betting markets. Larson has strong Kansas credentials, having won the spring race and posting dominant performances at the track, but his playoff form has come under scrutiny from rivals and observers.

Kevin Harvick, speaking on his Happy Hour podcast, said he no longer sees the same speed from Larson that he did earlier in the season and called William Byron the Hendrick Motorsports driver showing more consistent speed. "I still don't see the same speed and dominant car out of that 5 car that we saw at the beginning of the year," Harvick said,...