4 drivers to watch at Kansas Speedway

For the first time in two months, the Cup Series is heading to a non-drafting 1.5-mile track.

NASCAR's premier series has raced only once at this track type in 2023 so far, coming at the beginning of March in Las Vegas. With so much time passing, teams had a chance to learn plenty going into this weekend at Kansas Speedway.

Can Toyota dominate the venue as it did in 2022, or will Chevrolet and Ford bring more of a fight? Here are four drivers to watch this weekend in Kansas City.

Christopher Bell

Bell is a mere three points behind Ross Chastain for the regular-season standings lead after an incredibly consistent start to the campaign. He's racked up a series-best eight top-10 results through 11 races and has improved his average finishing position by over three spots compared to 2022.

This year's improved form bodes well for Bell's chances as the Cup Series heads to Kansas City.

Bell finished third and fifth in the two Kansas races last season. His 6.1 average running position in the 534 total laps across the two races was the best in the Cup Series among those that competed in both events. It also marked the first time in his Cup Series career that he led laps at the venue, pacing the field for 37 laps in the spring race and 12 laps in the fall event.

Toyota was superb at Kansas in 2022. Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing combined for five cars in the top six in the spring and four of the top five in the fall. Should the Camrys be as fast as last year, Bell will surely be among the top contenders this weekend.

Kyle Larson

The lone non-Toyota driver to battle for a win at Kansas in the last season? None other than Larson.

While Alex Bowman led 107 laps in the fall race, Larson's fantastic battle with Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch in the spring race was Chevrolet's best chance at knocking off Toyota at Kansas in 2022.

Larson has taken the moniker "win or go home" a little too seriously in 2023. He's captured two wins and battled for two more. But he's also been caught up in a crash or suffered mechanical issues six times.

However, no driver made more quality passes at Kansas in 2022 than Larson's 141 across the two races. Passing can be difficult here as the line moves higher and higher over a long run, but Larson showed a consistent ability to move forward.

If Larson can avoid trouble Sunday, he's one of the top bets to shake up the Toyotas at the front.

Bubba Wallace

23XI Racing owned Kansas Speedway in 2022. Kurt Busch captured the spring race before Wallace took his first non-superspeedway win in the fall.

Wallace has again struggled early in the season, which has become a theme in his career. He has just two top-10 finishes through 11 races and is 21st in points, sandwiched between Michael McDowell and Corey LaJoie.

Kansas marks a perfect spot in the schedule for Wallace to turn around his fortunes. Wallace's only top-five result this season came in the lone race at a traditional 1.5-mile track in Las Vegas.

Wallace should have confidence coming into the weekend as the reigning race winner at Kansas. And 23XI should have confidence given their speed at Vegas and the team's overall success here in 2022.

Already 34 points out of the final playoff spot, Wallace needs a good day at Kansas to right the ship. A win to lock himself in would be a nice bonus.

Tyler Reddick

Speaking of 23XI's success at Kansas in 2022, both of those wins came in the No. 45 Camry. That car is now piloted by Reddick, whose statistical profile makes him someone who could easily be overlooked coming into the weekend.

Reddick has only two top-10 results in seven Cup Series starts at Kansas and hasn't finished on the lead lap there in two years.

But don't let that fool you; he's a legitimate contender this weekend. Reddick led the third-most laps at Kansas in 2022 behind Kurt Busch and Bowman, both of whom won't be in the field Sunday. He crashed from the lead early in the fall race and was running third prior to issues in the spring.

Reddick will be a serious threat to win this weekend if he can clean up those mistakes and get some better fortune on pit road. 23XI was outrageously fast at Kansas in 2022, and Reddick is an underrated driver at the venue. That's a scary combination if you're in the rest of the Cup Series garage.

Statistics from FRCS, Racing Reference.