Non-Chasers look to spoil Contender party at Kansas Speedway
The 12 drivers who will battle over the next three races in the Contender Round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup have been the center of attention for much of this weekend at Kansas Speedway.
However, when it comes to the speed charts, the non-Chase drivers are proving they might have what it takes to upset the apple cart come Sunday afternoon.
Throughout the weekend, non-Chase drivers such as Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray, eliminated Chase drivers AJ Allmendinger and Greg Biffle, as well as rookie Austin Dillon have been fast in practice.
In Saturday's final practice, Larson, Dillon, McMurray, and Martin Truex Jr. were among the best 10 consecutive lap averages.
Another non-Chase driver, Brian Vickers, will start Sunday's race from the second spot alongside pole-sitter Kevin Harvick. In all there are 11 non-championship eligible drivers starting in the top 20 for Sunday's race.
On the other side of the coin, Contender drivers Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson have struggled throughout the weekend, with both starting Sunday's race outside the top 25.
The last time a driver not part of the Contender 12 went to Victory Lane was when Allmendinger won at Watkins Glen in August. That victory led to a spot in the Challenger 16, but he failed to make the Chase cut last weekend at Dover International Speedway.
So, what happens if a non-Chase driver goes to Victory Lane Sunday at Kansas Speedway? Those 12 Chase drivers will head to Charlotte Motor Speedway next weekend and Talladega Superspeedway the following week with a ton of pressure to win.
A win in any of the next three races will lead to an automatic spot in the Eliminator 8, which kicks off at Martinsville Speedway. If a non-Chase driver can win on Sunday, that is one less spot locked in going into the elimination race at Talladega.
"That would be a lot for that to happen," Kasey Kahne said of a non-Contender 12 driver being able to win at Kansas and Charlotte. "That's a long ways out. Two races and have them clean up for the next two weeks? I don't see that happening."
While it may be a long shot, the possibility of a non-championship eligible driver earning a win over the next three weeks is very real.
Larson and McMurray have shown over the past few weeks that they have the speed to run with the Chase drivers. Larson has been a serious threat on the 1.5-mile tracks, while McMurray is a former winner at both Charlotte and Talladega. Yet, the question remains: can they not only run with the Chase drivers, but beat them?
If they can, that would make the 12 drivers battling for eight spots in the Eliminator Round much more nervous heading to Charlotte and Talladega.
VIDEO: Kyle Larson talks about making life difficult for the Chasers
