Could Kansas provide a shot of momentum tonight? More than a few NASCAR drivers hope so

When NASCAR makes it long-awaited return to Kansas Speedway Thursday night for the Super Start Batteries 400 presented by O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, some drivers — including Alex Bowman — will be hoping to find some momentum during this most unique season.

The original race weekend here was to be May 30-31, but it was rescheduled for this week because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After hitting his stride in March and winning the Auto Club 400, Bowman, 27, has found the stop-and-start slate that’s followed challenging.

But he calls Kansas Speedway one of his “favorite race tracks.”

“It was good to go into that shutdown situation with a win and with a lot of confidence in our race cars, and I think that showed right back up when we got back going,” Bowman said. “But also, when you stop racing for two months, it’s hard to (re)take that momentum. ... I think we did as good of a job at it as we could have.”

Sitting 11th in the NASCAR Cup standings entering Thursday night’s race, Bowman figures he stands to benefit from his affinity for the Kansas oval. Last May, he led the Cup race here for 63 laps before finishing runner-up behind Brad Keslowski.

With another year of race experience under his belt and a new car to drive, Bowman’s focus is on winning his second race of the season and putting himself in a better position to compete for a position in the playoffs come September.

But he isn’t the only racer who’s hungry for some success. Matt Kenseth’s also trying to regain his footing after coming out of retirement in April. Kenseth had been out of racing for a year and a half but returned to replace Kyle Larson, who was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for using a racial slur at an e-event earlier this year.

According to Kenseth, the oldest driver in the Cup series at 48, adapting to this year’s rules package has been among his biggest adjustments. But he believes that if he is on the top of his game and he and his team can limit their mistakes, the results they are looking for are within reach at Kansas Speedway.

“The circumstances haven’t been the same each and every race,” Kenseth said. “The main thing is to not make mistakes — try to do a good job of managing the things that you can control.”

Like Bowman, Kenseth said Kansas Speedway is one of his favorite tracks. And he, too, has recorded his fair share of success here. The 2003 Cup champion, he’s enjoyed 13 top-10 finishes on this course, including victories in 2012 and 2013.

Current series leader Kevin Harvick sits atop the points tally thanks largely to his four wins season. He’s tied for most victories in 2020 with Denny Hamlin, the last person to win a Cup series race at Kansas Speedway.

This week’s racing in Kansas City, Kan., will be decidedly different in terms of atmosphere. Earlier this month, track officials announced that fans would not be allowed to attend any of the week’s five race events because of coronavirus health and safety concerns.

Elsewhere, NASCAR races have been among the few pro sports events to allow at least some spectators through the gates. At last week’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, 20,000 fans attended, and tickets for upcoming races in Florida, New Hampshire and Texas are currently being sold.

Bowman, who will be driving the No. 88 car Thursday night, said it’s unfortunate that fans won’t be in attendance this week, but safety comes first.

“We’re all bummed out we don’t have fans there,” he said. “At least we’re putting on a show and fans can watch at home on TV. ... I know it’s not the same thing, but it’s definitely better than nothing, and it’s good to be back in the race car.”