Kansas Lottery 300 At Kansas Speedway: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Entry List

Kansas Speedway doesn’t look intimidating at first glance, but the 1.5‑mile tri‑oval has a way of exposing every flaw in a race team’s program. The fastest line lives inches from the outside retaining wall, and the drivers who commit to it find speed that others can’t touch. The ones who hesitate lose momentum instantly.

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series rolls into the Midwest for a Saturday‑night clash that will shape the early spring narrative. Thirty‑seven cars will unload, each chasing the balance between aero stability and outright aggression.

Kansas rewards bravery, but it punishes overconfidence even faster. The garage is tense. The field is stacked. And Kansas is ready to decide who’s real. The track doesn’t give anyone time to settle in. Every lap forces a decision that can tilt a driver’s night one way or the other.

Where Rhythm, Risk, And Aero Balance Decide Everything

Kansas is a rhythm track disguised as an intermediate. The progressive banking creates a multi‑groove battle that evolves throughout the night. Early in the race, drivers search for grip in the middle lane. As rubber builds, the groove migrates upward, and the fastest cars begin slicing inches from the wall.

Dirty air becomes the defining obstacle. A driver who mistimes a move into traffic loses momentum instantly, and the field behind them pounces. Aero balance is everything too tight, and the car refuses to rotate, too loose, and the right‑rear tire melts before the first stage ends.

Kansas is also a track where conditions flip quickly. A setup that feels perfect in practice can become unpredictable once the sun drops. Teams that anticipate the transition and drivers who stay committed to the wall usually rise.

A Start Marked By Cash, Chaos, And Championship Pressure

Saturday marks the second Dash 4 Cash event of the season, injecting a $100,000 bonus into an already volatile field. Brent Crews, Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil, and Sheldon Creed are the four eligible drivers, and each brings a different brand of aggression to the fight.

Allgaier is the veteran who knows how to manage a race without losing his edge. Kvapil and Crews are fearless, willing to take gaps that barely exist. Creed is the wildcard: blisteringly fast in clean air and dangerous when the groove moves high.

Add in a tight early‑season points battle, and Kansas becomes a pressure test. Championship hopefuls like Sammy Smith, Jesse Love, and Austin Hill cannot afford a misstep. Kansas has a way of reshuffling the standings in a single night.

Breaking Down The Entry List

Thirty‑seven cars are entered for the Kansas Lottery 300, and the mix of veterans, rising stars, and Cup Series invaders raises the intensity before a single lap is turned. Brandon Jones returns as the defending Kansas winner, carrying the kind of setup notebook that matters on a track where conditions flip quickly.

William Byron joins the field in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, bringing elite intermediate‑track instincts, while Cole Custer adds more Cup‑level firepower in the No. 0 SS GreenLight Racing Chevrolet.Luke Baldwin will make his second career O’Reilly Series start this weekend in the No. 5 Hettinger Racing Ford.

He finished 38th at Martinsville in March, and Kansas represents a massive jump in speed and complexity. For a rookie, this is a pressure cooker a place where the wall becomes the only fast lane and hesitation gets punished instantly. Baldwin’s learning curve will be steep, and how he handles traffic will influence the rhythm of the race around him.

Series Regulars Looking To Make A Statement

Brandon Jones: Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20

The defending Kansas winner returns with confidence and a proven notebook. Jones understands how the groove migrates and how to manage the right‑rear tire when the wall becomes the only fast lane. If conditions shift, he has the experience to adapt without losing pace.

Justin Allgaier: JR Motorsports, No. 7

Allgaier thrives at tracks where discipline matters. Kansas rewards his ability to manage long runs, anticipate aero swings, and stay patient in traffic. With Dash 4 Cash money on the line, he’ll be racing with controlled aggression.

Carson Kvapil: JR Motorsports, No. 1

Kvapil brings raw speed and fearlessness. He’s not afraid to run the wall early, and his ability to maintain momentum through dirty air makes him dangerous. Kansas fits his style: high commitment, high reward.

Brent Crews: Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 19

Crews is the youngest of the Dash 4 Cash contenders, but he races with the confidence of a veteran. His willingness to attack the top lane early could give him an edge if the groove widens quickly.

Sheldon Creed: Haas Factory Team, No. 00

Creed is the wildcard. When he finds clean air, he can dominate stretches of the race. Kansas rewards his aggression, especially when the track transitions into a full‑commitment, wall‑riding battle.

Drivers Crossing Over From The Cup Series

William Byron’s presence immediately raises the bar. His mastery of intermediate tracks makes him a threat the moment he straps in. Cole Custer brings similar strength, especially when the race transitions into long green‑flag runs. He reads changing track conditions faster than most. His presence forces the entire field to intensify.

Their arrival complicates the night for full‑timers. Cup drivers change the tempo, force harder decisions in traffic, and shrink the margin for error. Kansas becomes a different race when they’re in the field. They force teams to rethink strategy the moment the green flag drops. Their presence turns every restart into a fight for survival.

Cup drivers don’t just blend into the field. They change the entire flow of the race. Their pace forces mid‑pack teams to adjust immediately, and every restart becomes more volatile with them in the mix. Kansas tightens up fast when they’re out there, and full‑timers feel that pressure from the first lap.

O’Reilly Auto Parts Series At Kansas Speedway

Kansas Lottery 300: Full Entry List

(i) indicates any driver deemed ineligible for championship and or playoff points

• 1. Sheldon Creed — No. 00 — Haas Factory Team
• 2. Cole Custer (i) — No. 0 — SS GreenLight Racing
• 3. Carson Kvapil — No. 1 — JR Motorsports
• 4. Jesse Love — No. 2 — Richard Childress Racing
• 5. Ryan Ellis — No. 02 — Young’s Motorsports
• 6. Luke Baldwin (i) — No. 5 — Hettinger Racing
• 7. Justin Allgaier — No. 7 — JR Motorsports
• 8. Josh Bilicki — No. 07 — SS GreenLight Racing
• 9. Sammy Smith — No. 8 — JR Motorsports
• 10. Corey Day — No. 17 — Hendrick Motorsports
• 11. William Sawalich — No. 18 — Joe Gibbs Racing
• 12. Brent Crews — No. 19 — Joe Gibbs Racing
• 13. Brandon Jones — No. 20 — Joe Gibbs Racing
• 14. Austin Hill — No. 21 — Richard Childress Racing
• 15. Harrison Burton — No. 24 — Sam Hunt Racing
• 16. Dean Thompson — No. 26 — Sam Hunt Racing
• 17. Jeb Burton — No. 27 — Jordan Anderson Racing
• 18. Kyle Sieg — No. 28 — RSS Racing
• 19. Blaine Perkins — No. 31 — Jordan Anderson Racing
• 20. Rajah Caruth — No. 32 — Jordan Anderson Racing
• 21. Blake Lothian — No. 35 — Joey Gase Motorsports
• 22. Ryan Sieg — No. 39 — RSS Racing
• 23. Sam Mayer — No. 41 — Haas Factory Team
• 24. Nick Leitz (i) — No. 42 — Young’s Motorsports
• 25. Brennan Poole — No. 44 — Alpha Prime Racing
• 26. Lavar Scott — No. 45 — Alpha Prime Racing
• 27. Patrick Staropoli — No. 48 — Big Machine Racing
• 28. Jeremy Clements — No. 51 — Jeremy Clements Racing
• 29. Taylor Gray — No. 54 — Joe Gibbs Racing
• 30. Joey Gase — No. 55 — Joey Gase Motorsports
• 31. Dawson Cram — No. 74 — Mike Harmon Racing
• 32. Austin Green — No.87 — Peterson Racing Group
• 33. William Byron (i) — No. 88 — JR Motorsports
• 34. Mason Maggio — No. 91 — DGM Racing X JIM
• 35. Josh Williams — No. 92 — DGM Racing X JIM
• 36. Anthony Alfredo — No. 96 — Viking Motorsports
• 37. Parker Retzlaff — No. 99 — Viking Motorsports

Why This Entry List Matters

This entry list blends championship contenders, Dash 4 Cash hopefuls, Cup Series regulars, and rookies trying to survive their first true intermediate test. Kansas is a track that immediately exposes aero inefficiencies, horsepower gaps, and driver hesitation, and the presence of Byron and Custer only sharpens the competitive edge.

Baldwin’s inclusion adds another layer of unpredictability. Rookies often struggle with the wall‑riding rhythm Kansas demands, and their adjustments or missteps can shape traffic patterns, restart intensity, and the aggressiveness with which veterans attack the top lane. His presence forces teams to think ahead, especially in the early laps when the field is tightly packed.

With 37 cars fighting for space on a groove that migrates toward the wall, qualifying becomes a pressure test. One mistake in time‑trial trim can bury a driver in dirty air for the entire night. Kansas magnifies execution. A slow pit stop, a mistimed adjustment, or a moment of over‑driving can erase an entire night’s work.

All Eyes On The Kansas Lottery 300

Kansas is the ultimate truth‑teller. You cannot fake speed here. Aero deficiencies, horsepower gaps, and handling flaws are exposed instantly. For championship contenders, a strong run confirms their program is built for the long haul. For underdogs, Kansas is a rare chance to punch above their weight.

With Cup drivers in the mix, Dash 4 Cash pressure looming, and a 37‑car field fighting for every inch, Saturday night promises aggression. Three‑wide restarts will be common. Someone will overstep. And the drivers willing to run the wall with absolute commitment will define the night.

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