Jimmie Johnson could be dangerous this weekend at Kansas.
Jimmie Johnson could be dangerous this weekend at Kansas. REUTERS

NASCAR rumbles into Kansas Speedway this weekend for the STP 400.

As the second of 14 consecutive weekends of races, Kansas signals the start of some serious effort on the part of the teams and drivers as they chase the Cup.

This will be the last race on Kansas as it has come to be known to fans and drivers over the last 12 years. After the race, the track will be repaved and the corners of the tri-oval will be banked slightly, which will make the track much faster when the teams return in the fall.

Greg Biffle leads the race for the Sprint Cup with 273 points, just ahead of Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Last year's champion Tony Stewart is in seventh, 39 points back.

Where: Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas

When: Sunday, April 22, 12:30 PM ET

Viewing Info: Fox, Live streaming on TrackPass

Starting Order: Qualifying will be Saturday, April 21 at 12 PM ET on the SPEED channel.

Drivers to watch:

Carl Edwards - For Edwards this is his hometown race and it is one he has always wanted to do well in. He is from nearby in Missouri and has five straight top-10 finishes at Kansas. Look for him to finally get through and win at home.

Jimmie Johnson - Johnson has owned this track. He has six straight top-10 finishes at Kansas and over the last three years no one has a higher average finish at this track. He was also the runner up at both other 1.5 mile tracks this year, Johnson will be dangerous.

Brad Keslowski - Keslowski had a slow start to the season but Kansas is the opportunity for a turnaround. Keslowski has owned Kansas in his short time on the circuit. He was dominant at Kansas last year taking a first and third place finish, he could be a threat.

Prediction: Jimmie Johnson