NASCAR AdventHealth 400 preview: Favorite Kyle Larson, underdog, top storylines

On Sunday, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will take on the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway in the 12th race of the NASCAR Cup Series season. 

From the odds-on favorite to the storylines for race weekend, here's what you need to know before the AdventHealth 400: 

Favorite: Kyle Larson (+425, per DraftKings)

Larson, a two-time Kansas winner, is the defending champion of the AdventHealth 400 and already has two victories this season. The 2021 Cup Series champion only has one finish outside of the top 20 at Kansas since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, and from the fall of 2021 through the spring of 2024, Larson put together a string of six consecutive top-eight finishes at Kansas. 

Underdog: Kyle Busch (+2000, per DraftKings)

If not for a spin in the closing laps at Kansas in September 2024, Busch's long winless drought that dates to June 2023 might have already been snapped. Instead, the two-time Cup Series champion enters Kansas 68 races removed from his last win, but his strong performance at Kansas last year and the speed he showed at Texas on May 4 are good signs for a driver desperate to get back to victory lane. 

Can Wallace, Reddick claim their first win of 2025? 

23XI Racing has owned the Kansas Speedway since the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022. In the six Next Gen races at the track, 23XI has won three of them with three different drivers. Two of those drivers are Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, who both sit comfortably above the playoff cut line but are still searching for their first win this season. Kansas might be the best chance for the two 23XI drivers to snag that victory so far this season. 

Ross Chastain in need of a repeat 

A win would be nice for either Wallace or Reddick, but 2024 Kansas fall race winner Chastain needs a win in the worst way. Chastain scratched out a runner-up finish at Texas, but his post-race comments about Trackhouse Racing's lack of speed were jarring and likely sparked plenty of conversations inside the team's shop this week. Of all the former Kansas winners competing this weekend, Chastain needs a repeat victory more than any other.