Three big questions ahead of Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas

After a chaotic finish to the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway led to Joey Logano stealing the win and a fight breaking out on pit road between Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series head to the first of three consecutive 1.5-mile tracks at Kansas Speedway on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Here are three big questions ahead of the fourth race of the Chase.

How does Ryan Blaney bounce back from run-in, fight with Carson Hocevar?

The biggest story that emerged from Bristol had nothing to do with Logano winning the race, but rather the fight on pit road between Blaney and Hocevar after the two got together on the track.

While the two ultimately came together when Blaney came down to block following a successful pass for position, Hocevar did not lift, and Blaney was sent hard into the outside wall. This was more a product of previous on-track encounters that Hocevar has had with Blaney and other drivers, and it was clear that Blaney had had enough and decided to take action. 

Hocevar ultimately got the last laugh and landed a couple of shots at Blaney in the melee, but it was also a rough turn of events for Blaney in the standings as well. He now trails Kyle Larson by 52 points and already appeared to be out of mulligans after a 35th-place finish at Gateway.

Blaney is by no means out of the title conversation after a second consecutive DNF, but he could have been a lot better off. He and the entire Team Penske organization have been a step behind the Toyotas on the intermediate tracks this season, so it could be a crucial three-week stretch if he wants to come away with a second title.

Can Kyle Larson keep the momentum rolling?

Larson became the first non-Toyota driver to lead the points all season with a runner-up finish at Bristol, and he now leads Denny Hamlin by just one point with seven races remaining to decide a champion.

Although Larson just ended a 51-race winless streak with his win at Gateway in the second race of the Chase, it had been an uncharacteristic season full of mistakes and missed opportunities. That said, he can join an exclusive list with another strong performance on Sunday.

With finishes of fifth (Darlington), first (Gateway) and second (Bristol), Larson has a chance to join Martin Truex Jr. (2017), Logano (2014) and Juan Pablo Montoya (2009) as the only drivers with four straight top-fives to begin the postseason.