The Round of 12 officially begins Sunday afternoon with a race at Kansas Speedway. This is the most "traditional" race of the round, and it will feature 38 drivers competing over 267 laps.
The entry list features some guest drivers, but the biggest detail is the driver change. Sunday's event will be the first time Corey LaJoie races in the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford and the first time Justin Haley races in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet.
This is the result of a midseason driver trade that occurred before last weekend's race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The two Cup Series teams swapped full-time drivers for the rest of the season, starting with Kansas. Haley also signed a multi-year deal with Spire Motorsports to ensure his return to the entry in 2025.
The two drivers will draw extra attention during the race weekend, especially as they join forces with new crew chiefs. Chris Lawson will work with LaJoie for the first time in his career while Ryan Sparks will work with Haley for the first time.
The entry list also features three returning veterans. Ty Dillon, who just moved into a driver coach role at Rackley W.A.R., will return to Kaulig Racing for another start. He will make his 14th career Cup start at the intermediate track.
Jimmie Johnson, a driver with three wins at Kansas, will make his seventh start of the season. He will once again drive the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club while working with a new crew chief. Gene Wachtel will take over for Jason Burdett, who recently moved to Tricon Garage.
Johnson continues to gain experience in the Next Gen car as he seeks his first top-25 finish since returning to NASCAR Cup Series competition. His best finishes this season were 28th at Daytona and 28th at Dover.
Finally, the entry list includes JJ Yeley. The veteran with 382 career Cup starts will join NY Racing Team for the Kansas race. He will drive the No. 44 Chevrolet for the fifth time this season. Yeley's best finish in the entry was 23rd at Atlanta.