KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Matt Kenseth captured his second straight NASCAR race in Kansas City, Kan., holding off Kasey Kahne to become the third consecutive Sprint Cup driver to win from the pole. Jimmie Johnson finished third.
Martin Truex Jr. came home in fourth and Clint Bowyer was fifth.
Kenseth won the race off pit road after taking two tires under caution with 47 laps to go, and a No. 20 Toyota that had been strong all day slowly pulled away. Kahne trimmed into the lead once he moved into second, but Kenseth managed to block every move he tried to make.
Kahne pulled alongside him entering Turn 4 with the white flag flying, but Kenseth pulled back ahead along the front stretch and then cruised across the finish line for the win.
Jimmie Johnson won from the pole two weeks ago at Martinsville, and Kyle Busch did the same last weekend at Texas. The last time three straight winners came from the pole was in 1985, when Bill Elliott and Dale Earnhardt combined to do it at Michigan, Bristol and Darlington.
Points leader Johnson finished third with a car that kept getting better during long, green flag runs.