Race No. 3 of the NASCAR Chase for the Nextel Cup heads to Kansas this weekend here are some things to watch for:

Who’s hot: Despite running out of gas last in last week’s race, Matt Kenseth has still finished in the top 10 in seven of the last eight races. Denny Hamlin lost two spots in the standings, but still gained points from the week before with his ninth top 10 finish in the last 10 races. Jeff Gordon has quietly come alive with five top five finishes in the last six races.

Who’s not: Kyle Busch holds that honor. He’s started the Chase horribly and needs to get hot real fast if he wants to contend for this title. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has yet to make a splash. He’s got two mediocre finishes and is yet to lead a lap in the Chase.

Trends: Win the race, take the lead. Kevin Harvick took the points lead after winning the first Chase race in New Hampshire, then Jeff Burton did the same last week at Dover. The top five guys in the standings (Burton, Gordon, Kenseth, Hamin and Harvick) are closely bunched. So don’t be surprised if it happens again.

Keep an eye on: Fuel mileage. At 1.5-mile tracks like Kansas, gas gambles are pretty common. In fact at Chicago this summer, Kenseth tried to stretch his fuel and lost the gamble. Don’t be surprised to see someone like Earnhardt or Jimmie Johnson try to win the race on a mileage run.

Chasers with wins at this track: Jeff Gordon (2), Mark Martin.

A look ahead: Next week the Nextel Cup Series goes where “the big one” lives — Talladega Superspeedway.

Quotable:

“I really believe this Chase will be tight until the last race and that leaves little room for error. Dover was a wild card for us so to get past it with a top-10 is really good for this FedEx team.” — Denny Hamlin