Entering this weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway, Kevin Harvick sits atop the point standings in search of his first career Cup Series title. He must be getting comfortable with the view from the top because he topped the charts during the first practice session Saturday afternoon. Harvick has had a way of sneaking up on people all season long, quietly tying for the series lead with four victories during the regular season. At the rate he is going, he could end up sneaking up and winning and a championship.

Of course the driver that has won the last five titles may have something to say about that, and fittingly, Jimmie Johnson ranked second on practice charts. He was followed by co-point leader Carl Edwards, and Edwards’ teammates David Ragan and Greg Biffle rounded out the top five. Fantasy owners should feel free to utilize all four drivers, and Biffle and Ragan could make excellent under the radar options.

Ragan added to is sleeper value by topping the charts in terms of 10-lap average speed in the opening session Saturday. He was followed by Kansas native Clint Bowyer, who announced earlier this week he will be leaving Richard Childress Racing for Michael Waltrip racing next season. Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top five, and both drivers have been studs at the 1.5-mile tracks this season.

In Happy Hour, some familiar faces continued to top the charts as Bowyer led the way. Ragan, Kenseth and Johnson followed, while Mark Martin was the one newcomer to the top five. Martin is a former winner at Kansas in his own right, but given his mediocre runs throughout the 2011 season, owners shouldn’t expect much more than a top-15 out of him Sunday. Ragan is the sleeper option owners should target instead. He has been a top-10 option at the 1.5-mile tracks this season, and his practice times speak for themselves.

In terms of 10-lap average speeds, Kenseth climbed to the top of the charts, while Bowyer, Johnson, Martin and Ragan completed the top five. In other words, the same five drivers that led the way in terms of fastest lap simply rearranged their order on longer runs. Johnson and Kenseth are at the head of the pack in terms of fantasy value, but all five drivers deserve consideration depending on the fantasy format.

Owners wondering about Tony Stewart and Brad Keselowski shouldn’t panic. Both drivers ranked just outside the top 10 in the practice sessions, and considering how well both have been during the Chase, they remain legitimate options. Not to mention the fact that both drivers are former winners at Kansas.

One big name that owners may want to think twice about is Kurt Busch. Despite winning last weekend and leading the most laps at Kansas earlier this year, Busch seemed off in practice. He ranked outside the top 20 consistently, and the No. 22 team didn’t seem to make any progress in final practice. Busch has been known to run hot and cold, and it isn’t out of the question for him to go from Victory Lane in irrelevant in a week.

Happy Hour Speeds (sorted by Avg. Speed)

Rk indicates Best Lap standing

10-Lap Average Speeds (must run 10 consecutive laps)

First Practice Speeds (sorted by Avg. Speed)

Rk indicates Best Lap standing

10-Lap Average Speeds (must run 10 consecutive laps)

Combined Average Speeds (weighted by # of laps run in each session)