KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The fast, smooth new surface at Kansas Speedway had the potential to wreak havoc on the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

The recent repave cluttered Sunday’s race with a record 14 cautions — a season high in the Sprint Cup Series — and contributed to issues that affected at least four title contenders. But the standings looked much the same when Matt Kenseth took the checkered flag in a battered Ford that he banged hard into the wall midway through the race.