NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitors Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford) and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet) both count Kansas Speedway as their home track since both hail from towns only several hours’ drive away.

Both also hope to count on a win in Sunday’s Price Chopper 400.

It would be a first for either driver in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition, plus, ease what’s been a frustrating season to date for both.

Edwards, last year’s series runner-up, has yet to win after posting a series-high nine wins in 2008. He’s in the 2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, but on the fringes, for now.

The Columbia, Mo., native ranks 11th heading into his home-track weekend. He trails leader Mark Martin by 153 points. He’s also winless in 2008, and has been competing with a broken right foot since suffering the injury during a Frisbee game with friends on Sept. 2.

Last year at Kansas, Edwards’ daring, last-lap attempt to pass leader and eventual winner Jimmie Johnson was the talk of the race.

“If I can win at Kansas, that would be the biggest win on the schedule for me,” Edwards said. “The Daytona 500 would be great. The Brickyard 400 would be great. But Kansas, I don’t know if you could top that just because it’s so close to home.

“Last year was such an amazing race and I thought we were going to get it. It was so close.”

Bowyer, a native of Emporia, Kan., knows similar frustration. He missed this year’s Chase after participating in the ‘07 and ‘08 versions and heads to Kansas 15th in the standings.

Like Edwards, a Bowyer win at Kansas would be more than restorative.

“Growing up, racing at Lakeside Speedway five miles down the road, driving by the place as it was being built, I dreamed about how cool it would be to race there,” Bowyer said. “To get to do that now, in the premier division of racing, is pretty cool. To think that you have a chance at winning there makes it even more incredible.

“It would be pretty big on my list of accomplishments if we were able to win there.”

As the defending NASCAR Nationwide Series champion, Bowyer also will participate in Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300.

He won last week’s NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Dover International Speedway — his second win of 2009 in nine starts — and has three consecutive top-five finishes at Kansas.

“Everybody wants a little piece of you whether it be family, friends or sponsors that have helped me through the years,” Bowyer said. “It’s a fun and exciting weekend. It’s a long weekend, too. When the weekend is over, I’m worn out, but we’ve always had a good time.”