Drivers love the type of racing low downforce package produces

210 green flag laps to start Atlanta.

There was plenty of time for drivers to get used to NASCAR’s new low downforce aerodynamic package during Sunday’s QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The race began with 210 consecutive green-flag laps, a nonstop stretch that allowed drivers to try some new things – with and against each other. After Jimmie Johnson won in a green-white-checker finish, the reviews were mostly glowing.

“I loved the way the cars drive,” said Brad Keselowski, who finished ninth. “I understand that it takes more than my opinion to make the sport go round, but I thought it was awesome.”

NASCAR changed the aerodynamics of the car to bring less downforce on the car, which makes them drive more freely on the track. If the goal was to bring a driver’s skills more into play, and with that, an increased potential for passing and more exciting competition, it worked for at least one race.

“They just need to keep taking more (downforce),” said Carl Edwards, who was fifth. “This is real racing. We’re driving hard. You can see the guys out here just digging for everything they’re worth. I’m worn out. That’s a tough race and just a lot of fun.”

The field was strung out during the long green-flag run to start the race, which was run on a rough Atlanta track that hadn’t been resurfaced since 1997. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t some intriguing racing going on. Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr. exchanged the lead a few times over a five-lap period.

“Out of control all day long, so it was a lot of fun to race like that,” said Truex. “I don’t think it’ll be quite that slick at most tracks. We always know this is the slickest track on the circuit and it’s always going to be handful and then you add less downforce, the tires burn out like they did – it was pretty wild. Sideways on the straightaways is pretty much how you can sum it up.”

Read More Here.......Charlotte Observer

Kyle Busch always feels extra pressure racing in hometown Las Vegas

Kyle Busch is 8/1 to win Sunday at Las Vegas.

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Feb. 29, 2016) – Aside from NASCAR’s biggest events like the Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway or the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a win at the hometown racetrack is high on the priority list for many in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Las Vegas native Kyle Busch crossed off an all-important hometown win in just his fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at his hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s Kobalt 400.
The driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and 2002 honors graduate of Las Vegas’ Durango High School would like to double his number of Sprint Cup wins at the 1.5-mile oval after he brought home that emotional first win there in 2009.

Driving the yellow M&M’S Toyota that day, Busch qualified on the pole but was forced to start at the rear of the field because the team needed to change engines during Friday practice. Unfazed, Busch remained patient on race day as he and the M&M’S team worked their way to the front of the field by the 54th lap. Busch went on to lead three times for 51 laps en route to claiming what he called at the time the biggest win of his young career.

While that win was special, Busch already was no stranger to winning on Las Vegas Motor Speedway property. From 1999 to 2001, he earned more than 65 wins in Legends cars while racking up two track championships at the facility’s “Bullring,” which existed for several years before the 1.5-mile oval was built. Busch eventually moved up to Late Model Stock cars and his winning ways continued as he captured 10 victories in Late Model competition at the Bullring in 2001.

In addition to celebrations at the Bullring and the aforementioned 2009 Sprint Cup win in his hometown, Busch is also returning to the site of the official celebration of his 2015 Sprint Cup championship, which took place in Las Vegas last December. With the M&M’S brand also celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2016, there’s no reason why the party shouldn’t continue in LVMS’s victory lane this weekend.

And not to be outdone, Mars brand Ethel M Chocolate, which has a factory and store located in nearby Henderson, Nevada, will also get into the act this weekend. Not only will Ethel M have its logo adorn the rear decklid of the M&M’S Toyota, it will also debut the Kyle Busch Chocolate Collection in honor of Busch’s return to his hometown.

The Kyle Busch Chocolate Collection is a limited, 16-piece chocolate assortment featuring Busch’s favorite Ethel M specialties. Wrapped in custom NASCAR-branded packaging, the collection is available for fans to purchase online at www.ethelm.com, and at Ethel M locations, including its factory store in Henderson, McCarran Airport Boutique, and at M&M’S World® on Las Vegas Boulevard.

So as Busch returns to Las Vegas this weekend, the only thing that will be sweeter than winning his first Sprint Cup race there would be winning a second so he and his sponsor can keep the Las Vegas celebrations going even longer.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

With two third-place finishes to start the season, what are your thoughts heading back to Las Vegas this weekend?
“It’s much different than Atlanta last weekend, even though both tracks are the same size. Vegas is really grippy with the tire being a little harder compound and you’ve got really good speed, but then in the race it gets sunny and can get loose and slick. Once you get your car handling good, you still have a lot of speed and don’t fall off at places like Atlanta and Texas. I was fortunate enough to win there in 2009, but we haven’t run to my liking there overall, so I’m hoping we can have a strong run there this weekend with our M&M’S Camry and keep the M&M’S 75th anniversary year rolling. It’s also a big race for Ethel M Chocolate from the area, too, so I’m hoping we can give everyone something to cheer for this weekend, especially since I wasn’t able to race there last year because of my injury.”

Is there more pressure racing at your hometown track?
“Yeah, Vegas always means a little bit more pressure – more pressure on myself – just because it’s the hometown and you want to win there. Thankfully, I have won there and I’ve knocked that one off the list, but certainly you want to win there every year. It seems like either Carl (Edwards) or Jimmie (Johnson) are better than most there, but I love Vegas, the atmosphere and everything going on around that place. It’s always been a big race for us and the M&M’S team.”

What was it like to bring home a Sprint Cup win in your hometown in 2009?
“It was cool. To go out there and to run a smooth race and to have a shot at winning at the end of the race, that’s what it’s all about. I watched Vegas being built from the ground up, and I remember when it wasn’t anything but a gleam in the eye of Richie Clyne (founder of Las Vegas Motor Speedway) – all those guys who made that place happen.”

Having grown up in Las Vegas, do you still have a lot of friends in the area? Do you get a lot of ticket requests from friends and family?
“I get a lot of ticket requests for California, Vegas and Phoenix – all the West Coast stops that we run. It’s kind of hard to fulfill all of them, but we try when we can. We get to go to M&M’S World on the (Las Vegas) Strip to sign some autographs on Thursday, so I’m looking forward to seeing some of the hometown fans there, as well.”

Are you able to enjoy trips to your hometown?
“It’s fine going back there. There’s really not much family out there. It’s just family friends. There are a lot of friends you get to see and catch up with that you text back-and-forth or talk back-and-forth with during the year, but you never get to see them, so that’s always cool to go out there to the race. Besides that, there are the different appearances we do for M&M’S. You get to go to some of the restaurants that you liked there growing up, so that’s always cool. It’s just another weekend, but I particularly know my way around this city better than I do any other place.”

What is your fondest racing memory of growing up in Las Vegas?
“My fondest racing memory is probably my first Late Model race. I started about eighth or 10th and ended up winning it. My first-ever start, I won. So that is definitely a great memory to have.”

M&M’S Racing

Round 3 of 36 – Kobalt 400 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Car No.: 18 – M&M’S Toyota Camry

Teammates: Denny Hamlin – No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry; Carl Edwards – No. 19 ARRIS Toyota Camry;
Matt Kenseth – No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry.

Notes of Interest:

The Kobalt 400 will mark Kyle Busch’s 393rd career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 12th Sprint Cup start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Busch has career totals of 34 wins, 17 poles, 132 top-fives, 196 top-10s and 10,998 laps led in 392 career Sprint Cup races. His most recent Sprint Cup win came three races ago in last year’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, clinching his first Sprint Cup championship. Busch notched his most recent pole position 18 races ago at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

Busch has one win, four top-five finishes and five top-10s and has led a total of 192 laps in 11 career Sprint Cup starts at Las Vegas. Busch’s average Las Vegas finish is 14.4.

M&M’S 75th: Along with its stature as a primary sponsor of defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch, the M&M’S brand is celebrating the 75th anniversary of M&M’S with a special paint scheme to recognize the milestone during the 2016 season. Part of the celebration includes the return of the iconic yellow No. 18 M&M’S Toyota.

What’s your sign? Busch will sign autographs for fans from 5 to 7 p.m. PST Thursday at the M&M’S World location on Las Vegas Boulevard as the brand continues its 75th anniversary celebration.
The record books show Busch won the 2009 Shelby 427, his first win at his hometown track, from the pole. But, because of an engine change during the Friday practice session, Busch had to do it by starting at the rear of the field and storming to the front. It was an emotional win in the city where he grew up.

Home Sweet Home: From 1999 to 2001, Busch earned more than 65 wins in Legends cars while racking up two track championships at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway “Bullring” before moving up to Late Model Stock cars. Winning seemed to come naturally no matter what Busch drove as he captured 10 victories in Late Model competition at the Bullring in 2001.

In 2002, Busch graduated with honors from Durango High School in Las Vegas – one year ahead of schedule.

Driver Training: In 2001, at age 16, Busch made his debut at Las Vegas with a solid ninth in the Orleans 350 Camping World Truck Series race.

34 Career Sprint Cup Wins: With his Sprint Cup win at Homestead last season, the 34th of his career, Busch sits 21st on the all-time Sprint Cup win list.

155 and Counting: Busch enters Las Vegas with 155 career wins among NASCAR’s top three divisions – Sprint Cup (34), Xfinity (77) and Truck (44) – after winning the Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend.

- True Speed Communication for M&M’s Racing

Carl Edwards goes for third Las Vegas win this week

Carl Edwards is 12/1 to win at Las Vegas.

Carl Edwards / No. 19 ARRIS Toyota Preview
Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

No. 19 ARRIS Toyota News and Notes:

Edwards and the No. 19 ARRIS team head out to Las Vegas this weekend for the first of three consecutive races out west. The ARRIS team will test the new aero package on Thursday. This will be a great opportunity to tweak on what they learned from Atlanta and apply it to the slicker surface with fast speeds there. The goal is victory lane.

Edwards has won two Sprint Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2008 and 2011 and has finished fifth the past three years at the 1.5-mile track.

EDWARDS’ VEGAS STATS: In 11 Sprint Cup Series starts at Las Vegas, Edwards has completed 2,918 of 2,958 laps (98.6 percent) and has led for a total of 163 laps. Edwards has earned two wins, five top-five and six top-10 finishes there. His average start is 13.5 and his average finish is 12.5.

RACE INFO: Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile) begins at 12:30 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 6th. The race will be broadcast live on FOX, Sirius XM Channel 90 and PRN Radio.

Edwards’ 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
2	0	2	2	0	1	8.5	5.0

Edwards’ Career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
411	25	117	204	16	5219	14.7	13.5

From the Cockpit:
Carl Edwards: “We have had two solid runs to start the season and we head to Vegas with the new downforce package which was a lot of fun in Atlanta. We get to work on a bunch of things in the test sessions. It is always fun to go to Vegas. A lot of fans travel out there from all over, it’s a fun venue and it’s a great race track. We have ARRIS on board, we have a lot of fun with them so far this year and want to get a win and lock ourselves into the Chase. I think this will be the real test to this new package with the newer pavement and higher speeds and hopefully it’s a success.”

From the Pit Box:
Dave Rogers: “I’m looking forward to having some test time in Vegas. We left Atlanta a little short of our goal, but the ARRIS team battled hard for another top five finish and learned a lot along the way. I’m excited to go to Vegas and build on that.”

About ARRIS
ARRIS is the technology company behind the world’s entertainment and communications. If you watch TV or surf the Internet, chances are you’re using ARRIS technology. Our innovations let service providers across the globe deliver NASCAR to you. Together with Joe Gibbs Racing, Carlos Slim Domit, Carl Edwards, and Daniel Suarez— we’re inventing the future of NASCAR, on the track, and on your screens.

About ARRIS SURFboard® Modems & Gateways
ARRIS SURFboard products are your “gateway” to entertainment. They let you enjoy the latest entertainment, the world’s fastest speeds, and the coolest new services throughout your home, and beyond. And they’re available at your favorite retail store.

- Joe Gibbs Racing

Kevin Harvick looking for back-to-back jackpots in Las Vegas

Kevin Harvick is 6/1 favorite to win Sunday in Las Vegas.

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Feb. 29, 2016) – Kevin Harvick may be a winner before he even starts the Kobalt 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

That’s because the driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), is also a businessman who runs his own management firm, KHI Management, which represents Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight title challenger Miesha Tate. Tate will fight champion Holly Holm as the co-headliner Saturday night during UFC 196 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Harvick will be looking for a clean sweep of the weekend in Las Vegas both in the octagon and on the racetrack.

The defending Kobalt 400 winner delivered a dominating performance at Las Vegas in 2015 to score his first win of the season and his first at Las Vegas in only the season’s third race. His No. 4 car lived up to the “freaky fast” motto of sponsor Jimmy John’s as he led five times for a race-high 142 laps en route to his 29th career Sprint Cup win.

The Bakersfield, California native has had reasons to celebrate at Las Vegas dating all the way back to 2001. Following his Sprint Cup debut Feb. 26 of that year at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, the series headed west to Las Vegas. On Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2001, Harvick married his wife DeLana. That Sunday, March 4, Harvick scored his first career Sprint Cup top-10.

In early December 2014, he was honored as the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion during Champions Week in Las Vegas.

Harvick also has two wins in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at Las Vegas. His first came in March 2004, when he started 11th, led 14 laps and raced his way to victory by 0.119 of a second over runner-up Kasey Kahne.

Harvick’s second Xfinity win at Las Vegas came in February 2010. Driving his own No. 33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc., he started second, led 82 laps and beat runner-up Denny Hamlin to the finish line by 1.361 seconds. It was the sixth win for Harvick’s team in the Xfinity Series.

He is still searching for his first Sprint Cup pole at Las Vegas, but he did win the pole for the Xfinity race in 2007, when he turned a lap at 181.111 mph.

If the start of the 2016 Sprint Cup season is any indication, Harvick should have plenty of opportunities to celebrate this weekend. He kicked off the season with a fourth-place finish in the Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and followed that with a dominating performance last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he led a race-high 131 laps and scored his second consecutive top-10.

Harvick’s goal now is to score his first win of the 2016 campaign and defend his Kobalt 400 crown Sunday on the 1.5-mile Las Vegas tri-oval.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:
You got married in Las Vegas, you’ve won a Sprint Cup race there, two Xfinity Series races, and celebrated your Sprint Cup championship in Las Vegas. Does the city have a special meaning to you?
“I have raced there for a long time but I don’t know that it has that special meaning other than the fact that we got married out there. Usually, DeLana and I eat at the same restaurant, we go to the same places and try to have some fun. It’s definitely been a good racetrack for me. It’s still a place where I have a lot of family and friends and people I enjoy. It’s a busy weekend but, all-in-all, it’s still a fun place to go.”

KHI Management, represents fighter Miesha Tate, who is fighting for the bantamweight title against champion Holly Holm Saturday at UFC 196 in Las Vegas? That is going to be a huge fight and a crazy environment that will be co-headlined by a special welterweight bout between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz. What are you expecting?
“I’ve been to one fight that has that type of environment – when I went to Brock Lesnar’s fight back when he fought for the belt the last time. But the buzz that Conor (McGregor) creates and Miesha (Tate) and her weight class create, you know, and from the management side of it, you look at it and you have one of your fighters fighting for the championship. To be able to go see that is exciting. You blend that all together with the NASCAR weekend and you have the fight in town, we’ll have a lot of sponsors in town, which makes it great because you’re going to have the sponsors at the event. You’re going to have the sponsors at the NASCAR event, and a lot of NASCAR people at the UFC event. It’s going to be a great weekend and a lot of fun. I think it’s going to be fun to just take in that atmosphere, because when you get in fights that are at that level, it’s just a different atmosphere. You don’t get that atmosphere created very often, so it’s fun to be involved.

Did you know that the fight was going to take place on the same weekend as the Sprint Cup race? Does that help you from a business perspective with your KHI Management and NASCAR partners?
“We knew when everything was happening that it was going to be right around the NASCAR weekend in Las Vegas, and UFC decided to actually have it on that weekend. Once we saw it was the same weekend, we definitely changed our course of action for planning for that weekend. We knew we were going to have a lot of people there, so now that’s really why we do the management company. When you have these types of events and they fall into place like that and you can cross‑promote like that –people who aren’t NASCAR fans or UFC fans who aren’t NASCAR fans – and you can get them to the other events, that’s a big plus for us on the sponsorship side and entertaining people. So I don’t think there is anybody who’s going to come for one or the other and not go to both events. That’s a good thing.”

Jimmy John’s Racing Team Report

Round 3 of 36 – Kobalt 400 – Las Vegas

Teammates:
Danica Patrick – No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS
Brian Vickers – No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS
Kurt Busch – No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet SS

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kevin Harvick
Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert Smith
Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engine Builder: Hendrick Motorsports
Headquarters: Concord, North Carolina

Engine Specialist: Jereme Jackson
Hometown: Lincolnton, North Carolina

Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Justin White
Hometown: Lynnville, Tennessee

Front Tire Changer: Ira Jo Hussey
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

Second Gas Man: Marc Wulf
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska

Front Tire Carrier: Todd Drakulich
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Windshield: Aaron Kuehn
Hometown: Kensington, Connecticut

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith
Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Jackman: Stan Dolittle
Hometown: Ninety Six, South Carolina

Rear Tire Carrier: Mike “Shrek” Morneau
Hometown: Oxford, Maine

Road Crew Members:

Truck Drivers: Rick Hodges and Stephen Mitchell
Hometowns: Raleigh, North Carolina, and Woodville, Ohio, respectively

Tire Specialist: Todd Chafee
Hometown: West Winfield, New York

Shock Specialist: Michael McCarville
Hometown: Kensington, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Engineers: Dax Gerringer and Billy Keubler
Hometowns: Gibsonville, North Carolina, and Saline, Michigan,respectively

Mechanics: Richie Bean and Allen Mincey
Hometown: Bradford, Vermont, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida,respectively

Fuel Runner: Evan Kureczka
Hometown: Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Chassis Information – Chassis No. 4-858: Kevin Harvick will pilot the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS built on Chassis No. 4-858 in the Kobalt 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Built in 2014, Chassis No. 4-858 made its debut April 7 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. It made two other appearances in 2014, scoring a second-place finish at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600 and a third-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. It won its first start of 2015 at Las Vegas in March. In four 2015 starts, it had one win and two runner-up finishes.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Notes of Interest:

Freaky Fast in 2016: Harvick is in his 16th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and his third at Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) with crew chief Rodney Childers at the helm. In their first two seasons together, Harvick and Childers combined to produce eight victories, nine poles, 37 top-five finishes and 48 top-10s; led 4,431 laps; won the 2014 Sprint Cup title; and finished runner-up in 2015 to champion Kyle Busch.

Top-10 in Six Straight: In the last six points-paying Sprint Cup races, Harvick has four top-five finishes, six consecutive top-10s and led 369 laps. Harvick finished eighth at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in October 2015, before a third-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. He finished runner-up at Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Harvick and the No. 4 team started 2015 with a fourth-place finish in the 58th Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and a sixth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Overwhelming Start – Married and First Top-10 in the Same Week: Following Dale Earnhardt’s death on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, Harvick was named the driver of the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing and made his Sprint Cup debut at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway the very next weekend, where he finished 14th. The following Wednesday, as the Sprint Cup Series headed west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Harvick married his wife DeLana. That Sunday, Harvick scored his first career Sprint Cup top-10. Then, on March 11, less than one month since his debut in NASCAR’s top series, Harvick won his first Sprint Cup race at Atlanta.

Harvick in the Sprint Cup Series at Las Vegas: The Kobalt 400 will mark Harvick’s 16th career Sprint Cup start at Las Vegas. He scored his lone win at the 1.5 mile oval in his most recent visit when he started 18th, led five times for a total of 142 laps and beat Martin Truex Jr. by 1.640 seconds. He also has four top-five finishes and six top-10s at the 1.5-mile oval. The 40-year-old driver has led 223 laps, has an average starting position of 20.5, average finish of 13.8, and has completed 99.1 percent (3,991 of 4,026) of the laps he’s contested there.

Harvick in the Xfinity Series at Las Vegas: Harvick has made 11 starts in the Xfinity Series at Las Vegas. Harvick has two wins, one pole, six top-five finishes and seven top-10s. He has led 364 laps, has an average starting position of 7.0 and average finish of 9.3, and has completed 95.6 percent (2,120 of 2,217) of the laps he’s contested there. Harvick’s first Xfinity win at Las Vegas came in 2004, when he started 11th and led 14 laps, and his second in 2010, when he started second and led 82 laps. His lone Xfinity pole position came in 2007, when he ran 181.111 mph.

Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) at Las Vegas: In 19 overall starts at Las Vegas, SHR-prepared Chevrolets have earned two wins (Tony Stewart in 2012 and Harvick in 2015), five top-five finishes and six top-10s, have been atop the leaderboard for 462 laps, and have completed 98.2 percent of the laps contested (5,019 of 5,109).

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Track Facts: 2016 Kobalt 400

Jimmie Johnson has four wins at Las Vegas over his career.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2016 Top 10 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Kyle Busch	11	2	1	4	5	2	14.4	103.4
2	Martin Truex Jr	10	0	0	1	3	0	14.6	85.4
3	Kevin Harvick	15	0	1	4	6	0	13.8	98.8
4	Carl Edwards	11	0	2	5	6	0	12.2	95.7
5	Denny Hamlin	10	0	0	2	5	0	12.2	82.6
6	Jimmie Johnson	14	0	4	5	8	0	11.5	111.9
7	Kurt Busch	14	1	0	1	3	3	22.1	80.8
8	Joey Logano	7	1	0	1	3	0	12	89.7
9	Austin Dillon	3	0	0	0	0	0	19	74.8
10	Aric Almirola	7	0	0	0	0	3	30.6	54.3

* – Based on last 11 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2005 – 2015).

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Data Season Race #: 3 of 36 (03-06-15) Track Size: 1.5-miles Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 20 degrees Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 20 degrees Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees Frontstretch Length:  2,275 feet Backstretch Length:  1,572 feet Race Length: 267 laps / 400.5 Kilometers Top 10 Driver Ratings at Las Vegas Jimmie Johnson........................ 111.9 Kyle Busch............................... 103.4 Kevin Harvick.............................. 98.8 Matt Kenseth.............................. 96.7 Greg Biffle.................................. 97.9 Carl Edwards.............................. 96.1 Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 05.7 Joey Logano.............................. 94.4 Kyle Larson................................ 89.7 Kasey Kahne.............................. 89.4 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races (11 total) among active drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Qualifying/Race Data 2015 pole winner: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet 194.679 mph. 27.738 secs. 03-06-15 2015 race winner: Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet 143.677 mph, (2:47:15), 03-08-15 Track qualifying record: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet 194.679 mph. 27.738 secs. 03-06-15 Track race record: Brad Keselowski, Ford 154.633 mph, (2:35:24), 03-09-14

At Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

History

·         The construction to build the superspeedway known today as Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) began in 1995. Speedway Motorsports Inc. acquired the property in 1998.

·         The first NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race won byKen Schrader on Nov. 2, 1996.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was held on March 1, 1998, won by Mark Martin.

·         In 2006, the track was reconfigured to include progressive banking.

Starts

·         There have been 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

·         139 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas; 106 in more than one.

·         Jeff Gordon is the only driver to participate in all 18 previous Las Vegas Motor Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup races..

·         Stanton Barrett (1999), Kyle Busch (2004), Timmy Hill (2012),  Jon Wood and Aric Almirola (2007)  made their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

·         Kyle Busch leads the series among active drivers in average starting position with an 8.273.

Poles

·         Dale Jarrett won the inaugural pole with a speed of 168.224 mph (32.773 secs.).

·         11 drivers have poles at LVMS, led by Kasey Kahne with three (2004, 2007 and 2012).

·         Kyle Busch is the only driver to win consecutive poles at LVMS from (2008-‘09).

·         Youngest LVMS pole winner: Kyle Busch (3/2/2008 – 22 years, 10 months, 0 days).

·         Oldest LVMS pole winner: Dale Jarrett (3/4/2001 – 44 years, 3 months, 6 days).

Wins

·         11 different drivers have won at LVMS, led by Jimmie Johnson with four (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010).

·         Three other drivers have multiple wins at Las Vegas: Matt Kenseth (three), Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards (each have two).

·         Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in wins at Las Vegas with seven, followed by Hendrick Motorsportswith five.

·         Las Vegas-native Kyle Busch became the first and only driver to win from the pole, in 2009.

·         Only three LVMS races (16.6%) have been won from the front row: Kyle Busch, 2009 (pole); Carl Edwards,2008 (second-place); Brad Keselowski, 2014 (second-place).

·         Four of the 18 races (22.2%) have been won from a top-five starting position at Las Vegas.

·         Eight of the 18 (44.4%) races have been won from a top-10 starting position at Las Vegas.

·         Four of the 18 races (22.2%) at Las Vegas have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 25th, by Matt Kenseth in 2004.

·         Youngest LVMS winner: Kyle Busch (03/01/2009 – 23 years, 9 months, 27 days).

·         Oldest LVMS winner: Sterling Marlin (03/03/2002 – 44 years, 7 months, 32 days).

·         Three drivers have won consecutive races at Las Vegas: Jeff Burton (1999, 2000); Matt Kenseth (2003, 2004) and Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to win three consecutive races (2005, 2006 and 2007).

·         Eight of the 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who have won at Las Vegas participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Mark Martin (1998; inaugural event) is the only driver to win at Las Vegas in his first appearance.

·         Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bobby Labonte lead the series (active drivers) with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Las Vegas without visiting Victory Lane with 16 each.

Wins

·         Four reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions have gone on to win at Las Vegas the following season:Matt Kenseth (2004), Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2010), Tony Stewart (2012) and Kevin Harvick (2015).

·         Three drivers have won at Las Vegas and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same season:Jeff Gordon (2001), Matt Kenseth (2003) and Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2007 and 2010).

·         Four manufacturers have visited Victory Lane in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at LVMS, led by Ford (eight),Chevrolet (seven), Toyota (two) and Dodge (one).

·         Only two car numbers have produced two or more Las Vegas NSCS wins:

Car Number – Drivers – (Years)

o    No. 48  – Jimmie Johnson (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010)

o    No. 99 – Jeff Burton (1999, 2000) Carl Edwards (2008, 2011)

o    No. 17 –  Matt Kenseth (2003, 2004)

Additional Finishing Positions

·         Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the series in runner-up finishes at Las Vegas with three; followed by Kasey Kahneand Tony Stewart with two each.

·         Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart lead the series in top-five finishes at Las Vegas with six each.

·         Mark Martin has 10 top-10 finishes, more than any other driver. Dale Earnhardt Jr and Matt Kenseth lead all active drivers with nine top-10 finishes each.

·         Carl Edwards leads the series in average finish at LVMS with a 11.375.   

Female Competitors

·         Danica Patrick and Shawna Robinson are the only two female drivers to compete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Driver	Season	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Driver Rating
Danica Patrick	2015	21	27	60.4
Danica Patrick	2014	22	21	58.0
Danica Patrick	2013	37	33	40.5
Shawna Robinson	2002	36	42	N/A

·         Danica Patrick has an average finish of 27.0.

Track / Specific Event

·         There has been one green-white-checkered finish at Las Vegas: 2006 (270/267).

·         Qualifying has only been cancelled once (2013).

·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Las Vegas was the (3/12/2006) race won by Jimmie Johnson with a MOV of 0.045 seconds.

Date	Margin Of Victory
2015	1.64
2014	1.53
2013	0.594
2012	0.461
2011	1.246
2010	1.874
Average MOV	1.224

NASCAR in Nevada

·         There have been 19 NASCAR Sprint Cup races among two tracks in Nevada.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Las Vegas Motor Speedway	Las Vegas	18
Las Vegas Park Speedway	Las Vegas	1

·         25 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Nevada.

·         14 drivers from Nevada have made at least one start in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and three have won it at least one of the three NASCAR national series.

Driver	NSCS Starts		Driver	National Series Wins
Kurt Busch	542		Kyle Busch	155
Kyle Busch	392		Kurt Busch	36
Eddie Skinner	56		Brendan Gaughan	10
Brendan Gaughan	51
T.J. Bell	11
Doc Faustina	10
Bob Ruppert	3
Brownie Brown	2
Gus Newman	2
Britton Jones	1
Herb Hill	1
Mike Bliss	1
Romie Alderman	1
Wayne Jacks	1

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Milestones
Drivers	Has	Needs	Milestones
Jimmie Johnson	76	1	Break tie with Dale Earnhardt for 7th on all-time wins list
Matt Kenseth	36	1	Tie Bobby Isaac for 19th on all-time wins list
Kevin Harvick	31	1	Tie Dale Jarrett for 23rd on all-time wins list
Denny Hamlin	27	1	Tie Rex White and Kurt Busch for 25th on all-time wins list
Jimmie Johnson	34	1	Tie Ned Jarrett for 19th on all-time poles list
Denny Hamlin	23	1	Tie Alan Kulwicki for 28th on all-time poles list
Kurt Busch	224	1	Post his 225th career NSCS top-10 finish (26th all-time)
Ryan Newman	215	1	Tie Sterling Marlin for 29th on all-time top 10s list
Kyle Busch	10,999	1	To become 15th NSCS driver all-time to lead 11,000 laps
Kevin Harvick	8,988	12	To become 19th NSCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 laps
Track Specific Milestones
Drivers	Has	Needs	Milestones
Matt Kenseth	3	1	Tie Jimmie Johnson for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series most wins at Las Vegas
Carl Edwards	2	1	Tie Matt Kenseth for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series second-most wins at Las Vegas
Matt Kenseth	6	1	Can surpass Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Tony Stewart for the series most top fives at Las Vegas
Carl Edwards	5	1	Tie Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Tony Stewart for the series most top fives at Las Vegas
Jimmie Johnson	5	1	Tie Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Tony Stewart for the series most all-time top fives at Las Vegas
Dale Earnhardt Jr.	9	1	Tie Mark Martin for series most NSCS top-10 finishes at Las Vegas
Matt Kenseth	9	1	Tie Mark Martin for series most NSCS top-10 finishes at Las Vegas
Jimmie Johnson	500	16	16 Laps led will tie Matt Kenseth (516) for series most at LVMS