Clint Bowyer rides Atlanta momentum into Las Vegas

Clint Bowyer is 30/1 to win at Las Vegas.

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Feb. 27, 2018) – Clint Bowyer is one of the most engaging drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Normally, the 38-year-old Kansan sports a smile and offers a quick laugh or joke for all the friends and fans he meets and greets at the track, but there’s also a serious side to Bowyer that may become evident this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sure, he’ll likely cut up and smile as usual, but when he discusses his No. 14 Ford’s Las Vegas sponsor One Cure, he’ll turn serious knowing the gravity of the cancer research One Cure is performing and the potential payoff. 

“I’ve always heard of One Cure since I came to Stewart-Haas Racing, but we met with them in Daytona and I was amazed at what they are doing for people and pets,” Bowyer said. “The bottom line I learned is this: There isn’t much difference between dogs and humans when it comes to cancer. What they get we get. We’re both in the same environment, drink the same water and react the same way. So, One Cure is researching cancer in dogs and other pets not only to treat them, but to apply that research in the hopes it will lead to curing cancer in humans, as well.” 

Bowyer said racing is fun and cool. But this is a whole other level. 

“Everyone knows somebody who has been touched by cancer,” the father of two said. “I like to have fun in life, but racing is my job and I take it very seriously and, even as seriously as I take racing, I’d like to think there are few things more important to all of us than finding a cure for cancer.” 

One Cure is a project led by the Flint Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University. The One Cure program is founded on the principle that cancer affects all creatures and that treatment breakthroughs come through collaboration between scientists and doctors working with people and animals. This approach is known as comparative oncology and it is the guiding concept of One Cure and the Flint Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State. The center works to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer in pets, and teams with the human medical field to translate research findings that will help people with cancer. 

The center, located in Colorado State’s James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, sees more than 1,500 new animal cancer patients every year, with approximately 130 patients enrolling in carefully monitored clinical trials specific to their cancer type. The canine and feline patients are helping pioneer cancer research, moving cutting-edge treatments out of the laboratory and into clinical practice, ultimately providing hope to the next generation of animal and human cancer patients. 

SHR first featured the One Cure initiative on its No. 10 Ford in 2017. This year, it will appear on Bowyer’s No. 14 in several races with the goal of engaging race fans in the program by visiting www.OneCure.com, where they can learn about the research and to offer financial support, as well as to check out the No. 14 team merchandise. 

"This is a real honor to carry the One Cure paint scheme and spread the word on all the good work Colorado State’s Flint Animal Cancer Center is doing,” Bowyer said. “Anyone who knows me or hangs around me knows how much I love animals, whether it’s our dogs or farm animals. So, helping animals is important to me but, when you can take what you know from animals and translate it to us humans, that’s just amazing and important for all of us.” 

Bowyer hopes he can create even more attention for One Cure Sunday at the fast 1.5-mile Las Vegas oval. It marks his 13th start at Las Vegas, where he earned a second-place finish in 2009, plus three other top-10 finishes. Last year, Bowyer made his 400th Cup Series start there and earned a 10th-place finish, gaining seven spots in the race’s final stage. He’s riding momentum into Las Vegas after finishing third Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

That finish, combined with Bowyer’s 15th-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500, put him fifth place in the standings after two races. 

“It’s been a lot of fun to run so well early in the season,” Bowyer said. “Let’s keep it that way in Las Vegas.” 

CLINT BOWYER, Driver of the No. 14 One Cure Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

Do you enjoy Las Vegas? 

“Who wouldn’t? And I don’t just mean the track. There’s so much to do there. If you aren’t a gambler, there are good restaurants and good shows and concerts to go to. I think it’s a great place to catch a race if you are a fan.” 

Is success important at Las Vegas? 

“This is racing. Success is always important. Vegas might mean more because it’s a 1.5-mile track and, if you are going to do well in this sport, you have to do well at those tracks. Plus, we are running two races at Las Vegas this year. When we come back, we’ll be kicking off the playoffs so you better have the right setup there.”

Look to Atlanta before handicapping Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas

Brad Keselowski won at Las Vegas in 2014 and 2016.

As a Vegas bookmaker, Micah Roberts was the first to offer expanded NASCAR betting. Now he hands out NASCAR winners to his followers.

Last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Roberts told SportsLine readers to jump on Kevin Harvick, who had the same 9/2 odds as Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson. Harvick dominated, leading for 181 of 325 laps and cruising to victory by 2.69 seconds.

In the 2017 NASCAR playoffs, Roberts picked nine of the 10 winners. In 2016, Roberts told readers to back Denny Hamlin at 15/1 in the Daytona 500. The result? Hamlin edged Martin Truex Jr. for the checkered flag. This is the same Roberts who nailed Hamlin at 40/1 to win at Watkins Glen later that year.

With the Pennzoil 400 set for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Roberts has analyzed the entire field and released his Top 20 finishers in order. We can tell you he's not high on one of the favorites, Chase Elliott (13/2), saying Elliott doesn't crack the Top 10. But Roberts has two massive long shots making a serious run at the title. Anyone who bets on them could hit it big... Join SportsLine now to see the full projected Pennzoil 400 leaderboard, and see which long shots stun the racing world, all from the nation's premier NASCAR betting expert!

Here is Roberts' writeup:

READ MORE HERE....SPORTSLINE.COM

Kurt Busch still looking for first Las Vegas NASCAR win in any series

Kurt Busch is 30/1 to win at Las Vegas.

KURT BUSCH, Driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

How important was the test out in Las Vegas in late January? 

“I love going back to my hometown and racing. I always like to test in Vegas in the offseason. I think it helps answer a lot of questions going into the season and better prepares you for the race. Normally, that was the first mile-and-a-half track of the year and all of your offseason work showed up at Vegas. And if you have a test session, it moved along that much faster.” 

Does coming to Las Vegas give you a “home-field” advantage, and are you excited about two chances to win at Vegas in 2018? 

“It never translated to a home-field advantage. I’ve always struggled at Las Vegas. I’ve qualified well but just haven’t raced that well. I’m looking to turn that around. There’s no sense in having the fast laps at the beginning if you can’t back them up at the end. And to get the second weekend, that’s huge for Las Vegas. To kick off the NASCAR playoffs in Las Vegas, it will be hot – be forewarned – and it will be a new, exciting feel for our sport. I’m really happy for the track and the town to have two dates.” 

What does it feel like coming back to Las Vegas? 

“Vegas is different. It’s our hometown and we grew up racing on that little three-eighth-mile bullring that is in the shadows of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Every time I go out there, it reminds me of all the people who helped Kyle (Busch, brother) and I, especially our dad Tom. But the different Late Model teams, Modified teams, the Legend car races, and all the competitors, the Dwarf car days. It’s just fun to come back and reminisce. But, ultimately, you’ve got to strap on the helmet and focus on the task at hand. It’s always special in Vegas.” 

The West Coast swing of races at Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Fontana serves as a pretty good indicator of where a team stands. How important is that slate of races? 

“The West Coast swing is a perfect gauge for how your work went through the offseason, whether it’s the wind tunnel, the chassis dyno, new development, and then the team, as far as how the pit crew is performing. Those races on the West Coast swing really can put a stamp on where you are, what needs to be done, and what weaknesses or strengths we have.” 

There are a lot of logistics involved in the West Coast swing. What do you do? Do you stay out on the West Coast or do you commute like you would to other NASCAR races? 

“I stay on the West Coast. I call in to the team call-ins. Ashley (Busch, wife) likes to drive to the races out West. So, it’s just a nice, old- school road trip, going from Vegas to Phoenix to Los Angeles and making the best of it. We stop at some of the scenic spots – Grand Canyon, there are the beaches out in L.A. So, it’s a fun, cool West Coast trip.” 

Of those venues that you mentioned, is there an area of the West Coast that you like to visit – have to visit – when you’re out there? 

“My hometown of Las Vegas, going back there to see family, friends, and restaurants. There’s this old-school place where we always used to go get pizza when I was a kid. It was just great to go back to the roots and reminisce. It gets you back to where everything started, going to Vegas.”

Kevin Harvick Las Vegas chassis 3-for-3 in top-fives

Harvick's Vegas chassis in 2017: 2nd, 2nd, and 3rd. Pretty good stuff.

Chassis Information: Chassis No. 4-1041:

Kevin Harvick will pilot the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Fusion built on Chassis No. 4-1041 Sunday in the Las Vegas 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Built new in 2017, Chassis No. 4-1041 made its debut at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in June, when it started 12th and finished second to race-winner Ryan Blaney by .139 of a second. It made its second appearance in July at Pocono, where Harvick started sixth and finished runner-up to Kyle Busch by 6.178 seconds. It made its final appearance of 2017 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in October, where Harvick started third, led a race-high 149 laps and finished third.


KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

What’s it like to sit here with 99 wins in NASCAR’s top three series and to be chasing win No. 100? “It’s crazy that you can sit here and think that I’ve won 99 races in NASCAR’s top three series. I’m honored to say that I’ve gone to victory lane – ever. To be able to live out and get paid to do what you used to do for a hobby and now call it your job is pretty incredible. For me, it’s really taken up until I went to Stewart-Haas Racing to have an appreciation of how much you actually love sitting in this racecar. I am so lucky to be able to do what I do, drive around in circles, travel to all these places – there really isn’t ever a day that my job isn’t fun. To be able to have won that many races with some great people at different teams and different racetracks is something I really don’t ever think about it. I don’t ever look at stats a lot. I like to look at stats, but I like to look at everybody else’s stats when I’m doing the TV stuff. For me, it’s my job. It’s what I do. We’ve been fortunate to have so much success at it.” 

What was it like to have all four Stewart-Haas Racing cars perform well at Atlanta? 

“Everybody was really pleased with the performance at the first 1.5-mile race. The thing I took away from it was the No. 10 car and Aric Almirola were more competitive for us and that is important for us to have that extra set of notes that we really hadn’t used the last several years because that car hasn’t performed well enough. It hasn’t been competitive enough to really bring anything to the table. To see that No. 10 car running well is great for myself, Kurt (Busch) and Clint (Bowyer) and, really, everybody at SHR. To see Kurt up there leading laps. To see (No. 10 car crew chief) Billy Scott with a car up there that was winning the race with Kurt driving it had to be great confidence for him and his abilities. It was a great first weekend on the 1.5-mile tracks for SHR.” 

Compare Atlanta to Las Vegas. 

“The size of the racetrack is about the only similarity. Atlanta is so worn out and the surface is so abrasive. You go to Las Vegas and it’s newer and doesn’t have those huge rocks in the surface that wears the tires out. Las Vegas does still wear the tires out and you’ll have quite a bit of fall-off, but there is a really, really high pace. The hardest thing about that pace is the bumps in the middle of turns one and two on the bottom of the track. A lot of the guys will run the middle of the racetrack as the weekend goes on, and the groove will move all the way up against the wall. The other thing we’ll have to deal with is 20- to 25-mph winds at Las Vegas. A couple of years ago, we were in the middle of a sandstorm there at the beginning of the race. Vegas is really fast, and we deal with some fall-off, but we still carry a lot of speed.”

Las Vegas Betting Preview: 2018 Pennzoil 400

Kevin Harvick won at Las Vegas in 2015.

LAS VEGAS -- We're having our 21st straight season of NASCAR Cup Series racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but it's the first time the city can say Sunday's Pennzoil 400 is the first of two Cup races on the season. The second race, The South Point 400, will kick off the Playoffs on Sept. 16.

Last year's Vegas Cup weekend had $191 million worth of economic impact to the city, and it's been as high as $240 million in the past, so getting two races is going to be a huge boost for entire town.

Las Vegas doesn't need much help in getting folks to town, but the typical NASCAR fan has a larger worth to the casino than the average visitor. They've come to Las Vegas to see NASCAR as an excuse to let loose, party and gamble a little and they come flush with cash, too. It reflects in the ledgers every time they leave. They also tip well, which the bartenders, waiters, bellman and dealers very much appreciate.

Sunday's race will also be the largest bet NASCAR race of the season for Las Vegas sports books, and the second-most bet -- The Daytona 500 -- isn't even close. It's about four-times more action for the Vegas race, which has only been open for wagering the week of compared to the long shelf life of Daytona odds that was first posted in December. The second Vegas race, during football season, will now likely be the second most bet race of the season.

Before you go wagering, let me offer some advice. You want to bet a few drivers to win and you want to bet a few match-ups, but do some homework first. Don't simply bet your favorite driver. That's your money. Buy a hat as a fan, but wager your hard earned cash with the intent on winning rather than hoping to cash a lottery ticket.

There's only 22 of the 36 drivers that have a legitimate chance of winning so don't be that guy that bets Cole Whitt at 1,500/1 odds because "anything can happen". This isn't Daytona where maybe 35 drivers could win and all cars were equal. The 1.5-mile Las Vegas layout is conquered by the elite teams every year.

Check out the results from last week at Atlanta, the 1.5-mile sister track of LVMS. For the second straight year Kevin Harvick dominated. He led more laps last season, but Sunday's run was an epic performance. He was using chassis that won at Texas in November and was unmatched. On one fuel run he had to start from the rear of the lead lap cars, about 18 ahead of him, and within 40 laps had retaken the lead.

READ MORE HERE.....TOP-5 FINISH PREDICTION ON VEGASINSIDER.COM

Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook Pennzoil 400 Props

The Westgate has the most NASCAR props posted in Las Vegas.

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK
PENNZOIL 400 PROPOSITIONS
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018

Finish By Kevin HARVICK:
7701 Over 5½ OV EVEN
7702 Under UN - 120

Finish By Kyle BUSCH:
7703 Over 6½ OV EVEN
7704 Under UN - 120

Finish By Martin TRUEX JR:
7705 Over 6½ OV EVEN
7706 Under UN - 120

Finish By Brad KESELOWSKI:
7707 Over 6½ OV - 110
7708 Under UN - 110

Finish By Kyle LARSON:
7709 Over 6½ OV - 110
7710 Under UN - 110

Finish By Joey LOGANO:
7711 Over 7½ OV - 130
7712 Under UN +110

Finish By Chase ELLIOTT:
7713 Over 7½ OV - 130
7714 Under UN +110

Finish By Clint BOWYER:
7715 Over 10½ OV - 110
7716 Under UN - 110

Finish By Kurt BUSCH:
7717 Over 11½ OV - 120
7718 Under UN EVEN

Finish By Jimmie JOHNSON:
7719 Over 9½ OV - 110
7720 Under UN - 110

Finish By Ryan BLANEY:
7721 Over 9½ OV - 110
7722 Under UN - 110

Finish By Erik JONES:
7723 Over 11½ OV EVEN
7724 Under UN - 120

Finish By Daniel SUAREZ:
7725 Over 13½ OV - 120
7726 Under UN EVEN

Finish By Alex BOWMAN:
7727 Over 16½ OV - 120
7728 Under UN EVEN

Finish By Austin DILLON:
7729 Over 17½ OV - 120
7730 Under UN EVEN

Finish By William BYRON:
7731 Over 18½ OV EVEN
7732 Under UN - 120

Finish By Ryan NEWMAN:
7733 Over 14½ OV - 110
7734 Under UN - 110

Finish By Jamie McMURRAY:
7735 Over 17½ OV - 110
7736 Under UN - 110

Finish By Darrell WALLACE JR:
7737 Over 21½ OV - 110
7738 Under UN - 110

Winning Car Number Will Be?
7739 1-18 - 160
7740 19-95 +140

Winning Car Number Will Be?
7741 ODD +375
7742 EVEN - 500

Total Cautions in the PENNZOIL 400
7743 Over 6½ OV - 140
7744 Under UN +120
(AT LEAST 267 LAPS MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ACTION)

Total Cars On Lead Lap in the PENNZOIL 400
7745 Over 20½ OV - 120
7746 Under UN EVEN
(AT LEAST 267 LAPS MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ACTION)

Total Number Of Different Drivers To Lead A Lap
7747 Over 7½ OV - 140
7748 Under UN +120
(AT LEAST 267 LAPS MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ACTION)

Hendrick Motorsports Driver Quotes Regarding Las Vegas

Chase Elliott is 8/1 to win at Las Vegas, Johnson is 12/1.

Chase Elliott on if there is anything to learn from the No. 24 team's Las Vegas test:
“Yeah, I think so. I thought they had a good test from what I heard. I think as we get through this week and we start doing our race prep for next week we will definitely dive into his test a little more and kind of get into the details a little bit more instead of the general overview. I definitely think there will be some things we can lean on from it, but once we dive in more we will know.”

Elliott on Las Vegas:
“Vegas is kind of interesting. The track has become a little bit temperature sensitive and sunshine sensitive. It has a lot of speed when it’s cool and it has a lot of speed when it can be warm, but the fall-off is pretty massive. I think that was kind of a topic of conversation I heard from the test is how quickly the tires were falling off and so on. I’m curious to see where all that stacks up weather-wise next weekend.”

William Byron on Las Vegas:
“Vegas will be a fast-paced race. The weather looks like it’s going to be pretty cool, so the biggest challenge for us will be keeping up with the racetrack and making sure we can keep our pace up as the run goes because it’s probably not going to be a quick falloff with the tires – definitely a lot different than what we just saw in Atlanta. We should have good short-run speed like we did out there at the test. I felt like we were really competitive out there, so we can carry over that setup and what we did there at the test and apply it this weekend. We’d like to have a smooth weekend, and hopefully we’ll qualify really well. I’m looking forward to it.”.

Jimmie Johnson on moving forward:
“This Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is a brand new car to us. I am very proud of my team for all their efforts last weekend in Atlanta, they worked really hard. We all know it was not even close to the result we were looking for. The pit crew got some reps with plenty of four tire stops and we learned a lot. We have a lot of smart people on our team, so I’m not hitting the panic button. I posted this on Twitter: fear has two meanings – “Forget Everything And Run” or “Face Everything And Rise.” I’m ready to rise.”

Alex Bowman on Las Vegas:
“William (Byron) tested in Vegas earlier this year and it was the first time the Camaro ZL1 was on the racetrack, so I think we got some really good notes with it. I think it will definitely help this weekend. It’s a 1.5-mile track, but it’s got its own uniqueness to it. There are a lot of cool things too, like the garage is a really cool experience for the fans. Even though it is a 1.5-mile track, it’s different and a lot of fun. This weekend it is going to be important for our Nationwide team to get the car right, so we know what we have come playoff time.”


HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT LAS VEGAS: In 20 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has earned five wins, two pole positions, 20 top-five finishes and 35 top-10s. Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers at the 1.5-mile oval with four victories.

WINNING DATE: Hendrick Motorsports won the only other NASCAR Cup Series race held at Las Vegas on March 4. Jeff Gordon started 24th on March 4, 2001, and went on to earn Hendrick Motorsports’ 98th Cup victory and the organization’s first of five wins at the track. It was the first of four times that a Hendrick Motorsports driver won at Las Vegas and went on to win the Cup championship in the same season.

WEST COAST STRENGTH: Hendrick Motorsports leads all teams in West Coast victories – including California, Nevada and Arizona – with a total of 34, 11 more than the next closest team, Roush Fenway Racing. Johnson and former teammate Jeff Gordon – both of whom hail from California – lead all drivers for most wins on West Coast tracks with 15 and 11, respectively.

1.5-MILE CHAMPS: Hendrick Motorsports has a NASCAR Cup Series record 57 total wins on 1.5-mile tracks, 15 more than the next closest team, Joe Gibbs Racing. Johnson also holds the record for most 1.5-mile track victories with 28 over Gordon (17), Tony Stewart (15), Dale Earnhardt (14) and Richard Petty (13).

250 ON THE HORIZON: The next points-paying win by a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet will be the organization’s milestone 250th in NASCAR Cup Series competition. With 268 Cup victories, only Petty Enterprises has more. Junior Johnson and Associates is third all-time at 153 wins, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing with 148 and Roush Fenway Racing with 137.

16 MAKES 249: Sixteen different drivers have contributed to Hendrick Motorsports’ total of 249 points-paying Cup wins. Only the Wood Brothers team, which has sent 19 different drivers to Victory Lane, has more. Junior Johnson and Associates won with 13 different drivers.

FIRST-TIME WINNERS: If Elliott, Byron or Bowman wins at Las Vegas, it will mark the ninth time a driver has recorded his first career Cup Series win while driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing share the all-time record, having each sent eight first-time winners to Victory Lane in Cup Series competition.

ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 249 race victories, 214 pole positions, 1,029 top-five finishes and 1,741 top-10 finishes in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led 67,270 laps since 1984.

Stenhouse learned some things during Las Vegas test session

Ricky Stenhouse is 150-to-1 to win at Las Vegas.

Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Brian Pattie
Twitter: @Stenhouse17Team @stenhousejr @FastenalRacing and @roushfenway

ADVANCE NOTES

Stenhouse Jr. at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Stenhouse has five-career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) starts at Las Vegas with an average starting position of 17.8 and average finishing position of 23.8.

In 2012, Stenhouse Jr. cleared veteran Mark Martin with 54 laps remaining and built a six-second lead going on to claim his first victory of the 2012 NASCAR Xfinity season and his third Xfinity career win.

Last time at Vegas

After having to go to a back-up car, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. solidly ran in the top-20 for the majority of the race before suffering a mechanical issue with 12 laps remaining in the 267-lap race, forcing him to settle with a 33rd-place finish.

On the Car

Fastenal is currently in its seventh season as a primary partner in the MENCS for Roush Fenway. They spent three years on the No. 99 before jumping over to the No. 17 entry, and were the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity team that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Next weekend, Fastenal will serve as the primary of the No. 17 machine at Phoenix International Raceway.

Stenhouse Jr. on racing at Las Vegas:

“We were able to test at Las Vegas earlier this year and definitely learned some things that should payoff for us this weekend. This race will be more important this year since we will come back in September to kick off the playoffs so you want to make sure you learn as much as you can during this race weekend. Our Fords had speed last weekend in Atlanta so hopefully we can unload strong this weekend too. If we can keep making our Fastenal Ford better throughout the race, we should have a solid finish.”

Paul Menard Rolls Into Las Vegas Ninth in Points

Paul Menard is 150-to-1 this week in Las Vegas.

Motorcraft NASCAR Las Vegas Advance
Pennzoil 400 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018

Paul Menard, driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion, talks about the upcoming Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Wood Brothers Racing driver currently sits ninth in MENSC Driver Points heading into the three-race West Coast swing.

Paul Menard – No. 21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion – THE CUP SERIES BEGINS THE THREE-RACE WEST COAST SWING THIS WEEKEND IN LAS VEGAS. ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC CHALLENGES TO THE DRIVER OR TEAM THAT MAKE THIS A TOUGH GRIND COMING UP? “Not so much for the driver. It puts a lot of stress on the team with logistics of getting cars back and forth. Our hauler typically stays out West. We have to get cars back and forth to swap out. Logistics are tough. Just being out there you pretty much have what you have. There’s not too much that you can do to improve the race cars if you find something. If you find something in Las Vegas, it’s hard to get that implemented into Phoenix or Fontana.”

THE NEXT THREE RACES WILL BE A GOOD LITMUS TEST FOR ALL THE TEAMS: “For sure. We just came off a mile-and-a-half in Atlanta. The surface in Atlanta is very similar to Fontana where it’s really hard on tires. There’s a lot of falloff in race pace. Atlanta was a good test for the speed of Las Vegas and the banking of Vegas and falloff of Fontana. Then you add Phoenix in the middle, that’s a totally different animal. Fresh paved, short track mentality. Brakes, brake cooling come into play at Phoenix.”

TALK ABOUT THE RACING CHALLENGES OF LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY: “I looked at the weather and it’s going to be really cool. Speeds will be up, and it won’t be so hot in the race car. The track itself, ever since the repave, it has these ‘chatter bumps’ into Turn 1. Even when the asphalt was fresh 10 years ago the track still had them. Every year we go back they just keep getting worse. Turns 3 and 4 are pretty smooth. When you enter Turn 1 you have to try and figure out how to get through or get around the chatter bumps. We’re going 200 mph into Turn 1 and when the front tires start picking off the race track, you better find a way to keep them down on the surface.”

IS THE FIRST REACTION HEADING INTO TURN 1 THAT YOU’D RATHER DRIVE AROUND THE CHATTER BUMPS THAN OVER THEM? “Yes (laughs). In qualifying you have to drive through them and in the race a lot of guys will move up the line and drive around them.”

DO THE CHATTER BUMPS REALLY AFFECT RESTARTS? “Restarts are tricky. Obviously, somebody has to drive through those bumps and make it stick so that don’t wash up into you. The race actually opens up a lot of possibilities where you can move your line around where in qualifying you’re pretty much stuck to the bottom”

ONLY THREE WINNERS OUT OF THE LAST 10 RACES AT LVMS HAVE COME FROM STARTING POSITIONS OUTSIDE OF THE TOP 10. HOW IMPORTANT IS GOING A FEW ROUNDS IN QUALFYING THIS WEEKEND? “You always want to qualify up front and get a good pit stall. I’m actually surprised by that stat because Las Vegas is a multi-groove race track and you can make passes there. I hope we qualify in the top 10 and run there all day. Let’s skew that statistic and win the race.”

PIT STOPS, TIRE CHANGES AND PIT GUNS ARE AN EARLY BUZZ INSIDE THE PADDOCK. DO YOU HAVE TO ADJUST YOUR MENTAL “CLOCK” AS A DRIVER KNOWING THAT PIT STOPS ARE STILL A BIT OF A WILDCARD? “Yeah, your internal clock for a 12-second pit stops is still trying to get used to a 14-second stop. Right now, you don’t know if it’s a good stop or bad stop because your internal clock is just off. You really gauge by who you came onto pit road with and who you leave with to see if it was a good stop or bad stop.”

ATLANTA WAS THE FIRST NON-SUPERSPEEDWAY TRACK WITH FIVE CREW GUYS OVER THE WALL HOW WAS IT FOR THE 21 TEAM? “My guys were great on pit road last week in Atlanta. We did a couple four tire stops in Daytona and it wasn’t really under the gun. We took our time to look at some repair damage and things like that. Atlanta all day was four tire stops and my guys improved every single stop.”

YOU’RE NINTH IN POINTS, WHAT’S THE MINDSET GOING INTO LAS VEGAS? “You want to maximize your points and stake a win too. There’s a risk-reward thing going on at the end of the race with strategy. We’re ninth in points. We were disappointed with our finish in Atlanta. We had an issue in the rear of the car throughout the race. We could have come away with a better finish. A lot of the knowledge that we gained from Atlanta we’ll be able to apply in Vegas.”

FIVE FORDS IN THE TOP 10 LAST WEEKEND ON A MILE-AND-A-HALF TRACK. THE FUSIONS SEEM TO BE HAPPY RIGHT NOW: “The Fords were really strong in Atlanta. We had a lot of us running in the top 10. I feel like we can do the same thing in Vegas. The Fusion is the oldest body, but we have the most notes of all the other manufacturers for Las Vegas and all the tracks. The bowtie guys have the new body, so I think we’re a step ahead of them right now.”

Denny Hamlin goes after first Las Vegas win

Denny Hamlin is 15/1 to win this week at Las Vegas (William Hill).

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Office Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube
Date/Time: March 4/3:30 p.m. ET
Distance: 267 laps/400.5 miles
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Track Shape: Tri-Oval
Banking: 20 degrees
2017 Winner: Martin Truex Jr.

Express Notes:

Press Kit: Download the 2018 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Mike Wheeler and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.

Atlanta Recap: Denny Hamlin finished fourth in Sunday’s 500-mile Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, claiming his second top-five of the season in the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota as a result of a calculated pit strategy championed by Crew Chief Mike Wheeler. The top-five competitors visited pit road on lap 213 for their first green-flag pit stops of Stage 3, while Hamlin stayed out and assumed the race lead. He elected to make his scheduled green-flag stop 12 laps later on lap 225, capitalizing on four fresh tires to improve his overall speed over the competition. Hamlin continued to execute the strategy, making his final green-flag, four-tire pit stop of the race on lap 274. The strategy paid dividends, and Hamlin moved into second behind leader Kevin Harvick, however a caution on lap 298 gave the entire field an opportunity to pit together. After receiving four tires and fuel, Hamlin lined up third for the final restart with 22 laps remaining, making his way to fourth as the checkered waved. Hamlin started Sunday’s rain-delayed event from the 12th-place spot and worked diligently to improve his track positon during the race’s first 85-lap Stage, finishing ninth and picking up two Championship points when the first green-checkered flew. He went on to collect an additional five Championship points for a sixth-place result at the conclusion of Stage 2. Hamlin’s finish moves him to third in the overall points standings behind leader Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.

Las Vegas Preview: NASCAR’s ‘West Coast Swing’ begins this weekend as the Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Sunday’s 400-mile event. Hamlin remains winless at the 1.5-mile tri-oval, but he has earned himself two top-five and six top-10 finishes in his past 12 starts, including the sixth-place finish he collected during last year’s visit to Vegas.

Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares: This season, FedEx is tying the performance of the #11 FedEx Toyota on the track to its efforts to improve road safety through a new program, Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares, by donating $111 for each lap Hamlin leads and $11,000 for each race victory to Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit working to protect kids on the road, at home and at play. FedEx will also contribute $111,000 to Safe Kids if the #11 team wins the 2018 NASCAR championship. New for the 2018 season, the Denny Hamlin Foundation will also match the total donation to Safe Kids Worldwide.

Hamlin led 26 laps during Sunday’s race at Atlanta, triggering a $2,886 donation to Safe Kids on behalf of FedEx. Fans can track the total amount donated to date from the Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares program on the homepage of FedExRacing.com.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Track Facts: 2018 Pennzoil 400

Martin Truex Jr won 7 of the 11 races on 1.5-mile tracks last season, including Las Vegas. He's a badass.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2018 Top 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Joey Logano	9	1	0	3	5	0	10	96.3
2	Ryan Blaney	3	0	0	0	2	0	10.7	89
3	Denny Hamlin	12	0	0	2	6	0	12.2	82.1
4	Kevin Harvick	17	0	1	4	7	1	14.8	96.8
5	Clint Bowyer	12	0	0	1	4	0	17.8	71.4
6	Austin Dillon	5	0	0	1	1	0	17.4	78.4
7	Martin Truex Jr	12	0	1	2	4	0	13.2	90.9
8	Kurt Busch	16	2	0	1	4	3	21.8	80.7
9	Paul Menard	11	0	0	1	3	1	16.7	74.1
10	Aric Almirola	9	0	0	0	0	3	28	56.7
11	Kyle Busch	13	2	1	5	6	2	14.2	102.9
12	Brad Keselowski	9	1	2	4	5	0	15.4	91.2
13	Kyle Larson	4	0	0	1	2	0	15.8	86.3
14	Darrell Wallace Jr	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.0
15	Michael McDowell	8	0	0	0	0	5	35.5	37.1
16	Ryan Newman	17	1	0	4	8	2	16.2	83

* – Based on last 13 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2005 – 2017).

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2018 Top Loop Data Leaders

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Statistical Categories:	Leaders	Loop Data
Driver Rating	Jimmie Johnson	112.0
Average Running Position	Chase Elliott	8.893
Laps Led	Jimmie Johnson	582 laps (16.7 %)
Laps In The Top 15	Jimmie Johnson	76.3% (2,666 laps)
Fastest Laps Run	Jimmie Johnson	445 laps (12.7%)
Green Flag Passes	Jamie McMurray	903
Quality Passes	Jimmie Johnson	496
Green Flag Speed	Chase Elliott	172.858 mph
* The above stats are based on Loop Data from 2005 - 2017

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Data Season Race #: 3 of 36 (03-04-18) 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 Stage 1 & 2 Length: 80 laps (each) Final Stage Length: 107 laps Top 10 Driver Ratings at Las Vegas Jimmie Johnson........................ 112.0 Kyle Busch............................... 102.9 Chase Elliott............................... 99.3 Kevin Harvick............................. 96.8 Joey Logano............................... 96.3 Brad Keselowski......................... 91.2 Martin Truex Jr........................... 90.9 Erik Jones.................................. 90.5 Ryan Blaney............................... 89.0 Kasey Kahne.............................. 88.3 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2017 races (13 total) among active drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Qualifying/Race Data 2017 pole winner: Brad Keselowski, Ford 193.680 mph. 27.881 secs. 03-10-17 2017 race winner: Martin Truex Jr., Toyota 136.032 mph, (02:56:39), 03-12-17 Track qualifying record: Kurt Busch, Chevrolet 196.328 mph. 27.505 secs. 03-04-16 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 by Ken Schrader on Nov. 2, 1996.

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

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

·        There have been 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. LVMS has hosted one race per season from 1998 to 2017; this season marks the first time Las Vegas will host two MENCS events in a single season.

Starts

·        148 drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; 112 in more than one.

·        Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth lead the series in starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with 18 each.

·        Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman lead all active series drivers with 17 starts each; followed by Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson with 16 each.

·        A total of five drivers have made their Monster Energy Series career debut at Las Vegas - Stanton Barrett (1999), Kyle Busch (2004), Timmy Hill (2012), Jon Wood and Aric Almirola (2007).

·        Joey Logano (9 starts) and Erik Jones (1 start) lead the series among active drivers in average starting position at LVMS with an 8.0 each; followed by Kurt Busch (9.4), Kyle Busch (9.5) and Brad Keselowski (9.8).

Poles

·        A total of 13 drivers have won Monster Energy Series poles at Las Vegas, led by Kasey Kahne with three (2004, 2007 and 2012).

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett won the inaugural pole at Las Vegas with a speed of 168.224 mph (32.773 secs.).

·        Kyle Busch is the only driver to win consecutive poles at LVMS; from (2008-2009).

·        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).

·        Only one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver has posted his first career pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Kasey Kahne (03/07/2004).  

Wins

·        12 different Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, led by Jimmie Johnson with four victories (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010).

·        Of the 12 series winners at LVMS, only five are active this weekend: Jimmie Johnson (4), Brad Keselowski (2), Martin Truex Jr. (1), Kyle Busch (1) and Kevin Harvick (1).

·        Five drivers (all-time) have multiple Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins at Las Vegas: Jimmie Johnson (four), Matt Kenseth (three), Brad Keselowski, Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards (each have two).

·        Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in wins at Las Vegas with seven victories, followed by Hendrick Motorsports with five, Joe Gibbs Racing, Team Penske and Stewart-Haas Racing (two each), Chip Ganassi Racing and Furniture Row Racing (each have one).

·        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, who is the only driver to win three consecutive races (2005, 2006 and 2007).

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

·        Only four of the 20 Las Vegas races (20%) have been won from the front row: Kyle Busch, 2009 (pole); Carl Edwards, 2008 (second starting position); Brad Keselowski, 2014 (second starting position); Martin Truex Jr. (second starting position).

·        Six of the 20 races (30%) have been won from a top-five starting position at Las Vegas.

·        10 of the 20 (50%) races have been won from a top-10 starting position at Las Vegas.

·        Four of the 20 races (20%) 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 is 25th, by Matt Kenseth in 2004.

·        Eight of the 12 Monster Energy NASCAR 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.

·        Ryan Newman leads the series among active drivers with the most starts at Las Vegas without visiting Victory Lane at 17 races.

·        No driver has won the first three races of the season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The five drivers that have won the first two events of the series season are: Matt Kenseth (2009), Jeff Gordon (1997), David Pearson (1976), Bob Welborn (1959) and Marvin Panch (1957). 

·        Four reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champions have gone on to win at Las Vegas the following season: Matt Kenseth (2004), Tony Stewart (2012), Kevin Harvick (2015) and Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2010) - Johnson is the only driver to do it multiple times.

·        Four drivers have won the Las Vegas race and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship in the same season: Jeff Gordon (2001), Matt Kenseth (2003), Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2007 and 2010) and Martin Truex Jr. (2017).

·        Four manufacturers have visited Victory Lane in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at LVMS, led by Ford (nine), Chevrolet (seven), Toyota (three) and Dodge (one).

·        Only four car numbers have produced two or more Las Vegas MENCS 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)

o   No. 2 – Brad Keselowski (2014, 2016)  

Additional Finishing Positions

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

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

·        Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin lead the series in top-10 finishes at LVMS with 10 each.

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in average finishing position at Las Vegas with a 7.7.

·        Joey Logano leads the series in average finish at LVMS with a 10.0.   

Female Competitors

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

Driver	Season	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Driver Rating
Danica Patrick	2017	28	36	40.8
Danica Patrick	2016	18	21	54.9
Danica Patrick	2015	21	27	60.4
Danica Patrick	2014	22	21	58.0
Danica Patrick	2013	37	33	40.5
Averages		25.2	27.6	50.9
Driver	Season	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Driver Rating
Shawna Robinson	2002	36	42	N/A

Track Specific Stats

·        NASCAR Overtime: Only one race has resulted with a NASCAR Overtime finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

Date	Scheduled No. of Laps	Actual No. of Laps	NASCAR Overtime Laps	Winner	Runner-Up
3/12/2006	267	270	3	Jimmie Johnson	Matt Kenseth

·        Only one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas has ended early due to weather:

Date	Scheduled No. of Laps	Actual No. of Laps	No. of Fewer Laps	Winner	Runner-Up
3/5/2000	267	148	119	Jeff Burton	Tony Stewart

·        Qualifying has only been cancelled once at LVMS - 2013.

·        The closest margin of victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was the March 12, 2006 race won by Jimmie Johnson over Matt Kenseth by a MOV of 0.045 second.

NASCAR in Nevada

·        There has been a total of 63 NASCAR national series races among two tracks in the state of Nevada.

Track Name	City	Monster Energy	Xfinity	Camping World	Total Races
Las Vegas Motor Speedway	Las Vegas	20	21	21	62
Las Vegas Park Speedway	Las Vegas	1	0	0	1
Totals		21	21	21	63

·        The first NASCAR national series race held in the state of Nevada was at Las Vegas Park Speedway on October 16, 1955. Las Vegas Park Speedway was a 1-mile dirt track, and the event was 200 laps. Norm Nelson won the race in a Chrysler.

Nevada in NASCAR

·        26 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Nevada. Only two are currently active in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing) and Kurt Busch (Stewart-Haas Racing) both from Las Vegas.

·        13 drivers from the state of Nevada have made at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start.

·        Four drivers with their home state recorded as Nevada have won a NASCAR national series race.

Driver	Monster Energy	Xfinity	Camping World
Kyle Busch	43	91	49
Kurt Busch	29	5	4
Brendan Gaughan	0	2	8
Noah Gragson	0	0	1

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series - Milestones
STARTS
Driver: Jamie McMurray	Has	Needs
Milestone:	548	2
McMurray will become the 35th driver to make 550 Monster Energy Series starts.
Driver: Kyle Larson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	149	1
Larson will become the 166th driver to make 150 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts.
Driver: Cole Whitt	Has	Needs
Milestone:	149	1
Whitt will become the 166th driver to make 150 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts.
WINS
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	83	1
Tie Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for fourth on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	43	1
Tie Bill Elliott for 16th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
Driver: Kevin Harvick	Has	Needs
Milestone:	38	1
Tie Tim Flock and Matt Kenseth for 19th on the all-time MENCS wins list.
Driver: Denny Hamlin	Has	Needs
Milestone:	31	1
To tie Dale Jarrett for 24th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
Driver: Kurt Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	29	1
Tie Denny Hamlin for 25th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
POLES
Driver: Ryan Newman	Has	Needs
Milestone:	51	3
Tie Bill Elliott for eighth on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	35	1
To tie Rusty Wallace for 18th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.
Driver: Kasey Kahne	Has	Needs
Milestone:	27	2
To tie Ricky Rudd for 24th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	28	1
To tie Ricky Rudd for 24th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – Milestones Cont.
Top Fives
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	161	2
To tie Dale Jarrett for 22nd on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series top fives list.
Top 10s
Driver: Kurt Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	259	1
To tie Dale Jarrett for 22nd on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series top 10s list.
Laps Led
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	18,663	337
Needs 337 laps led to become the ninth driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 19,000 laps.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	14,389	611
Needs 611 laps led to become the 10th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 15,000 laps.
Driver: Kevin Harvick	Has	Needs
Milestone:	11,272	728
Needs 728 laps led to become the 15th driver all-time in the MENCS to lead 12,000 laps.
Driver: Kurt Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	8,945	55
Needs 55 laps led to become the 20th driver all-time in the MENCS to lead 9,000 laps.
Driver: Denny Hamlin	Has	Needs
Milestone:	8,891	109
Needs 109 laps led to become the 20th driver all-time in the MENCS to lead 9,000 laps.
Driver: Martin Truex Jr.	Has	Needs
Milestone:	6,524	476
Needs 476 laps led to become the 29th driver all-time in the MENCS to lead 7,000 laps.