Las Vegas Betting Preview: 2019 Pennzoil 400

The racing at Atlanta last week with a new package was good. 

The third race of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series schedule rolls through Las Vegas for the 22nd straight year in what will be the first of two races this season. It also kicks off the West Coast swing with races at Phoenix and Fontana to follow.

There are lots of storylines to follow this week after two races, but the main story coming in this week will be in regards to the new tapered spacer package which dropped horsepower from 750 in last seasons package down to 550 to produce better competition. I've heard mixed results from opinions I respect on both sides, but I saw plenty of signs in the Atlanta race that lead me to believe this package is going to offer competitive racing with a much larger pool of drivers having a chance to win weekly..

It's only one race at Atlanta and while the speeds were about 6 mph slower than what the Cup cars ran in the same race last season, the racing was better. There was four wide at several points in Sunday's race and the cars were actually faster through the corners. It was harder for the leaders to get separation so the distance between first and 25th-place after 15 laps of green flag racing was much shorter.

The statistics between the two races don't tell the full story because they actually look similar. Last season at Atlanta there was five cautions and 24 lead changes among eight drivers. On Sunday there was five cautions and 26 lead changes among nine drivers.

The big difference between the two races is that last year I don't think there was any juncture where I believed Kevin Harvick wouldn't win as he led 181 of the 325 laps. But on Sunday we saw drama with about seven different drivers looking like they were taking control of the race and capable of winning. Brad Keselowski led just once, but it was for the final 33 laps with Martin Truex Jr. reeling him in. The margin of victory at only .218 of a second. Harvick won by 2.69 seconds last season and was followed by two other Fords. Sunday saw a Ford win, Toyota finish second, and a Chevy finish third.

It's hardly a large enough sample size to go all in with a strong opinion, but I'm all thumbs up so far and pumped for 2019 which looks to be a season of parity.

“It’s still early," Clint Bowyer said when asked for his thoughts on new package. "Trying to figure out the right scenario for this is going to be interesting. You have to remember, Atlanta is a one-off race. There is no track that we go to anymore that is as slick and is as hard on tires as Atlanta. It will be interesting to see what Las Vegas brings.”

There's likely to be fewer tire issues in Las Vegas and also aerodynamic ducts being used instead of the brake ducts NASCAR mandated for Atlanta. However, this week's package was used in the Las Vegas testing four weeks ago.

"I think you’ll see what we saw on the restarts at Atlanta for much longer in Vegas," said Aric Almirola who started on the pole last week at Atlanta. "I don’t think it will last the entire fuel run, but I think the crazy, wild restarts are going to last more like 10 or 12 laps. I think it’s going to be wild and we’re going to have more three- and four-wide racing for a lot longer.”

If Almirola is correct this could be the best race ever at Las Vegas. His 20-to-1 price at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook should be considered very attractive. He led 36 of the first 37 laps last week, but fell off when shuffled back.

“When we were out front in clean air, our car was really fast and drove really well,” Almirola said. “When we fell back to second and third, our car was really fast but our car didn’t drive as well. Then, when we got a speeding penalty and went to the back, the car was a handful. Getting clean air is going to be one of the biggest challenges. No matter what rules package you have, the clean air is always going to be important. Your car makes the most amount of downforce when it’s in clean air. Every car you get behind just makes conditions worse and you lose grip and handling.”

Bowyer did the Las Vegas testing four weeks ago and it was apparent that all three of his Stewart-Haas Racing teammates read the notes well as all four drivers finished in the top-10 at Atlanta. Bowyer was fastest in Atlanta's two practices and midway through the race Harvick radioed in that he'd figured the package out and what lines were best to run.

For handicapping purposes, we only have one full race of results to go off of and three test sessions on the Las Vegas 1.5-mile layout to review. We can also mix in a little bit of past history because the same cast of characters seems to routinely do well in Las Vegas.

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

Jimmie Johnson is the West Coast King and Mr. Vegas

Jimmie Johnson is 40/1 to win sunday at Las Vegas.

WEST COAST WINS: Hailing from the West Coast, it’s fitting that El Cajon, California, native Jimmie Johnson has the most wins of any driver on West Coast tracks. Johnson has accumulated 15 wins across the tracks considered “West Coast,” including: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (four), ISM Raceway (four), Auto Club Speedway (six) and Sonoma Raceway (one). The next winningest driver has 13.

VEGAS AND CHAMPIONSHIPS: Four times in his storied career, Johnson found himself a winner of the Las Vegas race, and three out of the four times he was also the winner of the Cup Series championship that same season. He won at the 1.5-mile track in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010 and won championships in 2006, 2007 and 2010.

MILESTONE 150TH WIN: Johnson’s 2007 win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was the 150th NASCAR Cup Series win for Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson led 89 laps en route to the win, which was his third straight at the 1.5-mile track.

LEADER OF THE PACK: Johnson has the most wins of any driver at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with four. There are five other tracks where he is the all-time win leader, including: Dover International Speedway (11), Charlotte Motor Speedway (eight), Texas Motor Speedway (seven), Auto Club Speedway (six) and Kansas Speedway, where his three wins are tied with Jeff Gordon atop the list. Johnson also holds the record for most laps led at Las Vegas with 595.

1.5-MILE MASTER: In 179 career starts on 1.5-mile tracks, Johnson has amassed 28 wins – the most of all drivers on the track type. He owns 11 more wins than second place on the all-time list, Gordon, and 13 more wins than the second-place active competitor, Kevin Harvick.

QUICK STOP IN PHOENIX: Before Johnson heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he will make a brief stop in Avondale, Arizona, on behalf of ISM Raceway. Johnson will visit K-8 students at Estrella Vista STEM Academy, speak with them about the importance of technology in motor sports and kick off the school’s month-long careers program that focuses on the role of technology and engineering.

VERGE OF A MILESTONE: Johnson is on the verge of his 84th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series win. He secured his 83rd in June 2017 to tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough for sixth on the all-time wins list. An 84th win would tie Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for fourth all-time. Johnson is currently 10 wins behind former teammate Gordon, who has 93 victories and is third on the list. Johnson has the most wins of all active drivers.

VEGAS TEST: Johnson, crew chief Kevin Meendering and the No. 48 team participated in a two-day test session on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where the 2019 rules package took to the 1.5-mile track for the first time.

Driver Jimmie Johnson 

Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 43

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2019 Season 16th in standings 2 starts 0 wins 0 pole positions 0 top-five finishes 1 top-10 finish 0 laps led     Career 617 starts 83 wins 35 pole positions 224 top-five finishes 353 top-10 finishes 18,703 laps led     Track Career  18 starts 4 wins 0 pole positions 6 top-five finishes 9 top-10 finishes 595 laps led

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Kevin Harvick is 9/2 favorite to win 2019 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas

Kevin and Delana Harvick married on LV NASCAR weekend in 2001.  KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Feb. 27, 2019) – Let’s face it, Las Vegas is all about luck. If one vacations out in the desert, that person could win $1 million, or perhaps lose some money at one of the many casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard.    Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, knows about Vegas luck. Just look back on his 2018 visits to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In the spring race, after starting second, he dominated by leading 214 of 267 laps and won by 2.906 seconds over second-place Kyle Busch. Some would say he was freaky fast. But in the fall race, Harvick started fifth and led 14 laps before cutting a tire, leading to contact with the turn-one wall and a disappointing 39th-place finish. One day people can have all the luck and, the next day, none. That’s the story of Las Vegas. Harvick will again play with a different set of rules in Sunday’s Las Vegas 400. For last week’s race at Atlanta, NASCAR officials introduced a new rules package announced last October. The new and different packages are tailored to the specific tracks on the Cup Series circuit, with a combination of a smaller tapered spacer to reduce engine horsepower to a target goal of 550 – from 750 – and aero ducts to foster tighter racing on a majority of speedways measuring longer than 1 mile. Both features are in place for 17 of the 36 races, the lone exception being the Daytona 500, which ran with traditional restrictor-plate rules. Atlanta, along with four other races, were set to run with the smaller spacer, but without ducts. Las Vegas will be the first true test of the entire new rules package, including the ducts. So, will Harvick be able to lead 214 laps again? Who knows? But he’s has been strong at the 1.5-mile oval. The Las Vegas 400 will mark Harvick’s 20th career Cup Series start at Las Vegas. He won in 2015 in addition to last spring’s victory, and he has five top-five finishes and eight top-10s there with 452 laps led. He’s also competed in NASCAR Xfinity and Gander Outdoors Truck Series races there, as well. In 11 Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas, Harvick has two wins, one pole, six top-five finishes, seven top-10s and he’s led 364 laps. Harvick’s first Xfinity Series 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 Series pole position came in 2007, when he ran 181.111 mph. In his three Truck Series starts at Las Vegas in 1997, 1998 and 1999, Harvick has an eighth-place finish in 1997 and ninth in 1999. No one really knows what is going to happen at Las Vegas with the new rules package this weekend, but that’s fitting for the city. One thing for certain, however, is that the winner will need a little luck.

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

You were in the broadcast booth last week for the Xfinity Series race at Atlanta and are again this week in Las Vegas. How do you prepare for the broadcasts? “I usually over-prepare and usually wind up using nothing. But, it’s good to have those thoughts. Usually what happens is, if you over-prepare, the story and narrative is totally different by the time you get to the racetrack because of something that happened the week before, during the week or on the race weekend during practice. So I’ve learned to let it kind of evolve into the weekend and understand and watch and that is something that you’re going to do as a competitor, anyway – especially when the Xfinity cars are at the same racetrack. So there is a level of preparation. I think that, for me, I like to be prepared. I like to know who I’m talking about and not show up unprepared. It would be more nerve-racking for me than anything just because I wouldn’t be comfortable talking about the things that I need to be talking about. So, usually if I can come prepared, I can have enough in my mind to make it through the day. But a lot of times the story tells itself.” You had Jimmie Johnson on your radio show last week. How was that interview? “It was great because, in my opinion, Jimmie is one of the most disrespected great drivers who has ever come through this garage. Jimmie Johnson is just a good, old-fashioned, great guy. He helps people and has done great things in the garage and in a racecar, out of a racecar, and sometimes I feel like we forget that he has won seven championships and all the races that he has won and all the great things he has done. It isn’t like he came from a rich daddy or family that had a lot of money. He came all the way up from the bottom to the top and worked hard and had a lot of success and has won as many championships as Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. I never feel like he is on that pedestal next to those guys appropriately. Sometimes as a group, from a fan standpoint, you are just letting it go by and not even realizing that you are watching one of the greatest careers that will ever come through the garage. So, we talked about the basic things. Where did you start? How did you start? How did you get here? Because I feel like a lot of times the fan base changes so much from the majority of our fan base that you almost have to re-introduce yourself every five or six years. Once you hear the Jimmie Johnson story and how he got to where he is, a lot of people know what he has done here, but it isn’t like it was handed to him. Our goal was to do something different and I don’t want the fans to not realize what they are watching with Jimmie because he has done so many great things, is such a great person, and a fun guy. He gets a knock for not being super fun, for being a buttoned up, tight-laced guy. That couldn’t be further from the truth actually, more so than anybody could understand. We only had 20 minutes. It isn’t easy to explain all those things in 20 minutes, but I feel like we touched on those things and it is fun to hear guys talk about stuff like that.”

Hendrick driver quotes for 2019 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas

New package gave Chase Elliott some trouble at Atlanta, 25/1 this week.

Chase Elliott on racing at Las Vegas:
"We haven’t had the best result at Vegas the last few visits, but I think we can go out there and have a solid run. Jimmie (Johnson) tested there during the offseason, so we will take a look at the notes from the test and try to go there and perform. The test was only 14 cars, so it’s not a full indication of what to expect, but it’s really the same for everyone as far as the unknowns. It’s going to be a good test because everyone will be in the same boat when it comes to track time and notes on the package."

William Byron on racing at Las Vegas with the new rules package:
“I think this race will still have some unknowns for most guys. Atlanta gave a small idea of what to expect, but we didn’t have the full package for that race. Plus, Atlanta races unlike any other mile-and-a-half track we go to. Some of the other teams got to test earlier at Las Vegas with the full package, including our teammate Jimmie (Johnson).”

Byron on using Jimmie Johnson's Las Vegas test to prepare for the race:
“I would say so. We can look at how they drafted around each other in traffic, and while it was less cars, we can see how they dealt with that stuff because it is going to be fairly similar I think. I would say we can look back at that info and try to learn from it so we’re better prepared when we get to Vegas.”

Jimmie Johnson on racing at Las Vegas:
“Atlanta certainly didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but I’m really proud of the effort the No. 48 Ally team put forth. There is a lot of energy and optimism on the team right now and at the end of the race I told the guys, ‘We've got this.' Focusing on Vegas, we learned a lot during the test. Passing was pretty easy until you got to the leader, but I don’t think track position will be as important as it was in the past. Drivers are going to have to be comfortable racing three-wide. My spotter (Earl Barban) is going to be a busy guy, as he will have to be in a drafting mindset at a track we normally wouldn’t have to deal with that. There was only a handful of teams out at the test, so I am interested to see what the racing looks like when you get 40 of us out there.”

Alex Bowman on the Las Vegas test:
“I think we can definitely lean on the No. 48 team and go over what they learned and what they established at the test and go from there, but until you do it, it’s kind of hard.”

Bowman on his Motorsport.com diary:
“It has been pretty cool to work with Jim (Utter) and the team at Motorsport.com on a diary piece. Everyone always sees what goes on at the track, but this allows me to talk about things more in-depth and maybe sometimes not about racing."

Aric Almirola 20/1 to win 2019 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas

Aric Almirola started from the pole last week at Atlanta. KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Feb. 27, 2019) – The new Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rules package was debuted last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway with reduced horsepower to provide tighter racing at tracks 1 mile in length or longer. There was side-by-side racing during each restart, but the low grip of Atlanta’s 21-year-old racing surface evened the playing field within a few laps to each restart. This weekend, NASCAR heads West to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) races for his second consecutive top-10 finish. The team was quick to adapt to the new rules package last weekend when it laid down the quickest lap in the final round of qualifying to earn its first-career pole award as a team and become the first to earn a pole with the new Ford Mustang that debuted at the season-opening Daytona 500. It was Almirola’s second-career NASCAR Cup Series pole award – his first earned May 27, 2012 at Charlotte (N.C) Motor Speedway. Almirola led the first 36 laps at Atlanta, but was handed a pit-road speeding penalty early on, demoting the Mustang driver to the rear of the field. Almirola was able to race his way back to as high as sixth place and secured his first top-10 of the season.  With Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s much newer and smoother track surface, Almirola expects three-and four-wide racing to last much longer, providing plenty of excitement all afternoon long for the fans watching this weekend.  “Atlanta is a track that is very worn out and the cars slip and slide a lot,” Almirola said. “Vegas has a lot more grip and the cars are going to be way faster. The tires aren’t going to wear out as much as they did at Atlanta. I think you’ll see what we saw on the restarts at Atlanta for much longer in Vegas. I don’t think it will last the entire fuel run, but I think the crazy, wild restarts are going to last more like 10 or 12 laps. I think it’s going to be wild and we’re going to have more three- and four-wide racing for a lot longer.”  Being able to drive both at the front of the field and the back of the field last weekend gave Almirola perspective on what’s to come at intermediate tracks this year. He’ll look to benefit from that knowledge this weekend in the same black-and-white Smithfield paint scheme he sported last weekend. Founded in 1936, Smithfield is a leading provider of high-quality pork products, with a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts.Smithfield is based approximately five hours northeast of SHR headquarters in Smithfield, Virginia. “When we were out front in clean air, our car was really fast and drove really well,” Almirola said. “When we fell back to second and third, our car was really fast but our car didn’t drive as well. Then, when we got a speeding penalty and went to the back, the car was a handful. Getting clean air is going to be one of the biggest challenges. No matter what rules package you have, the clean air is always going to be important. Your car makes the most amount of downforce when it’s in clean air. Every car you get behind just makes conditions worse and you lose grip and handling.” Almirola scored his first- and second-career top-10s at the 1.5-mile Las Vegas oval last season and plans to carry the momentum to this weekend’s first of three consecutive West-Coast races as NASCAR. In addition to his Cup Series starts, Almirola has four Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas, where he’s never finished outside the top-17 or started outside the top-15. The Cuban American has also made three starts in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series and completed all three events inside the top-10. He enters the third race of the season 11th in the standings with 58 points – 29 out of first place. He’ll look to move on up in the standings with another solid effort this weekend in Las Vegas.

Aric Almirola: Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

How significant of a role do intermediate tracks play during the season?  “It’s crucial to really excel at the intermediate tracks. We have so many of them on the schedule and, if you can get them figured out, they can make a huge impact on your season. We’ve seen it so many times where teams get something figured out at those tracks, those teams start running up front every weekend. If you look at the schedule, most of the tracks on the circuit are intermediate tracks and the most important race if you’re in the hunt for a championship. We figured some things out last weekend at Atlanta that I hope we’ll be able to take to Vegas and on throughout the season. We found a lot of speed and now it’s time to dial the handling in and hopefully go on a tear of winning at these tracks.” How exciting is it for the fans to potentially see tight racing for longer runs at intermediates tracks?  “Racing is about the fans and it should be about the fans. It’s great for them to see tight racing and, as a fan, I like to see tight racing. If you’re me, though, I want to see my Smithfield Ford Mustang way out in front of the field with no cars close. As a driver, you want a race where you’re not having to race side-by-side the whole time and you want the fastest car out there. Whatever this race provides, I hope the fans have a great time and continue to watch our great sport.”

Paul Menard believes racing will be different at Las Vegas compared to Atlanta

Paul Menard tested at Las Vegas four weeks ago.

Phase Two of NASCAR’s new intermediate track handling package for Monster Energy Cup Series cars kicks in this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are among those wondering how the racing will be once a full field of cars is on the track.

At Atlanta Motor Speedway, portions of the new lower horsepower/higher downforce package were introduced. This week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will see the addition of aero ducts that transfer air to the side of the car away from the front tires, a feature that will be seen at several other tracks as well.

Menard said the racing at Las Vegas will be different than Atlanta, due to the aero ducts and the increase level of grip at Las Vegas compared to what drivers experienced on the worn asphalt at Atlanta.

“The way the racing plays out at Las Vegas will change,” he said. “The cars will be more packed up, and it’ll be less of a true handling race track.”

He said there will be similarities to the racing at Atlanta, especially just after restarts.

At Atlanta, drivers usually raced two-wide for a few laps, until tire wear began to kick in.

“At Las Vegas, we’ll see lots of three-wide on restarts, and it’ll stay that way until the handling starts to go away,” he said, adding that the new rules package will give the race a little bit of a restrictor-plate-race feel. “There will be drafting, but we won’t be two-wide the whole race.”

With the new rules at Atlanta, drivers could run wide-open all the way around the track for a lap or two. At Vegas, it may be wide open for much longer than that.

“At the test, after 25 laps you could still run wide open if you were in clean air,” he said.

Menard said that as the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team prepares for the Vegas weekend, it’ll be important to use practice time wisely.

“What you need for qualifying is not what you need for the race,” he said. “Las Vegas has higher grip, but you still need handling and driveability.”

Qualifying for the Pennzoil 400 is set for Friday at 4:40 p.m. (7:40 Eastern Time), and the race is scheduled to start just after 12:30 p.m. (3:30 Eastern) with TV coverage on FOX.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Track Facts: 2019 Pennzoil 400

Brad Keselowski won at Las Vegas last fall.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Data

Season Race #: 3 of 36 (03-03-19)

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

Stage 1 & 2 Length: 80 laps (each)

Final Stage Length: 107 laps

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Las Vegas

Jimmie Johnson........................ 106.7

Kyle Busch............................... 102.6

Kevin Harvick........................... 100.4

Joey Logano............................... 98.9

Martin Truex Jr........................... 95.6

Ryan Blaney............................... 95.0

Kyle Larson................................ 94.9

Brad Keselowski......................... 94.7

Chase Elliott............................... 89.8

Erik Jones.................................. 88.6

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2018 races
(15 total) among active drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Monster Energy Series Winners

Race Winner	Date
Brad Keselowski	9/16/2018
Kevin Harvick	3/4/2018
Martin Truex Jr	3/12/2017
Brad Keselowski	3/6/2016
Kevin Harvick	3/8/2015
Brad Keselowski	3/9/2014
Matt Kenseth	3/10/2013
Tony Stewart	3/11/2012
Carl Edwards	3/6/2011
Jimmie Johnson	2/28/2010
Kyle Busch	3/1/2009
Carl Edwards	3/2/2008
Jimmie Johnson	3/11/2007
Jimmie Johnson	3/12/2006
Jimmie Johnson	3/13/2005
Matt Kenseth	3/7/2004
Matt Kenseth	3/2/2003
Sterling Marlin	3/3/2002
Jeff Gordon	3/4/2001
Jeff Burton	3/5/2000
Jeff Burton	3/7/1999
Mark Martin	3/1/1998

Atlanta Race Data:

Track race record:

Brad Keselowski, Ford

154.633 mph, (2:35:24), 03-09-14

2018 race winner:

Kevin Harvick, Ford

141.756 mph, (02:49:31), 03-04-18

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Monster Energy Series

Pole Winners

Pole Winner	Date
Erik Jones	9/16/2018
Ryan Blaney	3/2/2018
Brad Keselowski	3/12/2017
Kurt Busch	3/6/2016
Jeff Gordon	3/8/2015
Joey Logano	3/9/2014
Kasey Kahne	3/11/2012
Matt Kenseth	3/6/2011
Kurt Busch	2/28/2010
Kyle Busch	3/1/2009
Kyle Busch	3/2/2008
Kasey Kahne	3/11/2007
Greg Biffle	3/12/2006
Ryan Newman	3/13/2005
Kasey Kahne	3/7/2004
Bobby Labonte	3/2/2003
Todd Bodine	3/3/2002
Dale Jarrett	3/4/2001
Ricky Rudd	3/5/2000
Bobby Labonte	3/7/1999
Dale Jarrett	3/1/1998

Atlanta Qualifying Data:

Track qualifying record:

Kurt Busch, Chevrolet

196.328 mph. 27.505 secs. 03-04-16

2018 pole winner:

Ryan Blaney, Ford

191.489 mph. 28.200 secs. 03-02-18

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2019 Top 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Denny Hamlin	14	0	0	2	6	1	14.0	81.3
2	Kevin Harvick	19	0	2	5	8	2	15.4	100.4
3	Kyle Busch	15	2	1	6	8	2	12.9	102.6
4	Kyle Larson	6	0	0	3	4	0	11.3	94.9
5	Joey Logano	11	1	0	4	7	0	9.2	98.9
6	Brad Keselowski	11	1	3	5	7	0	13.3	94.7
7	Erik Jones	3	1	0	0	1	1	21.0	88.6
8	Kurt Busch	18	2	0	1	4	4	22.4	81.6
9	Clint Bowyer	14	0	0	1	4	0	18.1	72.0
10	Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Jr	7	0	0	0	0	1	23.3	69.5
11	Aric Almirola	11	0	0	0	2	3	24.4	61.1
12	Martin Truex Jr	14	0	1	4	6	0	11.8	95.6
13	Alex Bowman	4	0	0	0	0	1	28.8	54.1
14	Ryan Blaney	5	1	0	2	4	0	8.4	95.0
15	Ryan Newman	19	1	0	4	9	2	15.5	82.6
16	Jimmie Johnson	18	0	4	6	9	0	11.6	106.7

* – Based on last 15 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2005 – 2018).

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2019 Top Five Loop Data Leaders

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Driver Rating		Average Running Position		Laps in The Top 15
Drivers	Driver Rating	Drivers	Avg. Running Pos.	Drivers	Laps in Top 15
Jimmie Johnson	106.7	Kyle Busch	9.415	Kyle Busch	3,043 (80.8%)
Kyle Busch	102.6	Joey Logano	9.926	Jimmie Johnson	2,930 (72.7%)
Kevin Harvick	100.4	Ryan Blaney	10.377	Kevin Harvick	2,873 (71.3%)
Joey Logano	98.9	Jimmie Johnson	10.521	Ryan Newman	2,641 (65.5%)
Martin Truex Jr.	95.6	Kevin Harvick	11.688	Martin Truex Jr.	2,601 (69.1%)

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. Dale Jarrett won the pole for the event and Mark Martin won the race.

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

·        In total there have been 22 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 1.5-mile track has hosted one race per season from 1998 to 2017; last season marked the first time Las Vegas hosted two Monster Energy Series events in a single season.

Starts

Average Starting Positions at Las Vegas
Active Drivers	Average Starting Position	Starts
Erik Jones	6.000	3
Joey Logano	7.636	11
Kurt Busch	9.000	18
Kyle Busch	9.333	15
Chase Elliott	9.500	4
Brad Keselowski	9.909	11
Kyle Larson	10.000	6
Ryan Blaney	10.800	5
Jimmie Johnson	12.944	18
Ryan Newman	14.000	19

·        In total 155 different drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; 120 in more than one.

·        Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman lead the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with 19 starts each.

·        A total of six drivers have made their Monster Energy Series career debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Stanton Barrett (1999), Kyle Busch (2004), Timmy Hill (2012), Jon Wood, Aric Almirola (2007) and Cole Custer (2018).

·        Erik Jones (three starts) leads the Monster Energy Series among active drivers in average starting position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a 6.0.

·        Four drivers will be attempting to make their series track debut this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Daniel Hemric, Ryan Preece, Matt Tifft and Cody Ware

Poles

Pole Winners at Las Vegas
Pole Winner	Poles
Kasey Kahne	3
Bobby Labonte	2
Dale Jarrett	2
Kurt Busch	2
Kyle Busch	2
Brad Keselowski	1
Erik Jones	1
Greg Biffle	1
Jeff Gordon	1
Joey Logano	1
Matt Kenseth	1
Ricky Rudd	1
Ryan Blaney	1
Ryan Newman	1
Todd Bodine	1

·        A total of 15 different drivers have won a Busch Pole Award in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas, led by Kasey Kahne with three poles (2004, 2007 and 2012).

·        Five drivers have multiple poles – Kasey Kahne (three), Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch (two each).

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett won the series’ inaugural pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway 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: Erik Jones (Sept. 16, 2018 – 22 years, 3 months, 17 days).

·        Oldest LVMS pole winner: Dale Jarrett (Mar. 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

Race Winners - Las Vegas
Winners	Wins
Jimmie Johnson	4
Brad Keselowski	3
Matt Kenseth	3
Carl Edwards	2
Jeff Burton	2
Kevin Harvick	2
Jeff Gordon	1
Kyle Busch	1
Mark Martin	1
Martin Truex Jr	1
Sterling Marlin	1
Tony Stewart	1

·        A total of 12 different Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

·        Jimmie Johnson leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway 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 (3), Kevin Harvick (2), Martin Truex Jr. (1) and Kyle Busch (1)

·        Six drivers (all-time) have multiple Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins at Las Vegas: Jimmie Johnson (four), Matt Kenseth (three), Brad Keselowski (three), Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick 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, Team Penske and Stewart-Haas Racing (three each), Joe Gibbs Racing (two),  Chip Ganassi Racing and Furniture Row Racing (each have one).

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

·        Oldest LVMS winner: Sterling Marlin (Mar. 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 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Monster Energy Series, he accomplished the feat on March 1, 2009.

·        Five of the 22 Las Vegas races (22.7%) 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., 2017 (second starting position); Kevin Harvick, 2018 (second starting position).

MENCS Wins by Starting Positions at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Starting Position	Wins	Winning %	Starting Position	Wins	Winning %
1	1	4.5%	17	1	4.5%
2	4	18.2%	18	2	9.1%
3	2	9.1%	19	1	4.5%
4	1	4.5%	20	1	4.5%
7	2	9.1%	23	1	4.5%
9	1	4.5%	24	2	9.1%
11	1	4.5%	25	1	4.5%
13	1	4.5%
Stats			Winning %	Wins
Winning from the Pole:			4.55%	1
Winning from the Front Row:			22.73%	5
Winning from a Top-5 Starting Position:			36.36%	8
Winning from a Top-10 Starting Position:			50.00%	11
Winning After Starting Outside the Top 10:			45.45%	10
Winning After Starting Outside the Top 20:			18.18%	4

·        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 19 races; followed by Kurt Busch with 18.

·        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 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 (11), Chevrolet (seven), Toyota (three) and Dodge (one).

·        No Monster Energy Series drivers have won their first career race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  

Additional Finishing Positions

·        A total of 16 different Monster Energy Series drivers have finished runner-up at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

·        Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the series in runner-up finishes at Las Vegas with three.

·        Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson lead all active drivers in second-place finishes in the Monster Energy Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with two each.  

Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at LVMS (All-Time & Active)
Drivers	Runner-Up Finishes	Active Drivers	Runner-Up Finishes
Dale Earnhardt Jr	3	Kyle Busch	2
Kasey Kahne	2	Kyle Larson	2
Kyle Busch	2	Clint Bowyer	1
Kyle Larson	2	Jimmie Johnson	1
Tony Stewart	2	Joey Logano	1
		Kevin Harvick	1
		Martin Truex Jr	1

·        A total of 39 different Monster Energy Series drivers have finished inside the top-five at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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

Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at LVMS (All-Time & Active)
Drivers	Top Fives	Active Drivers	Top Fives
Jeff Gordon	6	Jimmie Johnson	6
Jimmie Johnson	6	Kyle Busch	6
Kyle Busch	6	Brad Keselowski	5
Mark Martin	6	Kevin Harvick	5
Matt Kenseth	6	Joey Logano	4
Tony Stewart	6	Martin Truex Jr	4
		Ryan Newman	4

·        A total of 58 different Monster Energy Series drivers have finished inside the top-10 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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

·        Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman lead all active drivers in top-10 finishes at Las Vegas with nine each.

Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at LVMS (All-Time & Active)
Drivers	Top 10s	Active Drivers	Top 10s
Dale Earnhardt Jr	10	Jimmie Johnson	9
Mark Martin	10	Ryan Newman	9
Matt Kenseth	10	Kevin Harvick	8
Jimmie Johnson	9	Kyle Busch	8
Ryan Newman	9	Brad Keselowski	7
Tony Stewart	9	Joey Logano	7
		Kasey Kahne	7

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in average finishing position at Las Vegas with a 7.667.

·        Ryan Blaney leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy Series in average finish at LVMS with a 8.4.   

Top 10 (active) in Average Finishing Position - Las Vegas
Rank	Active Drivers	Average Finish	Starts
1	Ryan Blaney	8.400	5
2	Joey Logano	9.182	11
3	Kyle Larson	11.333	6
4	Jimmie Johnson	11.611	18
5	Martin Truex Jr	11.786	14
6	Kyle Busch	12.867	15
7	Brad Keselowski	13.273	11
8	Denny Hamlin	14.000	14
9	Kevin Harvick	15.368	19
10	Ryan Newman	15.526	19

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

·        Twice the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race has resulted with a NASCAR Overtime finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

Date	Scheduled No. of Laps	Actual No. of Laps	NASCAR Overtime	Winner	Runner-Up
3/12/2006	267	270	3	Jimmie Johnson	Matt Kenseth
9/16/2018	267	272	5	Brad Keselowski	Kyle Larson

·        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 Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Monster Energy Series in 2013. As a result, Brad Keselowski started from the first starting position.

·        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 margin of 0.045 second.

Top Five Closest Margins of Victory in the Monster Energy Series at Las Vegas

Margin of Victory	Race Winner	Runner-Up	Date
0.045	Jimmie Johnson	Matt Kenseth	3/12/2006
0.411	Kyle Busch	Clint Bowyer	3/1/2009
0.461	Tony Stewart	Jimmie Johnson	3/11/2012
0.504	Carl Edwards	Dale Earnhardt Jr	3/2/2008
0.594	Matt Kenseth	Kasey Kahne	3/10/2013

NASCAR in Nevada

·        There has been a total of 69 NASCAR national series races among two tracks in the state of Nevada.

Tracks in Nevada
Track Name	City	Monster Energy	Xfinity	Gander Outdoors	Total Races	First Year
Las Vegas Motor Speedway	Las Vegas	22	23	23	68	1996
Las Vegas Park Speedway	Las Vegas	1	0	0	1	1955
Total		23	23	23	69

·        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 driving a Chrysler.

Nevada in NASCAR

·        A total of 26 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Nevada.

·        Only two are currently active fulltime in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing) and Kurt Busch (Chip Ganassi Racing) both from Las Vegas.

·        Five drivers with their home state recorded as Nevada have won at least one NASCAR national series race.

Drivers from Nevada
Drivers from Nevada	Monster Energy	Xfinity	Gander Outdoors	National Series Combined
Kyle Busch	51	92	52	195
Kurt Busch	30	5	4	39
Brendan Gaughan	0	2	8	10
Spencer Gallagher	0	1	0	1
Noah Gragson	0	0	2	2
Total	81	100	66	247

Monster Energy Series - Achievable Milestones
Starts
Daniel Suarez		Has:	74		Needs:	1
To become the 237th driver all-time in the Monster Energy Series to make 75 starts or more.
Wins
Jimmie Johnson		Has:	83		Needs:	1
Tie Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for fourth on the all-time series wins list.
Kevin Harvick		Has:	45		Needs:	1
Tie Buck Baker (46) for 16th on the all-time MENCS wins list.
Denny Hamlin		Has:	32		Needs:	1
To tie Fireball Roberts for 23rd on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
Kurt Busch		Has:	30		Needs:	1
To tie Denny Hamlin for 25th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
Busch Poles
Ryan Newman		Has:	51		Needs:	3
Tie Bill Elliott for eighth on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.
Jimmie Johnson		Has:	35		Needs:	1
To tie Rusty Wallace and Rex White for 18th on the all-time series poles list.
Kyle Busch		Has:	31		Needs:	1
To tie Fonty Flock for 23rd on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.
Denny Hamlin		Has:	30		Needs:	1
To tie Kyle Busch for 24th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.
Laps Led
Jimmie Johnson		Has:	18,703		Needs:	297
To become the ninth driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 19,000 laps.
Kyle Busch		Has:	15,886		Needs:	114
To become the 10th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 16,000 laps.
Kevin Harvick		Has:	13,126		Needs:	874
To become the 11th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 14,000 laps.
Kurt Busch		Has:	9,522		Needs:	478
To become the 18th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 10,000 laps.
Denny Hamlin		Has:	9,253		Needs:	747
To become the 18th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 10,000 laps.
Martin Truex Jr.		Has:	7,539		Needs:	461
To become the 26th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 8,000 laps.
Brad Keselowski		Has:	6,348		Needs:	652
To become the 30th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 7,000 laps.
Joey Logano		Has:	5,130		Needs:	870
To become the 36th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 6,000 laps.