Aric Almirola is 150/1 to win 2023 South Point 400

 

ARIC ALMIROLA Las Vegas Advance No. 10 IHOP Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

Event:  SouthPoint 400 (Round 33 of 36) Time/Date:  2:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 15 Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway Layout: 1.5-mile oval Laps/Miles: 267 laps / 400.5 miles Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps TV/Radio: NBC / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Aric Almirola at Las Vegas: In 20 career starts on the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway desert oval, Almirola has four top-10s, all coming since he joined Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in 2018. Almirola has a best finish there of sixth (twice – September 2018 and March 2022) and a best start of fourth (twice – September 2019 and 2020).   ● Almirola has four starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Las Vegas with a best finish of 11th in March 2015, and three starts in the NASCAR Truck Series (September 2006, 2009 and 2010), all top-10s.   ● Driver Standings: Almirola arrives at Las Vegas 22nd in the driver standings.   ● Almirola’s career: In 458 career NASCAR Cup Series starts, Almirola has three wins, 28 top-five finishes, 93 top-10s, six poles, and has led 1,081 laps.   ● IHOP will be the primary sponsor on the No. 10 Ford Mustang for the second weekend in a row. For more than 65 years, IHOP has been a leader, innovator and expert in all things breakfast, lunch and dinner. The chain offers 65 different signature fresh, made-to-order breakfast options, a wide selection of popular lunch and dinner items, including Ultimate Steakburgers, Hand Crafted Melts, Burritos & Bowls and more. IHOP restaurants offer guests an affordable, everyday dining experience with warm and friendly service. As of June 30, there are 1,790 IHOP restaurants around the world, including restaurants in all 50 states, two U.S. territories and 13 countries outside the United States. IHOP restaurants are franchised by affiliates of Pasadena, Calif.-based Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE: DIN).   ● “Do a Pancake:” For too long, the popular circular burnout to celebrate a win has been called a “donut.” This season, IHOP is taking over the ultra-cool racecar move to make it its own by changing the name of a “donut” to its true inspiration – a “pancake.” The partnership includes Almirola’s IHOP-branded racecar at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. In celebration, IHOP is giving International Bank of Pancakes rewards members a free PanCoin every time a winner does a “pancake” during a race featuring the IHOP car. Additionally, if Almirola wins at Las Vegas, one lucky loyalty member will be awarded 100,000 PanCoins.   ● Beyond the 10 YouTube Series:In 2023, Almirola is continuing to share his life beyond the No. 10 Ford with season five of his award-winning YouTube series. Fans and media can subscribe on YouTube to see Almirola’s personality on and off the track. Episodes have already featured life as a dad, a husband and an athlete, and the show gives fans a unique perspective on what goes on in the life of a professional NASCAR driver. Fans can also follow Almirola’s social media channels: @Aric_Almirola on Twitter and Instagram, and @AricAlmirola on Facebook.

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

Stewart-Haas and the No. 10 team have found more speed over the last few weeks. Do you feel that will carry over this weekend to Las Vegas?   “I think so. We found some things at Kansas and Texas that we didn’t have earlier in the year as an organization. There is a fine line to finding that balance, but Stewart-Haas Racing has come together more in the last month as a team to better each car and we’ve seen strides in speed ever since. We had two cars in the top-10 at Texas and have seen more consistent top-10 runs across the board, so I think we’ll see improvements from earlier this year at Vegas. Vegas is just such a tricky track to dial in each time we visit it, but I enjoy racing there and the challenge it always brings.”

Kyle Busch is +650 to win 2021 South Point 400

 

KYLE BUSCH Home is Where the Trophy Is   HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Sept. 21, 2021) – Kyle Busch’s return to his hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend could go a long way in determining his NASCAR Cup Series playoff chances when the Round of 12 kicks off Sunday.   The driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) heads to the 1.5-mile desert oval fifth in the playoff standings, and with the unpredictable Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval set to close out the Round of 12, the Las Vegas native wants to get off to a strong start to the round with a solid finish Sunday.   Aside from NASCAR’s biggest events like the Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a win at the hometown racetrack is always high on the priority list for most NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Busch crossed that all-important hometown win off his list when he won in just his fifth Las Vegas Cup Series start in 2009.   The 2002 honors graduate of Durango High School in Las Vegas qualified on the pole that weekend but was forced to start at the rear of the field because his team needed to change engines during Friday practice. Unfazed, Busch remained patient on race day as he and the M&M’S team worked their way to the front of the field by the 54th lap. He went on to lead three times for 51 laps en route to claiming what he called at the time the biggest win of his young career.   This weekend, he would like nothing more than to double his number of Cup Series wins at Las Vegas to go with that emotional first hometown win.   While Busch added 2016 and 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at Las Vegas to go with three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins in a row there from 2018 to 2020, he already was no stranger to winning on Las Vegas Motor Speedway property. From 1999 to 2001, he earned more than 65 wins in Legends cars while racking up two track championships at the facility’s “Bullring,” which existed for several years before the NASCAR oval was built. When .Busch moved up to Late Model stock cars, his winning ways continued with 10 victories at the Bullring in 2001.   Along with the familiar primary colors of M&M’S, the Henderson, Nevada-based Ethel M Chocolates brand will have its logo on the No. 18 Toyota’s decklid and front quarterpanels this weekend. The brand was primary sponsor of a car for the first time ever during the March Las Vegas race. Ethel M Chocolates is a marquis offering, manufactured by Mars Wrigley North America and dedicated to creating premium chocolates with fresh ingredients and no artificial preservatives. This year marks the 40th Anniversary of Ethel M Chocolates, a momentous milestone for the brand.   So as Busch returns to Las Vegas this weekend, he hopes the he can turn a trip back home into a trip back to a victory lane. As the saying goes, “home is where the heart is.” And for Busch, home is where the trophy is, along with an automatic ticket into the Round of 8 of this year’s Cup Series playoffs.

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

Is there more pressure to go out there and win at your hometown track than anywhere else?   “I used to put more stress on myself to win there, no doubt. I never knew if winning there would happen for me and it’s neat I’ve been able to win in all three series at Vegas. There is stress going into those events. For myself, I was able to get that done in 2009 there at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, to get into victory lane. That felt good. To be able to go back there years after and go out there and race, and not have to worry about the stress of winning that race, you still want to win. We want to win every single one of them. That’s a fact. Overall, when you come into your hometown, and we watched this place get built from nothing, it means that extra more to you and it would be great if we could get back to victory lane this weekend with our M&M’S Camry.”   What was it like to bring home a Cup Series win in your hometown in 2009?   “It was cool. To go out there and to run a smooth race and to have a shot at winning at the end of the race, that’s what it’s all about. I watched Vegas being built from the ground up, and I remember when it wasn’t anything but a gleam in the eye of Richie Clyne (founder of Las Vegas Motor Speedway) – all those guys who made that place happen.”   What’s changed to make Las Vegas grow into a real sports town?   “I think it’s definitely grown into that more and more over the years. When I was a kid there, I always kind of wondered why we didn’t have a professional team of any kind. You know, whether it would be hockey or basketball or baseball or football, but it’s becoming a sports town more and more, which is good. There are a lot of stars in all kinds of sports who come from our town with (Bryce) Harper, myself and Kurt (Busch), some other, younger, up-and-coming drivers, as well, like Noah (Gragson), and such. It’s nice to have an opportunity to have that place to be able to go play if you can make it to the hometown team and be a star in that series, that league. The Golden Knights are really big in town, now, and I’m sure there’s a lot of buzz having the NFL there, now, with the Raiders, as well.”   With the Round of 12 having two wild-card races at Talladega and the Charlotte Roval, how important is it to get off to a good start in Las Vegas this weekend?   “I think everyone heads to Las Vegas putting a lot of pressure on themselves to make sure they run well in that event because they know what the next two race have in store for them. If you asked any crew chief what race are they are most focused on in that round, they would all tell you Vegas to try and have a good race. With having that much focus on that race, it’s going to make that one tough, as well. You just go out there and do the best you can do. We ended up throwing a bit of a Hail Mary at the Roval and it ended up costing us a bit, so that’s just the unfortunate nature of those two races being in the round together, and we certainly want to get off to a strong start at Vegas with our M&M’S Camry. We’ll have our friends at Ethel M with their logos on our car, as well. They are located right there in Henderson and we are hoping to give them a great run.”   What is your fondest racing memory of growing up in Las Vegas?   “My fondest racing memory is probably my first Late Model race. I started about eighth or 10th and ended up winning it. My first-ever start, I won. So that is definitely a great memory to have.”

Event Overview:

● Event: South Point 400 ● Time/Date: 7 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 26 ● Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway ● Layout: 1.5-mile oval ● Laps/Miles: 267 laps, 400.5 miles ● Format: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 80 laps / Final Stage: 107 laps ● TV/Radio: NBCSN/ MRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Austin Dillon: 'I love Las Vegas; I plan to hang out at the South Point...'

Austin Dillon is 100/1 to win Kobalt 400

Austin Dillon
No. 3 Dow Energy & Water Chevrolet SS
Race Notes and Quotes:

This Week’s Dow Energy & Water Chevrolet at Las Vegas Motor Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 477 in the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In 2014, Dillon raced this Chevrolet SS to a 24th-place finish at Dover International Raceway in September, a 20th-place finish at Richmond International Raceway in September and a 14th-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July.

Dillon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway … Dillon has made two previous NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, posting a 16th-place finish in 2014 and a 21st-place finish in 2013. In two NASCAR XFINITY Series appearances at the track, he has posted a pair of top-10 finishes (sixth after starting fourth in March 2013, and seventh after starting third in March 2012). He has two starts at the 1.5-mile oval in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with one pole award and one race win to his credit (September 2010). In his 2011 Camping World Truck Series appearance at the track, Dillon started second and battled back from a lap-three accident to finish 17th.

Welcome, Dow … Returning primary sponsor of the No.3 Chevrolet SS, Dow enters its second season with RCR and driver Austin Dillon. Together, both teams embrace the power of science, technology and safety as RCR tests Dow products under the most strenuous conditions. Dow also drives innovation to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems, bringing a broad range of sustainable products and solutions to customers in nearly 180 countries with more than 6,000 products manufactured across the globe. See our YouTube video “Dawn to Dusk” to see how Dow products touch the lives of everyone…from dawn to dusk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSspiG8DkOs). More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

Dow Energy & Water … The Dow Energy and Water Solutions businesses are uniquely positioned to solve the increasing industry challenges created by the convergence of the water-energy nexus across the value chain. Dow provides superior solutions by combining chemistry, physics, materials science and biology. As an innovative purification and separation leader, Dow is improving the quality of water, food and pharmaceuticals and industrial efficiencies. Dow works collaboratively to develop solutions that make traditional energy sources more efficient and environmentally friendly while also providing solutions that support new efficient, clean energy use all over the world. From lighter, more aerodynamic materials that improve the performance for cars, trains, and wind turbines to materials that utilize renewable energy to more efficiently power homes and trucks, Dow is helping make the future brighter for everyone.

RCR Salutes … The No. 3 Dow Chevrolet team pit box sports a patriotic theme this season in homage to the United States military, current service members and the memory of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. On Sunday, the team honors NASCAR Troops to the Track airmen from Nellis AFB and Creech AFB. The service members are representing the 820th Red Horse Squadron, the 823rd Maintenance Squadron, the 99th Medical Group, 99th Mission Support Group and the 99th ABG.

One Year Ago … In his most recent appearance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dillon started fourth and maintained a top-10 running position in the beginning of the race, but developed a tight-handling condition in the middle portion losing track position and ultimately finishing 16th.

Double Duty … Dillon is double-duty this weekend, competing in the XFINITY Series in the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet on Saturday and the Sprint Cup Series in the No. 3 Dow Energy & Water Chevroleton Sunday. Saturday’s XFINITY Series race is live on FOX Sports 1 at 4 p.m. ET, while Sunday’sSprint Cup Series race is live on FOX beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Meet Dillon … Dillon and his fellow Richard Childress Racing teammates are scheduled to sign autographs at the South Point Hotel & Casino on Thursday, March 5 at 8 p.m. Local Time.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

How do you like racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
“I love Las Vegas. I love the atmosphere, I love the speed of the track and I love the bumps. I’ve won a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Las Vegas, so I like going there. We did qualify well there last year and that was my first 1.5-mile track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with this team, so I think it was a solid run. We backed up a little bit from where we qualified, but if we can have another good qualifying run like we did last year and maintain our speed throughout the race it will be good. I remember Paul Menard was really fast at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last year for RCR, so we have some things we can build on for sure.”

Do you like to gamble?
“I do like to play a little bit of black jack. I plan to hang out at the South Point Hotel & Casino and you should all come join me.”

- Richard Childress Racing

Brendan Gaughan to race No. 62 in 2015 Sprint Cup season

Premium Motorsports(Mooresville 2-10-15) – - Premium Motorsports is excited to announce that Brendan Gaughan will be driving the teams’ No. 62 entry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Season. Brendan has a combined total of 343 starts in NASCAR’s top 3 Series with a total of 97 top 10 finishes. Brendan will be the teams’ full time driver for 2015 beginning in Atlanta for The Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 on March 1, 2015.

NASCAR Veteran Crew Chief, Zach McGowan who came over in the TBR deal will serve as crew chief for the #62 Team. Premium Motorsports Managing Member, Jay Robinson says, “We are very excited to have Brendan drive for our team this year, he has a wealth of experience and I consider him to be the perfect driver to build this team around.”

Premium Motorsports will be making sponsorship announcements for the No. 62 team as the season progresses.

- Premium Motorsports

Buescher favored to win Saturday’s Smith’s 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

James Buescher favored in Vegas (Getty)

LAS VEGAS – The race and sports book at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has selected James Buescher as the favorite to win Saturday’s Smith’s 350 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Buescher is a four-time winner this year and is only four points behind standings leader Ty Dillon.
Speaking of Dillon, he is listed as second-favorite – at 9-2 – although he never has turned a lap at LVMS. Dillon has one win this season, at Atlanta in August.

Past winner Todd Bodine (2005) down on the list this year at 40-1. Hometown hero Brendan Gaughan, who won here in 2003, is listed at 8-1. Last year’s Smith’s 350 winner, Ron Hornaday, is on the board at 25-1.

JAMES BUESCHER – 7-2
TY DILLON – 9-2
TIMOTHY PETERS – 6-1
MATT CRAFTON – 10-1
PARKER KLIGERMAN – 6-1
JOEY COULTER – 10-1
JOHNNY SAUTER – 8-1
NELSON PIQUET JR. – 8-1
BRENDAN GAUGHAN – 8-1
RON HORNADY JR. – 25-1
JUSTIN LOFTON – 20-1
DAVID MAYHEW – 25-1
TODD BODINE – 40-1
GRANT ENFINGER – 60-1
MIGUEL PALUDO – 60-1
JASON WHITE – 60-1
CALE GALE – 60-1
FIELD (all others) – 60-1

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers will sign autographs in the Neon Garage in the infield of the superspeedway from 6-7 p.m. on Friday following the final practice session.

The Smith’s 350 is slated to start at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, with Sylvania SilverStar zXe Global RallyCross Championship action on the schedule at approximately 8:30 p.m. Spectator gates will open at 3 p.m.

Tickets for the Smith’s 350 and GRC event may be purchased at the LVMS ticket office, online at www.LVMS.com or by calling (702) 644-4444. Follow LVMS on Facebook and Twitter.

-- Las Vegas Motor Speedway PR