Las Vegas Motor Speedway Track Facts: 2015 Kobalt 400

Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of fuel on the last lap last season at Las Vegas paving way for Brad Keselowski win

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Top 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Joey Logano	6	1	0	1	2	0	12.3	87.5
2	Jimmie Johnson	13	0	4	5	8	0	9.2	113.6
3	Kevin Harvick	14	0	0	3	5	0	14.7	94.5
4	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	15	0	0	3	8	2	14.7	91.5
5	Martin Truex Jr.	9	0	0	0	2	0	16.0	81.9
6	Casey Mears	11	0	0	0	3	0	20.9	57.3
7	Kasey Kahne	11	3	0	3	6	2	13.5	88.1
8	AJ Allmendinger	5	0	0	0	0	0	26.4	60.7
9	Aric Almirola	6	0	0	0	0	3	31.3	51.2
10	Clint Bowyer	9	0	0	1	3	0	17.8	74.2
11	David Gilliland	8	0	0	0	0	1	27.0	49.5
12	Sam Hornish Jr.	3	0	0	0	0	0	28.3	62.3
13	Greg Biffle	11	1	0	2	6	1	14.5	97.9
14	Carl Edwards	10	0	2	5	6	0	9.2	97.8
15	David Ragan	8	0	0	0	1	1	26.9	52.3
16	Danica Patrick	2	0	0	0	0	0	27.0	49.3

* – Based on last 10 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2005 – 2014).

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Data Season Race #: 3 of 36 (3-8-15) Track Size: 1.5-miles Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 20 degrees Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 20 degrees Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees Frontstretch Length:  2,275 feet Backstretch Length:  1,572 feet Race Length: 267 laps / 400.5 Kilometers Top 10 Driver Ratings at Las Vegas Jimmie Johnson........................ 113.6 Jeff Gordon.............................. 103.7 Kyle Busch............................... 103.4 Matt Kenseth.............................. 98.1 Greg Biffle.................................. 97.9 Carl Edwards.............................. 97.8 Tony Stewart............................... 97.1 Kevin Harvick.............................. 94.5 Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 91.5 Kasey Kahne.............................. 88.1 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (10 total) among active drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Qualifying/Race Data 2014 pole winner: Joey Logano, Ford 193.278 mph, 27.939 secs. 03-07-14 2014 race winner: Brad Keselowski, Ford 154.633 mph, (2:35:24), 03-09-14 Track qualifying record: Joey Logano, Ford 193.278 mph, 27.939 secs. 03-07-14 Track race record: Brad Keselowski, Ford 154.633 mph, (2:35:24), 03-09-14

At Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

History

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

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

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

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

Notebook

·         There have been 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

·         135 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas; 100 in more than one.

·         Two drivers have participated in all 17 races: Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon.

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

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

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

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

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

·         10 different drivers have won at LVMS, led by Jimmie Johnson (four). Three other drivers have multiple wins at Las Vegas: Matt Kenseth (three), Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards (each have two).

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

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

·         Only three LVMS races (17.6%) have been won from the front row: Kyle Busch, 2009 (pole); Carl Edwards,2008 (second-place); Brad Keselowski, 2014 (second-place).

·         Four of the 17 races (23.5%) have been won from a top-five starting position at Las Vegas.

·         Eight of the 17 (47%) races have been won from a top-10 starting position at Las Vegas.

·         Four of the 17 races (23.5%) at Las Vegas have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

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

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

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

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

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

·         Mark Martin has 10 top-10 finishes, more than any other driver. Tony Stewart leads all active drivers with nine top-10 finishes.

·         Carl Edwards leads the series in average finish at LVMS with a 9.200; Jimmie Johnson (9.231) is the only other active driver with an average finish in the top 10.  

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

·         Kyle Busch made his first start and Kasey Kahne won his first pole at Las Vegas, in the same event (2004).

·         Aric Almirola made his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2007.

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

·         Eight of the 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who have won at Las Vegas participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Mark Martin (1998; inaugural event) is the only driver to win at Las Vegas in his first appearance.

·         Tony Stewart competed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway 13 times before winning (2012); the longest span of any the nine winners. Stewart is the only driver to have made 10 or more attempts before his first win at LVMS.

·         Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the series (active drivers) with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Las Vegas without visiting Victory Lane with 15.

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

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

·         Three reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions have gone on to win at Las Vegas the following season:Matt Kenseth (2004), Jimmie Johnson is the only one to do it multiple times (2007, 2010) and Tony Stewart(2012).

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

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

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Danica Patrick	22	21	3/9/2014
Danica Patrick	37	33	3/10/2013
Shawna Robinson	36	42	3/3/2002

Massive changes to 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup odds board in Las Vegas following Atlanta

Racing at Atlanta very telling for rest of 2015 season

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook did some major shuffling of its odds to win the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup title following the Atlanta race on Sunday, the first of 11 on 1.5-mile tracks this season. Because 1.5-mile tracks dominate the series, coupled with NASCAR's new rules package, Atlanta gave the SuperBook a glimpse of what to expect the rest of the season. Recent history shows drivers who perform well on the 1.5s have a huge edge in winning the season championship.

"It's just one race, but we were able to get a better feel for how drivers might perform because of the testing Thursday, then the practices and race itself," said SuperBook manager Ed Salmons.

Jimmie Johnson remains the 9-to-2 favorite in his quest to win a record-tying seventh Sprint Cup title. After his Atlanta win on Sunday, Johnson is one of four drivers to finish in the top-5 of the first two races this season.

"I was kind of surprised Johnson won because he wasn't particularly great in Atlanta testing or practice," said Salmons.

Johnson was one of the few drivers whose Sprint Cup odds did not change since last week. Of the 28 options available, 17 drivers had their odds adjusted and only four had numbers reduced. Thirteen drivers had their odds raised, including all three Roush Fenway Racing drivers.

"I don't know what Roush did over the winter, but they got worse than last year, and 2014 was an absolute train wreck," said Salmons, who moved RFR's top driver, Greg Biffle, from 50-to-1 to 100-to-1.

Salmons was readying himself for the unexpected -- with up to five dozen changes to the 2015 rules package -- but after watching Atlanta, he didn't notice much change from 2014.

"I'm amazed that NASCAR could have all these new rules geared to slowing the cars down and then watch the cars actually run faster than the previous year," he said.

The pole-winning speed last season at Atlanta was 190 mph by Kevin Harvick. On Friday, Joey Logano's pole-winning speed came in at 194 mph. Horsepower in the cars was reduced from 850 to 725, and the shorter spoilers produce less downforce, but the speed entering the corners is far greater than last year and perhaps more than NASCAR had anticipated.

Another driver who moved down the odds board is Tony Stewart, who finished 30th on Sunday, six laps behind. Stewart was raised from 25-to-1 to 40-to-1.

"I don't understand how Harvick can run so well within the Stewart-Haas team and Stewart can look so bad within same organization," said Salmons. "There shouldn't be that large of a drop-off between the two cars."

What’s most head-scratching about Stewart is that as part owner of the team, he should have the best equipment at his disposal. In fact, he should just jump into one of Harvick's cars, paint a No. 14 on it and see how he does. It's been a rough past year for Stewart, and some may be inclined to believe his struggles go beyond equipment.

Jeff Gordon has started the season with wrecks in the first two races and sits 36th in points. Salmons raised his odds from 6-to-1 to 7-to-1 but isn't worried about the No. 24.

"He'll be fine,” Salmons said. “It's just some bad luck. I have him rated as the third best driver for Las Vegas and wouldn't be surprised if he won."

Salmons was in the process of posting odds for Sunday's Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and is also working on Super Bowl-style propositions to have them ready for release on Tuesday.

Of course, check back regularly for odds updates.

Read More Here......Updated Sprint Cup odds from Westgate

NASCAR Hauler Parade in Las Vegas Thursday night

This is a must-see event if in Las Vegas Thursday night 

Lights, haulers, action. The immensely popular NASCAR Hauler Parade, which signals the start of NASCAR Weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, will return to its traditional Thursday date this year.

Approximately 50 bright and colorful NASCAR haulers will roll through the vibrant lights of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip on the evening of March 5 starting at 6 p.m.

The parade route will stretch for nearly five miles, beginning at the historic Welcome to Las Vegas sign and heading north on Las Vegas Boulevard before ending at Sahara Avenue, where the haulers will jump onto Interstate 15 toward Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The parade, which is free of charge, will be visible for race fans on both sides of the Strip and from any of the hotels and casinos along Las Vegas Boulevard.

The superspeedway's NASCAR weekend will begin with Stratosphere Pole Day on Friday, March 6 - highlighted by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying at 4:45 p.m. The Xfinity Series Boyd Gaming 300 will be the featured event on Saturday, March 7 at 1 p.m., while the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt 400 caps off the weekend on Sunday, March 8 at 12:30 p.m.

The extended race weekend begins on Wednesday, March 4 with two nights of World of Outlaws Sprint Cars on Las Vegas Motor Speedway's half-mile dirt oval.

- See more at: LVMS.com

Updated Westgate LV SuperBook odds to win 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup

Jimmie Johnson: Two top-5s in first two races say he's ready for No. 7

2015 SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

JIMMIE JOHNSON 9-2
KEVIN HARVICK 5
JEFF GORDON 7
BRAD KESELOWSKI 8
JOEY LOGANO 8
MATT KENSETH 8
KYLE BUSCH 25
CARL EDWARDS 12
DENNY HAMLIN 12
DALE EARNHARDT JR 8
KYLE LARSON 30
TONY STEWART 40
KURT BUSCH 75
KASEY KAHNE 12
RYAN NEWMAN 30
CLINT BOWYER 40
JAMIE McMURRAY 60
GREG BIFFLE 100
AUSTIN DILLON 100
BRIAN VICKERS 100
PAUL MENARD 200
MARTIN TRUEX JR 100
AJ ALLMENDINGER 300
TREVOR BAYNE 500
SAM HORNISH JR 500
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 500
DANICA PATRICK 500
FIELD 500

Jimmie Johnson wins a wild QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta

Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports comes out of gate fast w/new package

HAMPTON, Ga.—Coors Light Polesitter Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick dominated the early and middle stages of Sunday's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway—before Jimmie Johnson decided to crash the party.

Johnson didn't take the lead in the second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season until Lap 198 of 325, but from then on, his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was the class of the field, leading six times for 92 laps in winning for the fourth time at Atlanta and for the 71st time in his career.

For the second straight event in NASCAR’s premier series, Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second and third, respectively. Logano ran fourth, followed by Matt Kenseth, who capitalized on a late track-position play by staying out on old tires.

Johnson surged into the lead after a restart on Lap 305, starting fourth and charging past three drivers—Kenseth, Clint Bowyer and Brett Moffitt—who had stayed out under caution for Cole Whitt’s blown engine.

After Johnson took the top spot, a massive nine-car wreck in Turn 3 on the restart lap slowed the field for the 10th time. NASCAR red-flagged the race for 9 minutes, 1 second, after which Johnson led the field to a restart on Lap 312, with Kenseth beside him in the outside lane.

Johnson parried a bid for the lead from Earnhardt and quickly pulled away, ultimately crossing the finish line 1.802 seconds ahead of Harvick, who passed Earnhardt for the runner-up spot on Lap 319.

Martin Truex Jr., AJ Allmendinger, Moffitt, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Newman completed the top 10. Moffitt was driving the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota in lieu of Brian Vickers, who is recovering from offseason heart surgery. Vickers is scheduled to return to action next weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Before he could get to the front of the field, Johnson had obstacles to overcome. Along with 12 other cars, the No. 48 Chevrolet didn’t get through pre-qualifying inspection on Friday in time to post a speed in time trials. Consequently, the six-time premier series champion started 37th on Sunday.

The starting position toward the back of the grid also meant an awkward pit stall selection in front of Carl Edwards and behind Joe Nemechek. Johnson lost positions on pit road until Nemechek fell off the lead lap and the No. 48 Chevrolet got past Edwards’ No. 19 Toyota on the race track.

"We had a great race car, and unfortunately the way qualifying went (Friday), we didn't have a good pit stall pick, and it took us a long time to get in front of the No. 19 (Edwards)," Johnson said. "Once we did that, we were able to utilize our awesome pit crew; get the stops done and race for the win and get the job done today.

"Just very, very thankful. They (the team) surprised me today. We weren't that good (Saturday in practice), and they really dug deep and figured out what I needed in this race car and gave me an awesome Lowe's Chevrolet."

With the victory, Johnson is all but assured of remaining the only driver to have qualified for every Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup since the inception of the playoff format in 2004.

"I think it is pretty much a lock, as long as we have a smooth season," Johnson said. "I think if we win a second one, it is definitely a lock. But this takes a ton of pressure off."

Harvick qualified second but started from the rear after blowing an engine in Saturday’s practice and replacing it. With a banzai run to the front of the field, however, Harvick took the lead for the first time on Lap 87 and held the top spot six times for a race-high 116 laps.

But Harvick lost track position when he spun his tires in the outside lane on a Lap 257 restart and never got back to the lead. The coup de grace to the reigning series champion’s chances came on the Lap 305 restart when he was trapped behind Moffitt in the inside lane.

"I had one bad restart there where I spun the tires on the outside, and we just never recovered from that one," Harvick said. "And then we got behind the No. 55 (Moffitt) when he was kind of shooting for the moon there to go on the restart—and he just didn’t go.

"And then we got passed again. But, all in all, it was a great day."

Notes: The race produced 28 lead changes among 12 different drivers, though Johnson, Harvick and Logano combined to lead 292 of 325 laps… For the second straight week, Jeff Gordon was the victim of a late wreck; he finished 41st… Logano leads Johnson by one point in the series standings. Harvick is two points back in third, with Earnhardt four behind in fourth.


NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race - Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, Georgia
Sunday, March 01, 2015

1. (37) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 325, $335901.
2. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 325, $284080.
3. (9) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 325, $184755.
4. (1) Joey Logano, Ford, 325, $198838.
5. (36) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 325, $170891.
6. (14) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 325, $150615.
7. (11) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 325, $152278.
8. (22) Brett Moffitt, Toyota, 325, $144284.
9. (12) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 325, $159261.
10. (7) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 325, $144720.
11. (23) Aric Almirola, Ford, 325, $148746.
12. (5) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 325, $107285.
13. (13) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 325, $118085.
14. (10) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 324, $122985.
15. (21) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 324, $132943.
16. (18) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 324, $115760.
17. (38) Regan Smith(i), Chevrolet, 324, $120460.
18. (17) David Ragan, Toyota, 323, $146651.
19. (29) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 323, $145510.
20. (16) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 323, $126593.
21. (8) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 323, $129480.
22. (26) David Gilliland, Ford, 322, $121868.
23. (42) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 322, $110982.
24. (25) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 321, $134768.
25. (19) Greg Biffle, Ford, 320, $130843.
26. (6) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 320, $127018.
27. (24) Michael McDowell, Ford, 320, $95310.
28. (31) Brendan Gaughan(i), Chevrolet, 320, $97785.
29. (32) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 319, $97510.
30. (39) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 319, $126074.
31. (27) Mike Bliss(i), Ford, 318, $96710.
32. (33) Josh Wise, Ford, 318, $94035.
33. (28) Joe Nemechek(i), Ford, 318, $93860.
34. (30) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 316, $93710.
35. (40) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 316, $95035.
36. (20) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, Accident, 302, $101370.
37. (41) Cole Whitt, Ford, Engine, 295, $93204.
38. (4) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 284, $111105.
39. (15) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 282, $120801.
40. (3) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, Accident, 256, $110356.
41. (35) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, Accident, 256, $124401.
42. (34) Ron Hornaday Jr., Chevrolet, Rear Gear, 187, $71865.
43. (43) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, Engine, 92, $68365.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 131.078 mph.
Time of Race: 03 Hrs, 49 Mins, 06 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.802 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 10 for 54 laps.
Lead Changes: 28 among 12 drivers.
Lap Leaders: J. Logano 1-27; J. Nemechek(i) 28; J. Logano 29-48; M. Bliss(i) 49; J. Logano 50-67; M. Bliss(i) 68; J. Logano 69-86; K. Harvick 87-95; J. Logano 96; D. Gilliland 97; K. Harvick 98-138; D. Hamlin 139; B. Keselowski 140-141; M. Kenseth 142-147; K. Harvick 148-176; D. Hamlin 177-189; K. Harvick 190-197; J. Johnson 198-211; K. Harvick 212; J. Johnson 213-225; K. Harvick 226-253; J. Johnson 254-261; D. Earnhardt Jr. 262; J. Johnson 263-293; C. Bowyer 294; B. Moffitt 295; J. Johnson 296-300; M. Kenseth 301-304; J. Johnson 305-325.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): K. Harvick 6 times for 116 laps; J. Johnson 6 times for 92 laps; J. Logano 5 times for 84 laps; D. Hamlin 2 times for 14 laps; M. Kenseth 2 times for 10 laps; B. Keselowski 1 time for 2 laps; M. Bliss(i) 2 times for 2 laps; J. Nemechek(i) 1 time for 1 lap; D. Gilliland 1 time for 1 lap; C. Bowyer 1 time for 1 lap; B. Moffitt 1 time for 1 lap; D. Earnhardt Jr. 1 time for 1 lap.
Top 16 in Points: J. Logano - 88; J. Johnson - 87; K. Harvick - 86; D. Earnhardt Jr. - 84; M. Truex Jr. - 75; C. Mears - 68; K. Kahne - 65; A. Allmendinger - 62; A. Almirola - 62; C. Bowyer - 58; D. Gilliland - 56; S. Hornish Jr. - 55; G. Biffle - 54; C. Edwards - 54; D. Ragan - 53; D. Patrick - 51.