Daniel Suarez is 50/1 to win 2019 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas

Daniel Suarez moved through traffic very well last week at Atlanta.  KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Feb. 27, 2019) – The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads out West for the third race of the season with Daniel Suárez piloting the No. 41 Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). Las Vegas marks the second time Suárez will pilot the black-and-red Haas Automation livery this season. This weekend marks the first time the series will utilize the complete new rules package. Las Vegas is the first true test of the new rules package, part of which already produced wild restarts last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “The restarts, I hope everyone at home enjoyed them because they were crazy,” Suárez said. “At times, I was screaming to myself in my helmet.”   The Mexico native finished 10th at Atlanta last weekend after qualifying fifth and heads to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas track this weekend looking for another solid result with his new team. In his three previous Cup Series starts, Suárez has earned a best finish of eighth, which he captured in September of last year. Additionally, he has three Xfinity Series starts, which includes a runner-up finish in March 2016, third place in March 2017, and 10th place in March 2015.   Suárez’s new team, SHR, was successful at Las Vegas last year with teammate Kevin Harvick taking the checkered flag in his second of three consecutive wins. Harvick dominated the event, leading 214 of the 267 laps. Harvick’s Las Vegas win was part of an extremely successful season for the two-time championship-winning SHR team with all four entries capturing a victory.   “It has been a lot of fun to work with my teammates – Kevin, Clint (Bowyer) and Aric (Almirola),” said the Haas driver. “They have been very good to me and have been racing for a long time. For me to be able to work with them and learn from them is very good for me. I’m excited for this season and to continue to grow with my team.”   Before Suárez headed to the track this weekend, he attended WWE’s SmackDown event Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina. The first-time WWE attendee collaborated with a wrestling superstar for an upcoming announcement. “I had so much fun at SmackDown,” Suárez said. “It was my first time going to a wrestling event and it was cool to see all of the behind-the-scenes. I learned that their schedule is just as crazy as ours and they have very passionate fans, too.”   Las Vegas is the first of three events in the western portion of the United States and each track during the swing is unique. Las Vegas kicks it off with a fast, mile-and-a-half track, followed by ISM Raceway near Phoenix, which is a 1-mile track, and concludes at the extremely fast, 2-mile Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.   Ford has 11 Cup Series wins at Las Vegas, which leads all manufacturers at the venue. The “Blue Oval” swept both races at Las Vegas last year. Ford’s new Cup Series Mustang captured its first win last weekend at Atlanta.   NASCAR’s new rules package is in full effect for this weekend’s event at Las Vegas. NASCAR has made rule changes for 2019 to bolster competition with enhanced aerodynamic and engine configurations. The 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.

Daniel Suárez: Driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

How has it been working with Tony Stewart?   “Tony is a driver, so he knows exactly what I’m going through and what it takes to be a successful driver. I’ve been extremely impressed with how involved Tony is with the team. It’s hard for me to sometimes separate him as an owner and as a driver because he still drives so much outside of NASCAR. He actually drives in more races than me. I’m very proud to call him a friend, now. I’ve always had a lot of respect for him.”   How do you remain so calm before a race?   “I’m extremely relaxed on the morning of the race, but about one hour before it starts, if you come and talk to me, I’m most likely going to forget what you told me. I’m busy thinking about the race at that time, pit stops and trying to go over the race in my head. Right after the driver’s meeting is race mode for me.”   What has it meant to you to join the Ford camp? Specifically, we see you talking to Joey (Logano) quite a bit.   “Joey and I go way back. I met him when I first moved to the United States and didn’t know any English. Joey was trying to talk to me when I didn’t speak any English. We have good memories together and we talk about how to work together as Ford drivers. He’s a great friend of mine and I’m excited to work with him in the Ford Performance family. Obviously, we want to beat each other, but we’re friends, too.”

NASCAR Cup series Las Vegas Notes: 2019 Pennzoil 400

Kevin Harvick won at Las Vegas last spring.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube

The Place: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The Date: Sunday, March 3

The Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: FOX, 3 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Distance: 400.5 miles (267 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 160), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 267)

2018 Winner: Kevin Harvick

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Next Race: Boyd Gaming 300

The Place: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The Date: Saturday, March 2

The Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: FS1, 3:30 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Distance: 300 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)

2018 Winner: Kyle Larson

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series 

Next Race: Strat 200

The Place: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The Date: Friday, March 1

The Time: 9 p.m. ET

TV: FS1, 8:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Distance: 201 miles (134 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 134)

2018 Winner: Kyle Busch

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Man of Steel: Keselowski’s winning ways might have only just begun 

Brad Keselowski won last week’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway even while fighting the flu. The Team Penske driver arrives at Las Vegas this week statistically fortified, at least – as the winner of three of the last six races there.

He returns to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube (at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) having won the series’ last race at the track – September’s 2018 Playoff opener. He also won the March race in 2014 and 2016.

Not only has Keselowski proven himself specifically adept at the Vegas 1.5-mile oval, he may be a favorite this weekend for his propensity to go on winning streaks. Three times in his career he’s won back-to-back races (2014, 2016, 2018) and he won three consecutive – at Darlington, S.C., Indianapolis and Las Vegas last season. Two other times in his career he’s won two races in a three-race span –in  2012 he won Chicago and Dover, Del. and in 2016 he won at Kentucky and New Hampshire; both times with a race in the middle to split up the wins.

His work – and Team Penske’s work in particular – has been especially productive on the Vegas high banks. Keselowski has led laps in seven of the last eight races there and led 50 or more laps three times in that span. His Penske teammate, reigning Cup champion Joey Logano, holds a seven-race top-10 streak heading into the weekend, leading a total of 241 laps in that span.

Harvick returns to Vegas to defend last season’s win

The defending winner of Sunday’s Las Vegas race is Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick, who took the trophy last year in what ended up being part of a three-race win streak to kick off the season – with victories at Atlanta, Vegas and ISM Raceway. Harvick is currently second to leader Denny Hamlin in the points standings, trailing by eight points.

Harvick’s victory in this race last year marked the second consecutive race he essentially dominated. The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford led 181 of 325 laps en route to his Atlanta win and answered that by leading 214 of the 267 laps at Vegas, the most laps ever led by a driver at Vegas.

However, on either side of Harvick’s Vegas win last March, he had a DNF at the track, finishing 38^th in the March 2017 race. In last September’s Playoff opener, Harvick’s Ford suffered a cut tire after leading 14 laps, ultimately finishing a very uncharacteristic 29th.

He has two wins (2015) and four top-10s in the last seven Vegas races – leading five of the last six races for a total of 394 laps out front.

Hometown love: Busch returns to Las Vegas

Kyle Busch returns to his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, fresh off a historical achievement in the sport – becoming the all-time winningest driver in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series with his 52nd career win at Atlanta Motor Speedway last Saturday.

Busch is now the winningest driver in both the Truck Series (52 wins) and the Xfinity Series (92 wins) and would like to add to his Cup win column as well. He’ll be competing in all three series races at Vegas this weekend, a favorite to keep collecting trophies along the way to perhaps topping NASCAR’s overall win list (in all three series).  He has previous wins at his home track in all three series – a Cup win in 2009, an Xfinity Series win in 2016 and a Truck Series win last year.

In all, the 34-year-old currently has 195 wins across all three of NASCAR’s series (51 in Cup, 92 in Xfinity and 52 in Truck). Only the legendary seven-time Cup champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty has more (200 wins).

Although Busch has only one Cup win at his Las Vegas Motor Speedway “home track,” he remembers it well.

“It was cool,’’ said Busch, who also won back-to-back pole positions at Vegas in 2008-09. “To go out there and run a smooth race and 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 (track founder) Richie Clyne – all those guys who made that place happen.”

Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones are the only drivers to score top-10 finishes in the first two races this season. Following Atlanta, the 2015 Monster Energy Series champion Busch is ranked third in the standings, nine points behind series standings leader and JGR teammate Denny Hamlin.

Tried and True(x) at Las Vegas

Martin Truex Jr. climbed out of his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway frustrated and motivated. And that was after a second-place finish.

The 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion crashed out of the season-opening Daytona 500 and finished 35th so he has ground to make up. Although the positive showing at Atlanta moved him from 28th to 12th in the points standings, Truex felt for sure he had a car capable of winning.

He’ll get another chance this weekend at Las Vegas, where he led a race-best 150 laps en route to the 2017 victory and has finished fourth or better in four of the last five races. He was third in the September Playoff race despite leading the most laps (96) on the afternoon.

Las Vegas marks the second straight week for Truex to show his 1.5-mile expertise. Since the start of his 2017 championship season – a span of 23 races on 1.5-mile tracks – Truex has eight wins, 19 top fives, 22 top 10s and led 1,446 laps.

Like the rest of the field, Truex is eager to see how the new competition rules package will play out. Cup teams tested at Las Vegas in the offseason.

Hamlin’s early season success continues

Denny Hamlin’s 11th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend was good enough to compliment his season-opening Daytona 500 victory and keep him atop the points standings by eight points over Kevin Harvick heading to Las Vegas this week.

The good vibes will be especially helpful at Vegas, a track where Hamlin is winless. In fact, his 15 laps led in 14 starts at Las Vegas is the lowest total laps led for him at any venue where he’s made that many starts. Last year, his 17th-place finish in this race was the only non-top-six finish in the opening five races for the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

The upside is that the last time Hamlin won the Daytona 500 in 2016, he also led the most laps (10) of his career at Vegas. The “West Coast Swing” – races at Las Vegas, Phoenix and Fontana, Calif. – has been a point on his resume Hamlin would love to improve. The only venue of that trio where he’s won is Phoenix, where he’s led a healthy 671 laps, including a race-best 193 laps in the 2017 Playoff race in which he crashed out late in the event.

“The FedEx No. 11 team is really clicking so far and I’m happy with our progress and achievements, but we still have a lot of work to do and a lot more challenges coming our way,’’ Hamlin said. “But we’re still leading the points, and we’ll be ready to get back at it this weekend in Las Vegas and pad our lead a little more.”

Chip Ganassi Racing is on a roll

Chip Ganassi Racing is having the best start of its two-car history, statistically speaking. Although the team is still looking for its first win of 2019, for the first time in history, both team cars are ranked among the top-10 after the season’s opening two races.

Kyle Larson, driver of Ganassi’s No. 42 Chevrolet, is ranked fourth in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points standings – the highest he’s been ranked in his career at this point in the season and the highest a Ganassi driver has been ranked at this point since 2010, when Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray was ranked fourth. Larson’s new teammate Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet, is ranked eighth.

Larson holds the distinction of being the season’s lap leader – 142 laps combined at Daytona and Atlanta. And he arrives at Las Vegas with good reason to feel optimistic about earning his first Monster Energy Series victory in more than a year.

In the last three Cup races at Vegas, Larson has two runner-up finishes and a third-place result. He has three top-five finishes in six career races at the track. He led 24 laps in his runner-up showing in last year’s Playoff race, the first time he’s led laps there despite his top-of-the-field finishes.

Mr. Jones has 2019 by the horns

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Erik Jones is ranked seventh heading to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the highest he’s been in the standings – ever – at this point in his three-year Cup career. Jones has top-10s in both races to start the season – third at Daytona and seventh at Atlanta last week.

He and JGR teammate Kyle Busch are the only drivers in the series to finish top-10 in both races. Jones has completed every lap run and is averaging an impressive fifth-place finish heading out West.

Last year the 23-year-old had a top-10 sweep of the three West Coast races – finishing eighth at Vegas, ninth at ISM Raceway and seventh at Auto Club Speedway in California. Plus, he won the Busch Pole position for the September race at Vegas.

He’s finished in the top-10 in four of his last eight races dating back to 2018 – a career year for the young Michigan driver who scored his first-ever Monster Energy Series victory in the Daytona summer race and qualified for the Playoffs for the first time.

Sunoco Rookies: Blank slate in Vegas

This will be the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for all four of the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders.

Richard Childress Racing’s 2019 rookie, Daniel Hemric, has the best previous finish at Las Vegas – he finished second in the 2016 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race. The best finish out of the group in an Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas is sixth by both Ryan Preece (fall) and Hemric (spring) in 2018.

For the second straight week, Preece leads the Rookie of the Year standings. The driver of the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Chevrolet is ranked 25th in the series driver points standings as well – with a top 10 in the Daytona 500.

RCR’s driver Daniel Hemric is currently second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, 12 points behind Preece. Hemric is also ranked 29th in the series driver points standings.

Front Row Motorsport’s Matt Tifft, who drives the No. 36 Front Row Motorsports Ford, is ranked third in the rookie standings (22-points behind Preece) and 33rd in the series driver points standings.

Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Rick Ware Motorsports Chevrolet, is ranked fourth in rookie standings (27 points behind Preece) and 34th in the driver championship standings. 

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.:

Extra Seat Time – Four drivers not competing for Monster Energy Series points will be competing in the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube this weekend – Parker Kligerman, Joey Gase, BJ McLeod and Ross Chastain.

Odds to win 2019 Pennzoil 400 Pole at Las Vegas

Ryan Blaney won the pole last season at LV.

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK

ODDS TO WIN 2019 PENNZOIL 400 POLE

LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2019 

Kevin HARVICK 10/1
Kyle BUSCH 6/1
Martin TRUEX JR 7/1
Kyle LARSON 7/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 6/1
Joey LOGANO 6/1
Ryan BLANEY 8/1
Clint BOWYER 10/1
Kurt BUSCH 20/1
Erik JONES 20/1
Aric ALMIROLA 15/1
Denny HAMLIN 20/1
Chase ELLIOTT 25/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 25/1
Austin DILLON 20/1
Daniel SUAREZ 20/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 15/1
Paul MENARD 25/1
Ryan NEWMAN 25/1
Daniel HEMRIC 50/1
Alex BOWMAN 50/1
Matt DiBENEDETTO 50/1
William BYRON 40/1
Chris BUESCHER 80/1
Ryan PREECE 100/1
Darrell WALLACE JR 100/1
Michael McDOWELL 200/1
David RAGAN 200/1
Ty DILLON 200/1
Matt TIFFT 300/1
Ross CHASTAIN 500/1
Corey LaJOIE 500/1
Landon CASSILL 500/1
Joey GASE 500/1
Reed SORENSON 500/1
Cody WARE 500/1
BJ McLEOD 500/1
Parker KLIGERMAN 500/1

Clint Bowyer carries Atlanta momentum into Las Vegas

Clint Bowyer is 18/1 to win at Las Vegas on Sunday.

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Feb. 26, 2019) – Everyone knows Clint Bowyer’s love of racing. Whether it’s racing motorbikes in his youth, competing 15-plus years in NASCAR, or spending his free time these days watching his Dirt Late Model teams race across the country, his love for motorsports is well documented. 

There’s another aspect of his life that might not be as well known but certainly evident after spending even a few minutes with Bowyer family at the track or on its 650-acre farm in Mocksville, North Carolina, where vintage cars, trucks, racecars, dogs, cows, eagles, pigs, donkeys and goats are intermixed. Yes, Bowyer is an animal lover. 

“We’ve always had animals around ever since we were kids, so it’s something that’s always been part of me,” he said. “Heck, these days Lorra and I travel with two kids and two dogs each weekend to the racetrack. Between all the kids’ toys and the dogs, our motorhome looks like the Clampetts (of the television series Beverly Hillbillies) live there.” 

He’ll get to combine that love of animals with his racing this weekend when he drives the One Cure Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 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 CSU. 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 for the next generation of animal and human cancer patients. 

“We lost a great guy on our dirt team to cancer earlier this month and there have been a few folks we’ve lost in NASCAR recently to cancer,” Bowyer said. “Cancer sucks. But I’ve learned about cancer through One Cure and there’s hope through studying animals. They told me one in three people, one in four dogs, and one in five cats will develop cancer in their lifetime and it’s a leading cause of death for all of us.” 

Bowyer said there are few things in life more important than seeking a cure for cancer. 

“Dogs are the best subjects to study cancer because they get cancer naturally, just like people,” he said. “Plus, they live in the same places, breathe the same air, drink the same water – even sometimes eat the same foods. I’ve learned through the One Cure folks that dogs share 85 percent of our genetic makeup. If you can cure cancer in a dog, then you have a good shot at doing the same things for humans.” 

Bowyer hopes race fans will visit www.OneCure.com, where they can learn about the research and offer financial support. He hopes he can create even more attention for One Cure Sunday at the fast 1.5-mile Las Vegas oval. It marks his 15th start at Las Vegas, where he earned a second-place finish in 2009, plus three other top-10 finishes. 

He’s riding momentum into Las Vegas after leading every practice session, qualifying third and finishing fifth at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend. That finish, combined with Bowyer’s 20th-place run in the season-opening Daytona 500, put him ninth-place in the standings after two races. 

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

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

What were your thoughts on the new rules package at Atlanta? 

“It’s still early. 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.” 

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.”

Notes of Interest:

 Bowyer owns career totals of 10 wins, two poles, 74 top-five finishes, 197 top-10s and 2,850 laps led in 471 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races. He also owns eight Xfinity Series victories. 

 His most recent Cup Series victory came at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (June 10, 2018). 

 His most recent Cup Series pole came at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (Sept. 16, 2007). 

 Bowyer owns a top-five finish and four top-10s in 14 starts at Las Vegas. He’s led 17 laps and has finished on the lead lap in half his starts on the 1.5-mile oval. He also finished third in the Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas on March 1, 2008. 

 In last Sunday’s race at Atlanta, Bowyer finished fifth after qualifying third and posting the fastest times in Friday and Saturday’s practice sessions. In the race, Bowyer remained in the top-10 throughout the 500 miles, narrowly avoiding disaster by pitting before a cut tire ended his race. The topfive, combined with a 20th-place finish in Daytona, moved him to ninth in the points. 

 Bowyer and the No. 14 team were part of a NASCAR test Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 

 At the September 2018 race in Las Vegas, Bowyer started 15th and finished 23rd on a day that saw nearly every playoff car encounter trouble. The No. 14 climbed as high as seventh with 50 laps remaining, but contact with another car and the wall with 10 laps remaining dropped him two laps behind the leader. Bowyer said: “I thought we were going to capitalize, but there at the end it all went bad.” 

 The 2019 season marks the 11th season of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based team is co-owned by Tony Stewart and Gene Haas and has recorded 51 points-paying victories and 44 poles since its inception in 2009. It also owns four non-points victories in the Cup Series and three Xfinity Series victories. Stewart won the 2011 NASCAR Cup Series title, and Kevin Harvick gave SHR its second title in 2014. Then-SHR-driver Kurt Busch won the 2017 Daytona 500. Harvick won eight times in 2018, while Bowyer won twice and Aric Almirola and Busch once each. All four SHR drivers advanced to the Round of 8 of the Cup Series playoffs. 

 At Las Vegas, SHR owns three victories (Harvick 2018 and 2015 and Stewart 2012), six top-fives and 12 top-10s in 35 starts.

Stenhouse looking for "redemption" at Las Vegas after speeding penalty at Atlanta

Ricky Stenhouse Jr is 50/1 to win at Las Vegas Sunday.

Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Brian Pattie

Twitter: @Stenhouse17Team @stenhousejr @FastenalRacing and @roushfenway

ADVANCE NOTES

Stenhouse Jr. at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Stenhouse has seven-career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) starts at Las Vegas with an average starting position of 15.7 and average finishing position of 23.3.

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 rebounding from a mid-race flat right front tire that sent the SunnyD Ford into the outside wall, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was poised to earn another top-15 finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway before his day ended abruptly due to a hard crash resulting in a 30th-place finish.

On the Car

Fastenal is currently in its eighth 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.

Stenhouse Jr. on racing at Las Vegas:

“I’m looking forward to Las Vegas, This is the first race weekend with the new rules package. Ryan (Newman) and the No. 6 team tested there in January and felt they learned some things especially on the second day. One of the key takeaways is track position which will be really important. I would imagine Friday we will focus on qualifying trim and then Saturday work on dialing our Fastenal Ford in for the race. I was bummed after last week’s speeding penalty cost us a decent finish so I’m looking for some redemption this weekend.”

Ryan Newman heads to Las Vegas showing speed with new package

Ryan Newman is 50/1 to win at Las Vegas Sunday.

Team: No. 6 Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves

Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman

Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube – Sunday, March 3 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

· Newman will make his 20th MENCS start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. In 19 prior starts Newman has an average finish of 15.5 with nine top-10 and four top-five finishes.

· Newman’s best finish at the 1.5-mile track came back in 2015 when he crossed the line third. He also has two fourth-place results (2002, 2012) and finished fifth back in 2011. He’s finished 11th or better in four of the last six races at LVMS, including a ninth-place result last fall. He crossed the line 11th in this race last March.

· Newman has one career pole in Vegas, which came back in 2005. He has an average starting position of 14.0. His last start inside the top-10 came in 2015 when he rolled off seventh. Overall he has four starts of third or better (2002, 2003, 2005, 2010).

Scott Graves at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

· Graves will call his fourth MENCS race at Las Vegas this weekend. In three prior events atop the pit box he has an average finish of 17.3

· He led Daniel Suarez to an eighth-place finish last fall after starting 19th. He also qualified seventh back in 2013 with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., before going on to finish 18th.

· Graves also has three starts in the Xfinity Series at the 1.5-mile track, where he finished runner-up with Suarez back in 2016. He also has a top-10 with former RFR driver Chris Buescher in 2014.

QUOTE WORTHY

Newman on racing at Las Vegas:

“We’re excited to get to Vegas this weekend to kick off the West Coast swing. We showed some good speed last weekend in Atlanta and I’m ready to see how that carries over to another 1.5-mile track with the full aero package this weekend. We tested there back in January and learned a lot. We’re excited to have Wyndham Rewards on board, and we look forward to showcasing their properties on the road this season.”

On the Car

· Wyndham Rewards, the award-winning hotel loyalty program, is back on the No. 6 for 2019. And coming in April, Wyndham Rewards will be more rewarding than ever. Free nights faster. More ways to earn. More ways to redeem. Learn more at wyndhamrewards.com/comingsoon.

· Las Vegas and Wyndham Rewards don’t just come together for race weekend. Thanks to a partnership with Caesars Rewards, Wyndham Rewards members can earn and redeem points at Caesars Entertainment properties and even transfer points and match status between the programs all year round. Learn more at wyndhamrewards.com/caesars

About Wyndham Rewards
Named a best hotel rewards program for the past four consecutive years by U.S. News and World Report, Wyndham Rewards® is the award-winning guest loyalty program of Wyndham Hotel Group, offering members a generous points earning structure along with a flat, free night redemption rate—the first of its kind for a major rewards program. Members earn a guaranteed 1,000 points for every qualified stay and can redeem for a free night at any of more than 25,000 hotels, condos or homes around the world for just 15,000 points per room per night. No tricks, just Wyndham Rewards magic. You’ve Earned This®. Join for free today at www.wyndhamrewards.com.

Denny Hamlin has 14th-place average finish in 14 Las Vegas starts

Denny Hamlin is 25/1 to win at Las Vegas on Sunday.

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Office Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube
Date/Time: March 3/3:30 p.m. ET
Distance: 267 laps/400.5 miles
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Track Shape: Tri-Oval
Banking: 20 degrees
2018 Winner: Kevin Harvick

Express Notes:

Press Kit: Download the 2019 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.

Atlanta Recap: Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx team finished 11th Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, allowing Hamlin to maintain his spot atop the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship standings. Starting fourth in the FedEx Ground Toyota for the 500-mile event, Hamlin dealt with a tight-handling car for much of the first two race stages. Crew chief Chris Gabehart and the #11 crew made chassis and air pressure adjustments over multiple pit stops to help the car turn the corners better, allowing Hamlin to climb as high as third. Hamlin’s progress was hurt twice by caution flags that came out immediately after #11 team green-flag pit stops, including once in Stage 3 as he ran in the top 10. Forced to restart 20th, Hamlin then pushed his way back into the top 15. A late-race loose condition prevented him from cracking the top 10, and he crossed the finish line in 11th. Combining Sunday’s result with last weekend’s win in the Daytona 500, Hamlin now leads second-place Kevin Harvick in the championship standings by eight points.

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. While Hamlin is still seeking his first win at the 1.5-mile tri-oval, Hamlin and the #FedEx11 team are currently atop the leader board and look to expand their lead this weekend in Las Vegas.

Hamlin Statistics:

Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Races: 14
Wins: 0
Top-5: 2
Top-10: 6
Laps Led: 15
Avg. Start: 18.1
Avg. Finish 14.0

Hamlin Conversation:

What are you most looking forward to as the Series heads to Las Vegas this weekend?

“The FedEx #11 team is really clicking so far and I’m happy with our progress and achievements, but we still have a lot of work to do and a lot more challenges coming our way. But, we’re still leading the points, and we’ll be ready to get back at it this weekend in Las Vegas and pad our lead a little more.”

District 8, the Las Vegas Strip Team Along for the Ride at Las Vegas: District 8, the Las Vegas Strip team led by District Manager Fitiulamea Aumoeualogo-Springer, will be recognized this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for being the top District YTD in retail packing growth.

FedEx Office – Closest to Las Vegas Motor Speedway: 228 S Nellis Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89104, (702) 431-5076

Odds to win 2019 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas

Kevin Harvick won at Las Vegas last spring.

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK

ODDS TO WIN 2019 PENNZOIL 400

LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2019 - 12:45 PM PT

Kevin HARVICK 9/2
Kyle BUSCH 5/1
Martin TRUEX JR 6/1
Kyle LARSON 6/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 6/1
Joey LOGANO 8/1
Ryan BLANEY 12/1
Clint BOWYER 18/1
Kurt BUSCH 20/1
Erik JONES 20/1
Aric ALMIROLA 20/1
Denny HAMLIN 25/1
Chase ELLIOTT 25/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 40/1
Austin DILLON 50/1
Daniel SUAREZ 50/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 50/1
Paul MENARD 80/1
Ryan NEWMAN 80/1
Daniel HEMRIC 100/1
Alex BOWMAN 80/1
Matt DiBENEDETTO 80/1
William BYRON 100/1
Chris BUESCHER 300/1
Ryan PREECE 300/1
Darrell WALLACE JR 300/1
Michael McDOWELL 1000/1
David RAGAN 1000/1
Ty DILLON 1000/1
Matt TIFFT 2000/1
Ross CHASTAIN 5000/1
Corey LaJOIE 5000/1
Landon CASSILL 5000/1
Joey GASE 10000/1
Reed SORENSON 10000/1
Cody WARE 10000/1
BJ McLEOD 10000/1
Parker KLIGERMAN 5000/1

Team Penske Atlanta Post-Race Report

Brad Keselowski was 8/1 to win at Atlanta. 

Team Penske Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race Report
Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway
Race: Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500
Date: February 24, 2019

No. 2 Autotrader Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski

Start: 19th
Stage 1: 11th
Stage 2: 12th
Finish: 1st
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 325/325
Laps Led: 33
Driver Point Standings (behind first): 6th (-15)

Notes:

Brad Keselowski held off a fast closing Martin Truex Jr. to win the Folds of Honor QuickTrip 500 Sunday afternoon at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Keselowski became the all-time winningest driver in Team Penske history with the victory, his 60th overall since joining the organization, surpassing Mark Donohue. The victory was Keselowski’s first of the 2019 season and his second in 11 Cup series races at Atlanta. He also gave Mustang its first victory in the Cup series.

That Keselowski was physically able to compete on Sunday afternoon was an impressive accomplishment. On Saturday afternoon, Keselowski missed much of the final practice session due to flu-like symptoms but was able to make two runs toward the end of the session. Keselowski was able to recover overnight and ran the 500-mile race on Sunday as scheduled.

The driver of the Autotrader Ford Mustang started 19th in the 325-lap race and steadily worked his way through the field during Stage 1. He finished 11th when the segment concluded on lap 85.

During Stage 2, Keselowski continue to climb up the leaderboard. He was up to fifth-place when he made a scheduled green flag pit stop on lap 126 for four tires. But during the stop the jack broke, costing Keselowski precious seconds on pit road and positions on the track. He recovered and was able to finish 12th when the stage ended on lap 170.

Keselowski restarted 13th when the race went green on lap 177.Once again he steadily worked his way through the field and was up to eighth position when the fourth caution slowed the race on lap 223. As the laps ticked away, the balance on the No. 2 Mustang was more free, which translated into more speed. He was third when he made a scheduled four-tire stop under green on lap 270. Four laps later the caution waved in the midst of the green flag cycle of stops. Keselowski was the first car one lap down and received the free pass back onto the lead lap. He pitted for four tires on lap 278 during the caution and restarted third when the race went green.

From there, Keselowski simply drove to the front. He took the lead from Joey Logano on lap 293 and steadily pulled away from the field. But as the race entered its closing laps, Martin Truex Jr. loomed larger and larger in Keselowski’s rearview mirror. Truex Jr. caught Keselowski on the final lap of the race but couldn’t find a way past, with Keselowski beating his rival to the checkered flag by two car lengths (officially measured at .218 seconds).

No. 12 PPG Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney

Start: 26th
Stage 1: 6th
Stage 2: 4th
Finish: 22nd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 324/325
Laps Led: 41
Driver Point Standings (behind leader): 14th (-33)

Notes:

· Ryan Blaney’s strong run in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was spoiled by a couple late race mishaps. The driver of the No. 12 PPG Ford Mustang showed speed throughout the event, including lead the first laps of his Cup Series career in his fourth start at the 1.54-mile speedway.

· Blaney started 26th and quickly made his way to 14th position, prior to the lap 35 competition caution. He reported to crew chief Jeremy Bullins that his Ford Mustang had good initial turn, but was tight on exit. Bullins called for an air pressure adjustment and a piece of tape on the nose to go along with four new Goodyear tires.

· Blaney continued his charge to the front on the restart, making a couple aggressive moves to get himself into the top-10 and eventually knocking on the door of the top-five. Blaney would finish in the sixth position and the end of Stage 1. On lap 88 he pitted for service that included four tires plus an additional air pressure to help with a loose condition.

· Blaney fought his way to fourth early on the restart and spent the majority of the second stage in that position. He continued to report that his Mustang slid the nose in both the center and exit of the corners. The crew continued to work with air pressure adjustments to keep the car turning. Blaney finished fourth when Stage 2 concluded on lap 170.

· Under the second stage break, Blaney pitted on lap 223 and the crew made a slight air pressure adjustment to keep the PPG Ford Mustang snugged up in the center of the turns. Good pit work by the team got Blaney out in the second position for the restart on lap 227.

· On the restart, Blaney grabbed the lead from Kevin Harvick on lap 231 and led the next 41 laps, his first laps led at Atlanta.

· Unfortunately the team’s strong day went bad late as a pit road miscue and late-race tire problem forced extended service for the PPG crew. When the checkered flag waved, Blaney would be scored in the 22nd position.

Quote: “We had an awesome PPG Ford today. Atlanta has been a place I’ve struggled at in the past so to be competitive and lead some laps felt good today. We had a car that could’ve one but late race issues cost us a chance to win that was super disappointing. We’ll move on and get ready for the West Coast swing.”

No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano

Start: 27th
Stage 1: 7th
Stage 2: 6th
Finish: 23rd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 324/325
Laps Led: 22
Driver Point Standings (behind leader): 5th (-12)

Notes:

· Joey Logano started Sunday‘s Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500 from the 27th starting position for the debut race of the new aerodynamic and engine package at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Logano wasted little time, gaining 11 positions in the first eight laps of the race, moving from 27th to 16th. Logano reached the top-10 by the lap 35 competition caution. On the pit stop, the team made an air pressure adjustment, added tape to the nose to correct the loose condition the driver was experiencing in clean air. Unfortunately, Logano was blocked into his pit box and lost several positions on the exchange.

· Through the second half of the first stage, Logano rallied back, picking up all the lost track position and more, moving to the seventh position by the lap 85 stage break, gaining four valuable points. Unfortunately, the team again found themselves blocked in on pit road, dropping to the back portion of the top-20.

· Through the second stage, Logano worked his way forward, with what he described as “probably the best car here” through the opening two stages. The only issue he reported was being slightly free throughout most of the runs, but the fourth run the handling had improved in the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang over the previous run.

· Through the third stage, Logano climbed to the third position, trailing teammate Ryan Blaney in the No. 12 PPG Mustang and the No. 19 of Martin Truex Jr. Logano remained quiet on the radio for the opening laps of the second run of the stage. With 72 laps remaining in the race, Logano relinquished the third position to teammate Brad Keselowski in the No. 2 Autotrader Fusion, who had steadily become one of the best cars in the race.

· At lap 272, as the No. 22 team was preparing to pit, the caution flag was displayed for an incident on pit road. The caution came at the perfect time for the Logano as he and the No. 1 were the only cars on the lead lap as the rest of the field had pitted. On the ensuing restart, Logano was able to keep the lead with 41 laps remaining.

· Unfortunately, Logano would have to make an unscheduled pit stop due to loose rear wheels from the previous stop, dropping Logano off the lead lap and in a position to fight for the lucky dog position. Complicating matters, the team had to pit on the white flag lap to ensure all remaining lugnuts were tight.

Quote: “We brought a really fast Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang today. We won the track position battle all day after getting blocked in on the first two stops. We were really strong on the long run, could pass cars and put ourselves in position to win. That part gives me confidence in what we prepared in the off-season on this new engine and aero package. Unfortunately, the loose wheel ended the day we should have had.”