Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag over Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Rheem/Smurfit Kappa Toyota, to win the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 15, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Hot News NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR News: Cup, Xfinity and Truck Las Vegas Preview

Posted by AR1 staff

All three NASCAR series – Cup, Xfinity and Trucks – are in action again this weekend as the NASCAR teams and drivers move out West to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas oval.

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

The Purse: $9,386,054

TV: FOX, 3 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

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

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 165), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 267)

Kyle Busch jumps to Cup standings lead for the first-time since joining RCR

Two races into the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season and two-time series champion Kyle Busch is back on top of the driver points standings for the first time since joining Richard Childress Racing. Busch holds a scant one point lead over Hendrick Motorsports’ driver William Byron in second and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric after opening the season with 12th-place finish at Daytona and a third-place result last weekend at Atlanta.

Prior to this week, the highest Busch had ranked in the points since joining RCR was third following the July Atlanta race last season. This is actually the first time he has led the points since winning his second title in 2019 (145 races ago). Now, the Las Vegas native heads back to his old stomping grounds to earn his first win of the 2024 season. Busch has made 25 Cup Series starts at Las Vegas, collecting one win (2009), 12 top fives, 15 top 10s and an average finish of 10.6. He has also led 311 laps at the 1.5-mile facility.

Watch for Busch to be contender at his home track of Las Vegas this weekend, he has finished in the top-five in five of his last six starts at the speedway.

Suarez wins three-wide finish in Atlanta, becomes second driver to lock into the Playoffs

Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, from Monterrey, Mexico, managed to win in a three-wide photo finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway last Sunday claiming his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory (Sonoma, 2022 and Atlanta, 2024). With the win, Suarez not only tied Juan Pablo Montoya (Sonoma, 2007 and Watkins Glen, 2010) and Marcos Ambrose (Watkins Glen 2001 and 2012) for the most Cup wins by a driver not born in the United States, but also is the second driver this season to lock themselves into the Playoffs, joining Hendrick Motorsports’ driver William Byron, who won the season-opening DAYTONA 500.

This weekend, Suarez will look to keep his winning ways going at Las Vegas, a track he has made 13 series starts at putting up two top-10 finishes and has led 84 laps.

Next Gen is off to another super-hot start statistically

On Sunday, fans witnessed the third-closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history when Daniel Suárez captured his second NASCAR Cup Series victory, narrowly beating reigning champion Ryan Blaney to the Atlanta Motor Speedway finish line by .003 seconds. The historic three-wide photo finish included Suárez, Blaney and two-time series champion Kyle Busch, who finished .007 seconds behind Suárez – marking the closest final margin between first and third in NASCAR Cup Series history.

With the 2024 season already off to a fast start here are some statistical highlights the NASCAR Next Gen car has produced through the first two races of the year.

  • The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season has produced 377 Green Flag Passes for the Lead – the most through the first two races of the year since the inception of the stat in 2005, surpassing the previous record of 277 Green Flag Passes for the Lead through the first two races set last season.
  • The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season has produced 18,458 Total Green Flag Passes – the most through the first two races of the year since the inception of the stat in 2005, surpassing the previous record of 17,579 Total Green Flag Passes through the first two races set last season.
  • This is the 15th consecutive year (2010-2024) in the NASCAR Cup Series the season has opened with two different winners at the first two tracks on the schedule. 2024: William Byron (Daytona), Daniel Suarez (Atlanta).
  • This season the NASCAR Cup Series has produced 23 different lap leaders in the first two races of the year – tied with 2008 and 2014 for the third-most lap leaders through two races behind the 2011 (28), 2010 and 2023 (25 each) seasons.

Atlanta Motor Speedway specific stat highlights:

  • The NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway set a new track record for lead changes with 48, surpassing the previous record of 46 set in the Atlanta-1 race of 2022.
  • The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta Motor Speedway-1 race produced 110 Green Flag Passes for the Lead – the second-most for the Atlanta-1 race since the inception of the stat in 2005; behind only the 2022 Atlanta-1 race with 141 Green Flag Passes for the Lead.
  • The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta Motor Speedway-1 race produced 6,536 Total Green Flag Passes – the series-most for the Atlanta-1 race since the inception of the stat in 2005; surpassing the previous record of 6,439 Green Flag Passes set in 2022.

Outside front row is the qualifying spot to have at Las Vegas

A total of 19 different drivers have won a pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but the most proficient starting spot in the field is the outside front row a.k.a. the second starting position as it has won six of the 32 total NASCAR Cup Series races at the 1.5-mile track, double that of the next best starting position. The second starting position has a winning percentage of 18.75% and was the starting position of the last two Cup winners at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – William Byron (March 5, 2023) and Kyle Larson (Oct. 15, 2023).

Only once a driver won a NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from the pole or first starting position, and it was Las Vegas native Kyle Busch who accomplished the feat in 2009.

Seven of the 19 NASCAR Cup Series Las Vegas Motor Speedway pole winners are active this weekend. Kasey Kahne leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with three poles (2004, 2007, 2012). Christopher Bell (2022, 2023), Joey Logano (2014, 2023), Kyle Busch (2008, 2009) lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with two each.

Active Las Vegas Pole Winners Poles Seasons
Christopher Bell 2 2022, 2023
Joey Logano 2 2014, 2023
Kyle Busch 2 2008, 2009
Tyler Reddick 1 2022
Erik Jones 1 2018
Ryan Blaney 1 2018
Brad Keselowski 1 2017

Team Penske can tie Joe Gibbs Racing for the series-most poles at Las Vegas

A total of nine different organizations have won the pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and this weekend the Team Penske organization could tie the Joe Gibbs Racing organization for the series-most poles at the 1.5-mile track. Currently, Joe Gibbs Racing holds the record for the most poles at Las Vegas in the Cup Series with seven poles among four drivers – Bobby Labonte (1999, 2003), Kyle Busch (2008, 2009), Erik Jones (2018), and Christopher Bell (2022, 2023).

Team Penske currently has six Cup poles at Las Vegas among five drivers – Ryan Newman (2005), Kurt Busch (2010), Joey Logano (2014, 2023), Brad Keselowski (2017), Ryan Blaney (2018).

Both organizations won a pole last season at Las Vegas.

Who has been lucky enough to visit Victory Lane at Las Vegas?

The NASCAR Cup Series is ready for some high-speed action at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this Sunday, March 3 for the Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio); the second race on a 1.5-mile track, but the first time without the superspeedway package this season.

A total of 18 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. NASCAR hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with four victories (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010).

RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski (2014, 2016, 2018) and Team Penske’s Joey Logano (2019, 2020, 2022) lead all active Cup drivers this weekend in wins at Las Vegas with three victories each.

Eight of the 18 NASCAR Cup Series Las Vegas Motor Speedway winners are active this weekend.

Active Las Vegas Race Winners Wins Seasons
Joey Logano 3 2022, 2020, 2019
Brad Keselowski 3 2018, 2016, 2014
Kyle Larson 2 2023, 2021
Martin Truex Jr 2 2019, 2017
William Byron 1 2023
Alex Bowman 1 2022
Denny Hamlin 1 2021
Kyle Busch 1 2009

 

Larson looks to become fourth driver all-time to win consecutive Las Vegas Cup races

Hendrick Motorsports’ driver Kyle Larson became the ninth different driver to win multiple races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with his victory at the 1.5-mile track in the Playoff race last October. Now, the 31-year-old, Larson, is looking to become the fourth different driver to win consecutive Cup races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; joining Jeff Burton (1999-2000), Matt Kenseth (2003, 2004) and Jimmie Johnson (2005-2007).

Larson has made 15 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway posting one pole, two wins (2021, 2023), seven top fives and 11 top 10s. He has also led 447 and has put up an average finish of 9.9 – series-best among active drivers and second all-time to NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt with a 7.7.

Larson also leads the series in runner-up finishes at Las Vegas with four.

Five different winners in last five races at Vegas

Las Vegas loves winners, and this weekend 37 different drivers will compete for the NASCAR Cup Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube on Sunday, March 3 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Las Vegas has produced five different winners in the last five Cup races – Denny Hamlin (Sept. 2021), Alex Bowman (Mar. 2022), Joey Logano (Oct. 2022), William Byron (Mar. 2023) and Kyle Larson (Oct. 2023). Will we see a sixth different winner this weekend?

A total of 18 different drivers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and eight of the 18 are active this weekend, led by RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski (2014, 2016, 2018) and Team Penske’s Joey Logano (2019, 2020, 2022) with three wins each.

No driver has ever won their first NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but 14 drivers this weekend will be attempting to get their first career victory – Josh Berry, Harrison Burton, Ty Gibbs, Todd Gilliland, Noah Gragson, Kaz Grala, Daniel Hemric, Carson Hocevar, Derek Kraus, Corey LaJoie, John Hunter Nemechek, Ryan Preece, Zane Smith and J.J. Yeley.

NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.

Las Vegas Raider A.J. Cole named Grand Marshal for the Pennzoil 400 – Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube will kick off in style as Las Vegas Raiders’ two-time All-Pro punter A.J. Cole has been named grand marshal for the 27th annual event. The three-time Pro Bowler will deliver the command to start engines before a massive crowd at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“This is going to be a thrill of a lifetime to get to do this,” Cole said. “I know it’s pretty special to be the person chosen to do this, so I promise I will make it memorable. On top of that, I’m looking forward to spending the day taking in all of the excitement of a NASCAR event.”

Since joining the Raiders organization in 2019, Cole has been named to the All-Pro First-Team twice and selected for the Pro Bowl three times. For the 2023-2024 season, Cole led the NFL in net punting average and had the most punts stopped inside the 20. Cole was the Raiders nominee for the 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, recognizing outstanding excellence on and off the field through exceptional community service.

Former MLB superstar and Las Vegas Lights FC Owner José Bautista named Honorary Pace Car Driver – Former Major League Baseball superstar and current owner of United Soccer League (USL) Championship team Las Vegas Lights FC, José Bautista, is shifting gears from the baseball diamond and soccer pitch to the racetrack as he takes on the role of honorary pace car driver for the Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube on March 3.

Bautista is best known for his impressive 15-season career in the MLB, primarily with the Toronto Blue Jays. He still is considered one of the most feared sluggers of his era, with 344 career home runs, three Silver Slugger Awards, two Hank Aaron Awards and a six-time MLB All-Star.

“I’m really looking forward to Sunday,” Bautista said. “I’ve been able to watch a few NASCAR races from afar, but to be the guy leading them to the green flag on Sunday is going to be something else. I can’t wait.”

Sunoco Rookie of the Year Spotlight: Spire Motorsports teammates 1-2 in rookie standings – Just two races into the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season and the battle for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors is already tight. Currently holding the top two spots in the Sunoco rookie standings are Zane Smith in first, driver of the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, and his teammate Carson Hocevar in second, driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Smith is five points ahead of Hocevar.

Coming in third in the rookie points is Rick Ware Racing’s Kaz Grala and in fourth is Stewart-Haas Racing’s Josh Berry. Smith is seven points ahead of Grala and 11 points up on Berry after Atlanta.

Smith and Grala will be making their series track debuts at Las Vegas this weekend. Berry made his series track debut at Las Vegas last October, he started 29th and finished 32nd. Hocevar also made his series track debut last October, he started 25th and finished 36th.

Consistency counts in the quest for a Cup title – Through the first two races of the season several drivers have been off to a successful pace and here is a closer look at who has been hot out of the gate.

Two drives have visited Victory Lane this season – William Byron (Daytona) and Daniel Suarez (Atlanta).

Two drivers have finished runner-up this season – Alex Bowman (Daytona) and Ryan Blaney (Atlanta).

Nine drivers have finished in the top-five this season; 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace is the only driver this season to finish in the top-five in the first two races of the year, in fact, he is also the only driver to finish in the top-10 in both races as well.

19 different drivers have posted a top-10 finish in the first two races of the 2024 season. Bubba Wallace is the only driver to finish in the top-10 twice this season. The 19 drivers to post a top-10 finish in the first two races of the 2024 season are tied with 2022 for the most in last 10 season – 2023 (16 drivers), 2022 (19), 2021 (16), 2020 (18), 2019 (18), 2018 (18), 2017 (17), 2016 (15), 2015 (15), 2014 (16).

A total of 23 different drivers have led laps this season. Front Row Motorsports’ driver Todd Gilliand leads the series in laps led with 74 laps (16.09% of his laps completed); followed by Team Penske’s Joey Logano in second with 72 laps led (15.65% of his laps completed).

Through two races, 10 drivers have completed all 460 laps (100%) – Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace, Chris Buescher, Ty Gibbs, Daniel Hemric, Corey LaJoie, John H. Nemechek, William Byron, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.

NASCAR celebrates Wendell Scott at Las Vegas – This weekend the cars in all three NASCAR national series will have an opportunity to carry a tribute decal to honor NASCAR Hall of Famer Wendell Scott on their cars.

Wendell Scott was inducted into the 2015 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Scott made his first start in NASCAR’s premier series on March 4, 1961 at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds in Spartanburg, S.C. He made 23 starts that season, posting five top-five finishes. On Dec. 1, 1963 at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Fla., Scott became the first African American to win a NASCAR premier series event. Scott won the 100-mile feature race after starting 15th.

Over the next 13 years, Scott would make 495 starts. In his distinguished career, Scott accumulated 20 top-five finishes including eight of them in the same season he won his first career race, 1964.

Derek Kraus to make NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend at Las Vegas – Kaulig Racing has tapped driver Derek Kraus to pilot the No. 16 Chevrolet this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kraus will be making his NASCAR Cup Series career debut.

Kraus competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (eight starts) and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (three starts) last season. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in 2022, where he posted seven top 10s and finished 11th the final standings.

Upcoming Milestone Starts in the NASCAR Cup Series – Below are some milestone starts drivers can achieve in the NASCAR Cup Series in the next few weekends.

Daniel Hemric will reach his 50th Cup start this weekend at Las Vegas, Tyler Reddick will reach his 150th Cup start at Phoenix-1, Christopher Bell will also reach 150 Cup starts at COTA.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Next Race: The LiUNA!

The Place: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The Date: Saturday, March 2

The Time: 5 p.m. ET

The Purse: $1,801,278

TV: FS1, 4 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

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

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

Eyes on the prize at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

With two races now under their belts, NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers will now be looking to hit the jackpot this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for The LiUNA! on Saturday, March 2 at 5 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The Las Vegas, Nevada track has hosted 33 Xfinity Series races, producing 24 different race winners and 20 different pole winners. Six races have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by Chase Briscoe in 2020.

A few drivers have etched their names in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway record books:

  • Most wins: Mark Martin – 4
  • Most poles: Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, AJ Allmendinger, Cole Custer – 2
  • Most top fives: Justin Allgaier – 10
  • Most top 10s: Justin Allgaier – 16
  • Most lead lap finishes: Justin Allgaier – 17
  • Most laps led: Kyle Busch – 623
  • Race record: Josh Berry – 145.613 mph (10/15/22)
  • Qualifying record: Kyle Busch – 185.58 mph (3/11/17)

Drivers will start their engines for practice on Friday, March 1 at 6:35 p.m. ET followed by qualifying at 7:05 p.m. ET on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill wants to make it three-in-a-row

Driver of the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Austin Hill, kicked off his season at Daytona International Speedway with a trip to Victory Lane – a season-opening trip he’s made for three consecutive years (2022, 2023, 2024). Then the Winston, Georgia native, went to his home track of Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend and pulled off yet another win – his third career win at the 1.54-mile track. With the two wins to open the season, Hill became the fourth different driver in NASCAR Xfinity Series history to win the first two races of a season; joining Dale Earnhardt (1986), Chad Little (1995) and Tony Stewart (2008). Now, the 29-year-old is looking to become the first driver in series history to win the first three races of NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

This weekend, Hill heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a track that has treated him well, making five career starts posting one win (2023) and three top 10s.

Roll The Dice: Who has had some luck in Vegas?

Fans are in for a treat this weekend as there are multiple drivers who have conquered Las Vegas Motor Speedway entered in this weekend’s The LiUNA on Saturday, March 2 including AJ Allmendinger, Austin Hill, and Riley Herbst.

Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger has made four Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas, posting one win (2021), one top five and three top 10s.

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill has made five Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas, posting one win (2023), one top five and three top 10s.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst has made nine Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas, posting one win (2023), one top five and four top 10s.

Two drivers to keep an eye on this weekend that have yet to win at Las Vegas are JR Motorsport’s Justin Allgaier and Joe Gibbs Racing’s John Hunter Nemechek, both finished runner-up in the two Xfinity Las Vegas races last season.

Sunoco Rookie of the Year Class heads into week three

Following the second race of the season, the 2024 Sunoco Rookie of the Year class is heading to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to post their third start of the season. After Atlanta, Jesse Love is the rookie point standings leader.

Jesse Love: Love had a standout race in Atlanta, leading 157 of the 169 laps and ultimately finishing 12th. Love will be making his series track debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend.

Shane Van Gisbergen: Van Gisbergen had a great race in Atlanta, finishing third and winning the Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award. This weekend he will also be making his series track debut at the 1.5-mile Nevada track.

Dawson Cram: Cram will be looking to rebound this weekend as he finished 31st at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Cram has made just one Xfinity Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he again finished 31st.

Hailie Deegan: Deegan finished the Xfinity Series race at Atlanta in 27th. Deegan will be looking forward to this weekend in Vegas. She made her track debut in the Xfinity Series last season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where she posted a 13th-place finish – the best finish by a female in their Xfinity Series career debut.

Leland Honeyman Jr.: Honeyman Jr. raced his way up to a 21st-place finish after starting from the 35th position at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend. This weekend, he will be making his debut at the Las Vegas track.

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.

Hendrick Motorsports to enter 10 Xfinity Series races – Hendrick Motorsports will enter its No. 17 Chevrolet in 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season.

The 10 races for the Hendrick Motorsports team will be:

March 9: Phoenix Raceway (William Byron)
March 23: Circuit of the Americas (Kyle Larson)
May 11: Darlington Raceway (Byron)
May 25: Charlotte Motor Speedway (Chase Elliott)
June 8: Sonoma Raceway (Said)
June 22: New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Alex Bowman)
July 6: Chicago street course (Larson)
July 13: Pocono Raceway (Byron)
Aug. 31: Darlington Raceway (Elliott)
Sept. 14: Watkins Glen (Byron)

“The No. 17 is a big part of our story, and it would be special to see it win – and win often — during our 40th anniversary season,” Rick Hendrick said. “The sponsorship has been a big success for HendrickCars.com and our dealerships, and we’re pleased to add more races and take it to another level in 2024. It’s Victory Lane or bust.”

NASCAR Xfinity Series competition highlights following Atlanta – The NASCAR Xfinity Series is off to a feverish pace and below are a few of the highlights as to why.

  • Both races this season have ended with a Margin of Victory of less than a second. The average Margin of Victory for the two races this season is 0.349 second.
  • A total of 16 different drivers have led laps in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season, led by Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love with 191 laps led.
  • The first two races of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season have produced 30 lead changes.
  • The first two races of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season have produced 100 Green Flag Passes for the Lead – the third-most since the inception of the stat in 2005, behind 2015 (156) and 2023 (142).
  • The first two races of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season have produced 5,386 Total Green Flag Passes – the seventh-most since the inception of the stat in 2005. The Xfinity Series record for the first two races of the season was set in 2023 with 11,833 Total Green Flag Passes.

Herbst looks to become second driver all-time to win back-to-back Xfinity races at Vegas – Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst is the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series winner at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, taking his first victory at the track last October. Now Herbst returns to Las Vegas looking to join his fellow SHR teammate Chase Briscoe (2020 sweep) as just the second driver to win consecutive races in the Xfinity Series at Las Vergas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts

The Place: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The Date: Friday, March 1

The Time: 9 p.m. ET

The Purse: $736,214

TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

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

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

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series to battle under the lights at Las Vegas

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series leaps back into action under the lights this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts (Friday, March 1 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Notably, there have been 31 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, producing 25 different winners and 21 different pole winners.

A total of 10 races have been won from the pole or first starting position (a 32.2% winning percentage) – most recently veteran driver Kyle Busch grabbed the win from the pole last season. Kyle Busch and Matt Crafton currently hold the most records at the 1.5-mile track:

  • Qualifying record: Kyle Busch 178.903 mph (03/01/2019)
  • Most wins: Kyle Busch – 4
  • Most laps led: Kyle Busch – 404
  • Most races: Matt Crafton – 27
  • Most top fives: Matt Crafton – 11
  • Most top 10s: Matt Crafton – 17

Tyler Reddick holds the race record with his speed of 143.163 mph on October 1, 2016, and Mike Skinner, along with Jack Sprague, are tied for the most poles with three each.

Practice for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will begin Friday, March 1 at 4:35 p.m. ET on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio followed by qualifying at 5:05 p.m. ET.

Former Vegas winners looking to double down

Four previous winners are entered in this weekend’s Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – and all four are looking to double down under the neon lights of Sin City.

Kyle Busch: The winningest driver in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series history added another victory to his name last weekend in Atlanta bringing his total number of wins to 65. In Busch’s seven starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he has posted four wins (2018, 2019, 2020, 2023), three poles, six top fives, and seven top 10s. Busch currently holds the series-most led laps (404). If the driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet wins this weekend, he could be the first driver to post back-to-back wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

Christian Eckes: In seven starts, the driver of the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet has posted one win (2021), one pole, two top-five, and five top-10 finishes. He’s also led 27 laps.

Grant Enfinger: The veteran behind the wheel of the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet has the most starts at Las Vegas between the former victors with 13. In those 13 starts, Enfinger’s posted one win (2018), two top-five, eight top-10 finishes, and has led 50 laps.

Ben Rhodes: The reigning 2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Champion has had a slow start to the year – finishing 30th in Daytona and 28th in Atlanta. The driver of the No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford has made 12 starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, posting one win (2017), one pole, five top-five, and eight top-10 finishes. Rhodes has also led 41 laps.

Toyotas take over the ‘Diamond in the Desert’

Toyota leads the manufacturers in NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with 14 victories – most recently Chandler Smith’s victory in 2022. Now the manufacturer heads back to Las Vegas looking to win their 15th.

Let’s look at the Toyota win breakdown at the 1.5-mile track:

Season Toyota Race Winners
2005 Todd Bodine
2006 Mike Skinner
2008 Mike Skinner
2013 Timothy Peters
2014 Erik Jones
2017 Ben Rhodes
2018 Kyle Busch
2019 (Spring) Kyle Busch
2019 (Fall) Austin Hill
2020 (Spring) Kyle Busch
2020 (Fall) Austin Hill
2021 (Spring) John H. Nemechek
2021 (Fall) Christian Eckes
2022 (Spring) Chandler Smith
2023 (Fall) Kyle Busch

Notably, Kyle Busch is the only driver to post wins with two different manufacturers (Toyota and Chevrolet). Chevrolet, the most recent manufacturer to win in the desert, follows behind with 10 victories. Ford has five series wins and Dodge has two.

Leader of the pack: Tyler Ankrum

Through two races, 22-year-old, Tyler Ankrum, has quietly extended his lead in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series points standings to 10 points over second place Ty Majeski. Prior to this season, the highest rank in the standings Ankrum ever reached was fifth.

The driver of the No. 18 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet led 46 of the 135 laps at Atlanta and finished his weekend with a seventh-place finish. With two remarkable stage finishes, Ankrum accumulated 48 points retaining his position as the points leader in the series and his best at the 1.54-mile track in five starts.

Now in his fifth full-time season in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Ankrum has one win (Kentucky, 2019) to his credit. The San Bernadino, California native has made seven starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His first start at Las Vegas in 2019 netted an 11th-place finish, and when he returned in 2020, Ankrum scored a track-best 10th-place finish. Last season, Ankrum finished 15th.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

Christopher Bell to team with TRICON Garage for Las Vegas – NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell will attempt to pull double duty this weekend, joining forces with TRICON Garage to pilot the No. 1 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.

The Norman, Oklahoma native and fifth-year NASCAR Cup Series driver has 56 career Truck starts on his resume, amassing seven victories, 27 top fives and 42 top 10s with over 1,200 laps led.

The longtime Toyota driver is coming off an outstanding 2023 NASCAR Cup Series campaign that saw the 29-year-old capture two victories and make his second consecutive appearance in the Championship 4.

“It’s always really fun to compete in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and I’m very excited to race with Mobil 1 under the lights at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,” said Bell. “I really appreciate Toyota, TRD, TRICON and Mobil 1 for the opportunity. I’ve come close to the win at Vegas before in Trucks and would love to make it happen this time.”

Zane Smith makes his return to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series – This weekend, 2022 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Champion Zane Smith will attempt his first race this season as he takes on a partial Truck Series schedule. Smith will be behind the wheel of the No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet this weekend at Las Vegas.

In 2023, Smith tallied two wins (Daytona, COTA), three poles, 10 top-five, and 10 top-10 finishes in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The renowned driver also led 227 laps on the year.

Heading into Las Vegas, the NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender knows the 1.5-mile track all too well. In six starts in the Truck Series, he has tallied one top-five, and four top-10 finishes with 23 laps led. Last season, Smith finished second.

The remainder of Smith’s schedule includes Bristol (March 16), Texas (April 12), and Kansas (May 4).

 

HendrickCars.com extends partnership with Rajah Caruth, Spire Motorsports – HendrickCars.com has extended its partnership of driver Rajah Caruth and Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team to include the entire calendar of races on the 2024 schedule.

It was previously announced HendrickCars.com would serve as Caruth’s primary sponsor for 10 races this year. The 21-year-old Washington D.C. native opened the season with a third-place finish at Daytona International Speedway and backed it up with an eighth-place showing last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“Rajah has had a tremendous start to 2024,” said Gary Davis, executive vice president, Hendrick Automotive Group. “When you combine his on-track potential, how he represents himself and HendrickCars.com, his impressive social media presence, and the incredible fan support he receives, we couldn’t pass on supporting him for the entire season.”

2024 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year breakdown – Thadd Moffitt holds an early lead in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings following a pair of races in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

The driver of the No. 46 Faction46 Chevrolet was the highest-finishing Sunoco Rookie contender at Atlanta (26th) and now sits four points over both Connor Jones and Layne Riggs.

NCTS Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings
Rookies Points Awards
Thadd Moffitt 12 1
Connor Jones 8 0
Layne Riggs 8 1